Which bank has launched doorstep banking service for senior citizens over 70 years of age and differently-abled customers?

The RBI cut its repo rate by 25 basis points to 6% in its first bi-monthly policy review of 2019-20. The decision comes a week before the election starts on April 11. The central bank had reduced the benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points in February after an 18-month gap. The reverse repo rate, too, was lowered from 6% to 5.75%. The bank rate was fixed at 6.25%. What is Repo rate? Repo rate refers to the rate at which commercial banks borrow money from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in case of shortage of funds.

State Bank of India (SBI) announced it had raised Rs.1,251.30 crore by issuing Basel III-compliant bonds. The Committee of Directors for Capital Raising, at its meeting on 22 March 2019, deliberated and accorded approval to allot 12,513 non-convertible, taxable, perpetual, subordinated, unsecured Basel III-compliant additional tier-I bonds, for inclusion in additional tier-I capital of the bank aggregating to Rs.1,251.30 crore. The bonds with a face value of Rs.10 lakh each bears a coupon rate of 9.45% per annum payable annually with a call option after 5 years or any anniversary date thereafter. The bonds were subscribed on 22nd March.

The Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) has become the first Destination Bank to go live with Net Banking and Debit Card-based authentication solution on NPCI's e-Mandate API platform. The facility will enable its customers to create electronic mandates (similar to the erstwhile eNACH with Aadhaar + OTP) via both the Debit Card and Net Banking channels. This allows Kotak to go live as a sponsor or acquirer bank for corporates and merchants seeking recurring payments. In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the industry, customers can register both physical and e-mandates on a single platform with validation on the mandate fields to remove rejections on account of various reasons.

Punjab National Bank (PNB) appointed Rajesh Kumar Yaduvanshi as the Executive Director of the bank. Rajesh Kumar Yaduvanshi joined PNB as a management trainee in 1985. He is equipped with an experience of 34 years in the banking career and is a certified associate member of Indian Institute of Bankers. In the past, he had worked with Dena Bank in the capacity of the Executive Director. He holds a doctorate in science from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, (IARI) New Delhi.

A unique proposition to pay electricity bill on EMIs launched by Bajaj Finserv through its lending arm Bajaj Finance Ltd. through the campaign of #BijliOnEMI. Customers can avail an Insta Credit loan in their Bajaj Finserv Wallet to pay their electricity bills on EMI. Bajaj Finance Ltd. financed the purchase of over 12 lakh air conditioners across our country in the year 2018. Bajaj Finance Ltd launched this campaign and customers buying air conditioners of Rs 20,000 and above will be eligible for Rs 5000 Instant Credit loan and for the air conditioners above Rs 40,000 will receive Rs 7000 Instant Credit loan to their Wallet.

Two international financial institutions the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have launched a private blockchain and quasi-crypto currency called as "Learning Coin" for better understanding of blockchain technology and the function of crypto assets. The asset will only be available for use within the IMF and the World Bank. It has no monetary value, means it is not a true cryptocurrency. After the testing period, the IMF and the World Bank may use blockchain technology to create smart contracts, fight money laundering, and improve transparency.

Canara Bank and its life insurance partner Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance launched 'Webassurance' to enable its customers to purchase life insurance in a convenient and hassle-free way. Total Four life insurance products of Canara HSBC OBC Life would be made available to its customers with various facilities like key needs of child future, savings, and investments, retirement planning and protection. This Life Insurance is jointly owned by Canara Bank (51 percent) and Oriental Bank of Commerce (23 percent) and HSBC Insurance Holdings (26 percent), the Asian insurance arm of HSBC.

State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has sanctioned loans worth Rs 689 crore to over 1,600 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through the psbloansin59minutes.com portal as part of its effort to promote such industries. Under the Mudra Yojana, the bank has offered loan to over 2.69 lakh small entrepreneurs this fiscal (till February 14, 2019).

Mangaluru based Karnataka Bank Limited appointed Balachandra Y V as Chief Operation Officer (COO) and Gokuldas Pai as Chief Business Officer (CBO). Earlier, both are General Managers of Karnataka Bank who were promoted as COO and CBO of the bank. The previous COO of Karnataka Bank was Raghavendra Bhat M.

Recently, Etihad Airways, UAE based flag carrier, has become the first major airline in the gulf region to operate a flight without any single-use plastics on board. The objective is to raise awareness about pollution on Earth Day. The flight named EY484, first flight without use of plastics landed in Brisbane, Australia on April 22, Earth Day. Etihad Airways has pledged to reduce single-use plastic usage by 80 percent across the entire organization by the end of 2022 and this EY484 flight is a part of this pledge.