Business
PNB Shares Recover After Fall After It Reported Rs 2,434 Crore Loan Fraud
Mumbai: Shares of state-owned lender Punjab National Bank on Monday recovered after an earlier fall, after it reported a loan fraud of Rs 2,434 crore last week, allegedly committed by former promoters of SREI Equipment Finance Ltd (SEFL) and SREI Infrastructure Finance Ltd (SIFL).
PNB’s shares had fallen as much as 3.1 per cent to Rs 116.6 apiece earlier in the day, but were trading at Rs 120.55, up 0.15 per cent at 11:44 am.
The PSU lender reported the loan fraud of Rs 2,434 crore to the Reserve Bank of India, alleging in a regulatory filing that the erstwhile promoters of SREI Equipment Finance Ltd and SREI Infrastructure Finance Ltd committed frauds of Rs 1,240.94 crore and Rs 1,193 crore, respectively.
The bank has made 100 per cent provisions against the entire outstanding amount, the filing added. The RBI, in October 2021, superseded the boards of SIFL and its wholly-owned subsidiary SEFL.
However, Srei group has challenged the forensic audit report as the basis for the fraud classification, noting the matter is subjudice.
Other banks such as Punjab &Sind Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Union Bank of India have also earlier declared a loan fraud in connection with Srei companies.
SEFL and SIFL, which carried combined financial debt of about Rs 32,700 crore, went through resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and were acquired by National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd in December 2023.
The PSU’s shares showed robust performance across YTD, 1‑year, 3‑year and 5‑year horizons up 17.43 per cent, 18.84 per cent, 117.60 per cent and 263 per cent respectively, despite a decline of 3.17 per cent in one month.
PNB reported a 14 per cent rise in standalone net profit to Rs 4,904 crore for the September quarter of FY26 up from Rs 4,303 crore a year earlier.
Business
Industrial production at two-year high! IIP records 6.7% growth in November; fueled by mining, manufacturing sectors – The Times of India
The country’s industrial output reached a two-year highk, growing by 6.7 per cent in November, according to the official Index of Industrial Production (IIP) data released Monday.This marks an improvement from the 5 per cent growth recorded in November last year, according to data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO). The surge was largely because of strong performances in mining and manufacturing sectors. “The growth is led by Manufacture of basic metals and fabricated metal products, pharmaceuticals and motor vehicles,” stated the ogvernment press release.The manufacturing sector led the growth surge, expanding by 8 per cent, up from 5.5 per cent in the same month last year. Mining also recorded huge gains, rising by 5.4 per cent compared to 1.9 per cent a year ago.However, not all sectors showed growth. The electricity sector faced challenges, with production dropping by 1.5 per cent, as compared to the 4.4 per cent growth seen in the same period last year.Looking at the broader picture, the NSO also revised October industrial production growth slightly upward to 0.5 per cent from the earlier estimate of 0.4 per cent. The current growth rate is still below the 11.9 per cent peak of November 2023.The overall industrial growth for April-November has slowed down. The growth rate stands at 3.3 per cent, slightly lower than the 4.1 per cent recorded in the same period last year.
Business
Post-GST Relief, Indians Opt For Bigger Health Covers And Longer Policies In 2025: Policybazaar Data
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Policybazaar reports GST removal boosted average sum insured in India to Rs 19 lakh, with rising demand for higher health, term, motor, and travel insurance.
Health, Term, Motor Insurance See Strong Uptick in 2025 After GST Relief
The average sum insured in India increased from Rs 14.5 lakh to Rs 19 lakh after GST removal on the insurance premium, according to Policybazaar report ‘Decoding India’s Financial Behavior in 2025’.
Buyers are now opting for higher sum insured health policies post GST removal, with the demand rising 47 per cent for Rs 10-25 lakh covers and 85 per cent for Rs 25 lakh and above covers, the report added.
Buyers increasingly opted for longer protection periods, reflected in the higher selection of 4-year and 5-year health insurance policies. 4-year and 5-year tenures increased by 56 per cent and 62 per cent, respectively.
Similarly, policies with sum insured below Rs 10 lakh declined by 29 per cent year-on-year.
The GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising ministers from all states, on Wednesday had decided to exempt health and life insurance premiums from the levy of goods and services tax (GST), from September 22, 2025.
Term Insurance Demand Grows 37%
In term insurance, demand grew 37% in 2025, led by buyers aged 25–40 years. Rs 1 crore emerged as the most popular cover, while higher sums are gradually gaining ground. Salaried individuals dominated purchases, and while men accounted for 80% of buyers, women showed a stronger preference for critical illness riders—pointing to more need-based choices.
Premium On Motor Insurance Jumps 200%
Motor insurance reflected changing mobility trends. Electric vehicle insurance purchases grew nearly 2.5 times year-on-year, with premiums surging about 200%. Add-ons such as roadside assistance and zero depreciation are becoming standard, especially for new vehicles. Pay-as-you-drive policies also saw meaningful adoption among urban users, offering savings for low-mileage drivers.
Travel Insurance Becomes Must-Have
Travel insurance shifted from optional to essential. Policy issuance rose 15%, with travellers opting for higher covers, especially for the US and Canada. Senior citizens emerged as an important growth segment, accounting for 15% of insured travellers.
Millennials Are On Fore Front
On the investment front, millennials led participation, with under-35 investors now forming 25% of retirement product buyers. Longer tenures of 20 years or more are increasingly preferred, reflecting patience and long-term thinking.
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December 29, 2025, 14:35 IST
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PA MediaThe earliest known coin to be minted in Scotland almost 900 years ago has been acquired for the nation after it was found by a metal detectorist.
The medieval David I silver coin, discovered in a wooded area near Penicuik, Midlothian in 2023, has been dated to the second half of the 1130s.
As required by law it was reported it to Treasure Trove and allocated to National Museums Scotland (NMS) by the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel.
The coin was valued at £15,000, which was paid to the finder as a reward by the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer.
PA MediaThe NMS said it would be used for research but it is hoped it will go on display in future.
King David I of Scotland, who reigned from 1124 until 1153, introduced the country’s first coinage.
Alice Blackwell, senior curator of medieval archaeology and history, said it was thought all his earliest coins were created in a mint in Carlisle, Cumbria, which he took control of in the 1130s.
But she added: “This coin is really significant because it’s the first of that earliest type, the earliest coins to actually have been minted outside of Carlisle.
“It was minted in Edinburgh, so it’s the first time that we have Scottish coinage being minted in what was a core part of the Scottish kingdom.”
She said any coins found before the king’s reign could be Roman Age, Viking Age or medieval coinage.
David I later lost control of Carlisle.
PA MediaThe coin found in Midlothian has a portrait of the monarch’s head on one side and a cross-based design on the other.
It also bears an inscription which indicates it was minted in Edinburgh.
The discovery will help experts expand their understanding of how and where coins were minted in medieval times.
Dr Blackwell said there was virtually no documentary sources that explained how coinage was produced in Scotland.
She added: “The coins themselves are the primary source.
“This is the first time that we can see this very early minting of coinage in Edinburgh.”
The expert added the first Scottish coins were quite rare.
She also said the discovery of another had the potential to increase understanding about how the first coinage was produced and how it began to be used in Scotland.
Later in the reign of King David I, coins were minted in places including Perth, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Aberdeen, St Andrews, and Roxburgh in the Scottish Borders.
As well as introducing Scotland’s first coinage his reign included the foundation of royal burghs such as Perth, Dunfermline and Stirling, and the reorganisation of civil institutions.
Three Turkish police officers, six Daesh militants killed in clash, amid national crackdown
Industrial production at two-year high! IIP records 6.7% growth in November; fueled by mining, manufacturing sectors – The Times of India
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