The Hindu Business Line : Wednesday, November 08, 2006

REGIONAL RURAL BANKS
Bengal wants to replicate Grameen model
There is a buzz of activity at the Grameen headquarters in Dhaka; congratulatory messages are pouring in, along with interview requests from print and electronic media all over the world, as well as invitations from different countries to ... More

INSIGHT
`Financial inclusion', survival strategy for banks
India may be `the world's second-fastest growing economy'. But that may mean nothing to nearly half of India's 1.1 billion, because they `have no access to loans and insurance,' notes www.chinapost.com.tw in a report dated November 6. ... More

Monetary Policy: The RBI's `interest'ing act
While striking an external-internal balance, the RBI has attempted a trapeze act to maintain status quo. More

FOREX
Rupee touches seven-month high
Rupee touched a seven-month high of 44.72/73 on strong dollar supplies from foreign banks, say dealers. "FII inflows into the domestic stock markets have further helped in creating a bullish sentiment in the market," said Mr V. ... More

GENERAL INSURANCE
Risk pool to administer motor insurance premiums
IRDA bid to dispel vehicle owners' fears of hike post deregulation More

RBI & OTHER CENTRAL BANKS
Change in cheque clearing system
The Reserve Bank of India has effected a change in the cheque clearing system in Kolkata. The revised procedure has been in place since mid-October. The introduction of the new mechanism has not effected overall clearing ... More

PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS
PNB to widen presence in Kerala
Punjab National Bank has initiated various steps to widen its presence in Kerala, which inter alia includes opening of new branches and increasing the number of core banking solutions branches. Mr S.P. Singh, Zonal Manager, Kerala Zone, ... More

INTEREST RATES
EPFO defers decision on interest rate
The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), which met here on Tuesday, deferred a decision on the interest to be paid to the subscribers for the financial year 2006-07. The ... More

GOVT BONDS
Bond prices surge 26 paise
Bond prices flared up by almost 25 paise (yields dropped by about four basis points) on comfortable rupee liquidity. Total traded volumes on the order matching system jumped to Rs 6,155 crore (Rs 3,445 crore). Dealers felt the ... More

SHORT TERM INSTRUMENTS
Call rates unchanged
Call ruled unchanged between 6.9 per cent to 7 per cent. In the first one-day reverse-repo auction under LAF, the RBI received and accepted two bids amounting to Rs 225 crore. There were no repo bids. In the second one-day ... More

CREDIT CARDS & DEBIT CARDS
American Express launches Platinum Club
Membership for lifetime fee of Rs 50,000 More

FIXED DEPOSITS
More banks hike FCNR, NRE deposit rates
Lakshmi Vilas Bank has effected an upward revision in its FCNR (B), NRE and RFC deposit scheme with effect from November 1. The revision though has been negligible under the NRE and RFC deposit scheme. The interest rate for FCNR (B) ... More

INTERVIEW
LVB is changing with times, says CEO
`We aim to emerge as one of the top old generation private sector banks' More