Gold and silver prices in India moved higher on March 17, tracking firm global trends and continued geopolitical uncertainty, while investors assessed the outlook for inflation and interest rates. On the domestic bourse, MCX gold contracts for April 2026 delivery rose about 1% to trade near ₹1.56 lakh per 10 grams. MCX silver contracts for…
The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has issued an advisory clarifying how taxpayers should account for payments made during investigations when filing appeals, after complaints that the GST portal continues to demand pre-deposit amounts despite prior payments. The issue arises when taxpayers voluntarily pay dues during the investigation stage using Form GST DRC-03. After…
A return of about 306–312% has accrued to investors opting for premature redemption of Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) 2019–20 Series IV, based on the latest redemption price announced for March 17. The government has set the premature redemption price at ₹15,814 per unit, calculated as the simple average of the closing price of 999 purity…
Several banks, including HDFC Bank and Punjab National Bank, have announced changes to ATM-related rules effective April 1, impacting how customers use cash withdrawal services across channels. The revisions cover how transactions are counted, applicable charges, and daily withdrawal limits on select debit cards. HDFC Bank said it will begin counting UPI-based cash withdrawals at…
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has clarified that biometric Aadhaar authentication (eKYC) for LPG connections is required only for customers who have not yet completed the process, and not for all consumers. In a statement, the ministry said recent reports suggesting mandatory eKYC for all LPG users are incorrect, adding that the communication…
Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka will see wider acceptance of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) across merchants, as NPCI International Payments Limited steps up efforts to deepen its footprint in the country. UPI-enabled payments via LankaQR were launched in Sri Lanka in 2024. The latest development focuses on expanding merchant coverage, particularly across high-traffic segments such…
Jio Payments Bank Limited (JPBL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jio Financial Services Limited, has launched a UPI-based cash withdrawal facility through its Business Correspondent (BC) network. The service allows customers to withdraw cash by scanning a UPI QR code and authorising the transaction via their UPI-enabled app, eliminating the need for debit cards or traditional…
Scapia, a travel fintech platform in India, has launched Scapia Pay, an in-app UPI payments service that allows users to earn rewards on transactions made using Scapia co-branded RuPay credit cards. The service aims to integrate everyday payments, credit, and travel rewards within a single platform. With Scapia Pay, users can link their Scapia Federal…
India’s digital payments ecosystem is expanding at an unprecedented pace, with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) data showing that the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processed about 21.7 billion transactions worth ₹28.33 lakh crore in January 2026. The surge strsses both the scale and the speed at which real-time payments now operate across the country. …
From April 10, India’s highways are set to change. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is introducing stricter rules covering toll payments, vehicle documentation, and security on national roads. ID mandatory at toll plazas All motorists will now need a valid government-issued ID—Aadhaar, driving licence, or passport—at tolls and highway checkpoints. Failure to…
