SIP inflows hit record high in March despite market turbulence

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 10, 2026 | Business

Continued investments by retail investors saw SIP inflows rise 8 per cent to ₹32,087 crore last month against ₹29,845 crore logged in February
| Photo Credit:
Chinmayi Shroff

Record inflows through systematic investment plans last month have pushed the overall equity investments to an eight-month high in March despite markets wobbling amidst the West Asia war.

Continued investments by retail investors saw SIP inflows rise 8 per cent to ₹32,087 crore last month against ₹29,845 crore logged in February as the contributing SIP accounts increased to 9.72 crore (9.44 crore).

However, the assets under SIPs plunged 9 per cent to ₹15.11 lakh crore (₹16.64 lakh crore) due to mark-to-market loss.

Navneet Munot, MD & CEO, HDFC Asset Management Company, said, despite heightened volatility driven by geopolitical developments, domestic investors have remained steadfast and continue to invest with conviction, which augurs well for the long-term stability and depth of capital markets.

Investor resilience

The strong SIP inflows underscore the growing preference for disciplined and long-term equity investing, which reflects the increasing resilience of investors, he added.

Equity mutual fund inflows increased 56 per cent to ₹40,450 crore in March compared to ₹25,978 crore logged in February as investors took advantage of the sharp fall in market valuations to pump in more money.

Pankaj Shrestha, Head of Investment Services, PL Wealth Management, said the strong equity inflow despite March being one of the most volatile months in recent times, reflects robust investor conviction in the long-term equity story.

Rather than being deterred by short-term fluctuations, investors used the opportunity to increase their equity allocations, resulting in record SIP inflow, he added.

Vaibhav Chugh, CEO, Abakkus Mutual Fund, said investors have been seeing every fall in the market as an opportunity to invest rather than exit, as distributors and advisors played a crucial role in turbulent times. Despite weak performance by small caps for past sometime, investors have added allocations as they knew valuations have fallen from 10-year averages, he added.

The overall equity assets under management plunged 10 per cent last month to ₹31.98 lakh crore (₹35.39 lakh crore) due to mark-to-market loss, according to the Association of Mutual Funds in India data released on Friday.

Venkat Chalasani, CEO, Association of Mutual Funds in India, said retail investors have reposed their faith in MF investments even while the markets remain most volatile on the back of geopolitical tensions and inflation worries.

The long-term economic growth story of India led by buoyant consumption still remains intact, and this will support SIP inflows, he added.

While the job losses in the IT sector remain a concern, there are new jobs being created across sectors, and this should support investments in MFs in the long run, he said.

The debt funds registered an outflow of ₹2.94 lakh crore, with almost all the schemes registering a net outflow due to advance tax commitment before the quarter ended.

Despite mark-to-market loss in MF equity schemes, the Specialised Investment Funds asset increased 9 per cent to ₹10,620 crore against ₹9,711 crore in February as the fund houses used the equity derivatives market to hedge investments.

Suranjana Borthakur, Head of Distribution & Strategic Alliances, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India), said sectoral and thematic funds, which had pulled in ₹1.47 lakh crore in FY25, collapsed to ₹30,000 crore, an 80 per cent fall that reflects the hangover from momentum-chasing. ELSS recorded its first-ever full-year net outflow, a structural shift with no reversal in sight given the new tax regime, he added.

Published on April 10, 2026

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RBI unveils medium-term strategy framework ‘Utkarsh 2029’

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 10, 2026 | Business

The RBI seeks to develop frameworks for use of emerging technologies such as AI and Quantum in the financial sector
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS

The RBI plans to advance Project Sa-Mudra to modernise currency management systems and significantly expand the use of Central bank digital currency (CBDC) to enable more efficient cross-border payments as part of its medium-term strategy framework ‘Utkarsh 2029’.

The framework also prioritises scaling up the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) to improve access to credit, particularly for underserved segments.

The framework (for the period April 2026 to March 2029) is based on six pillars — robust regulations, customer centricity and inclusive finance, competitive markets, effective technology, future-ready organisation and Global India.

The RBI seeks to develop frameworks for use of emerging technologies such as AI and Quantum in the financial sector.

Under regulations, the Central bank wants to minimise procedural redundancies, empower regulated entities with greater operational flexibility, encourage responsible innovation in present and emerging realms of the financial system.

By scaling up ULI, RBI is seeking to enhance access to the financial system, reduce lending costs and promote inclusive credit delivery.

Underscoring the interconnectedness in the financial system, the Bank intends to review and enhance the system-wide contagion risk assessment.

Under the competitive markets pillar, the RBI will focus on deliverables that aim at reducing turnaround time of auctions, strengthening pricing transparency in the G-Secs market, and enhancing retail access to markets.

The bank will be leveraging technology in various areas of its operations such as making the interface with regulated entities and citizens electronic and eliminate paper and / or email-based interactions. Furthermore, all internal processes shall be end-to-end digitalised.

Currency management module is being augmented to digitalise manual processes and physical registers.

Through cyber risk capacity building, issuing a framework on the use of AI in the financial sector, expanding asset tokenisation and setting up Digital and AI sandboxes, the bank aims to promote responsible innovation and mindful use of technology in the financial sector.

“The bank endeavours to foster greater cooperation with the rest of the world by promoting the implementation of the UPI stack in other countries to modernise the payment infrastructure, augmenting international trade settlement in INR, expanding cross-border CBDC arrangements, and adopting global standards to enhance global competitiveness,” per the Utkarsh document.

RBI emphasised that this strategy framework is an integral part of the roadmap to further the rupee’s global integration, extend UPI to other countries, and expand bilateral and multilateral CBDC arrangements.

Published on April 10, 2026

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गुजरात: जामनगर में ‘वाइल्डलाइफ एंड वेटरनरी यूनिवर्सिटी’ स्थापित करेगा अनंत अंबानी का ‘वनतारा’

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 10, 2026 | Business

रिलायंस इंडस्ट्रीज के एग्जीक्यूटिव डायरेक्टर अनंत अंबानी की ओर से स्थापित वन्यजीव संरक्षण पहल वंतारा ने गुजरात के जामनगर में ‘वंतारा यूनिवर्सिटी’ स्थापित करने की योजना का अनावरण किया है. वन्यजीव संरक्षण और पशु चिकित्सा विज्ञान को समर्पित दुनिया के पहले इंटीग्रेटेड ग्लोबल यूनिवर्सिटी के रूप में प्रचारित इस संस्थान का टारगेट विशिष्ट शिक्षा में एक नया मानक स्थापित करने का है.

यह यूनिवर्सिटी पशु कल्याण, वैज्ञानिक नवाचार और दीर्घकालिक संरक्षण के सिद्धांतों पर आधारित है. यह भारत की ज्ञान परंपराओं से प्रेरणा लेते हुए पशु चिकित्सा, वन्यजीव देखभाल और संरक्षण के क्षेत्र में भविष्य के पेशेवरों को तैयार करने की कोशिश करती है.

प्राचीन नालंदा यूनिवर्सिटी से लेते हैं प्रेरणा- अंबानी

इस पहल पर बोलते हुए अंबानी ने कहा कि यह यूनिवर्सिटी संकट में फंसे जानवरों को देखने के उनके व्यक्तिगत अनुभवों और देखभाल प्रणालियों में कमियों को पहचानने से प्रेरित है. उन्होंने आगे कहा कि यह संस्थान प्राचीन नालंदा यूनिवर्सिटी की भावना और “आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यंतु विश्वतः” यानी ‘सभी दिशाओं से हमारे पास कल्याणकारी विचार आएं’ के दर्शन से प्रेरणा लेता है, ताकि जीवन की रक्षा के लिए प्रतिबद्ध पीढ़ी का निर्माण किया जा सके.

स्थापना स्थल का प्रतीकात्मक डिज़ाइन इस विज़न को दर्शाता है. नालंदा से जुड़ी प्राचीन विंध्य भूगर्भीय संरचना से प्राप्त ‘बिजोलिया सैंडस्टोन’ के दो ब्लॉकों को इस परिवेश में शामिल किया गया था, जो भारत की सीखने की स्थायी परंपरा को रेखांकित करते हैं.

हिंदू रीति-रिवाजों के अनुसार आयोजित स्थापना समारोह में शिक्षा जगत, संरक्षण, विज्ञान और सार्वजनिक जीवन की प्रमुख हस्तियां शामिल हुईं, जिनमें अंबानी के शिक्षक और गुरु भी थे. एक मुख्य अनुष्ठान में भारत भर के जैव विविधता से समृद्ध क्षेत्रों, जंगलों और आर्द्रभूमि से लेकर शुष्क क्षेत्रों और हिमालयी परिदृश्यों से इकट्ठा की गई मिट्टी, जल और पत्थर रखे गए, जो देश की पारिस्थितिक विविधता और प्राकृतिक विरासत में यूनिवर्सिटी की जड़ों का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं.

दृष्टिकोण और वैश्विक शैक्षणिक महत्वाकांक्षाएं

वंतारा यूनिवर्सिटी को एक बहुविषय केंद्र के रूप में डिजाइन किया गया है, जो वास्तविक दुनिया के संरक्षण अभ्यासों को शैक्षणिक शिक्षा के साथ जोड़ता है. वंतारा के परिचालन अनुभवों का लाभ उठाते हुए संस्थान का लक्ष्य क्षेत्रीय अनुभव को संरचित शैक्षणिक कार्यक्रमों, पेशेवर प्रशिक्षण और वैश्विक स्तर पर प्रासंगिक रूपरेखाओं में बदलना है.

यूनिवर्सिटी वन्यजीव चिकित्सा और सर्जरी, पोषण, व्यवहार विज्ञान, आनुवंशिकी, महामारी विज्ञान, वन हेल्थ, संरक्षण नीति और पशु आवास डिजाइन जैसे विषयों में स्नातक, स्नातकोत्तर, फेलोशिप और विशिष्ट पाठ्यक्रम देने योजना बना रही है. ये कार्यक्रम वंतारा की मौजूदा क्षमताओं के हिसाब से विशेष कॉलेजों में आयोजित किए जाएंगे.

सामाजिक और आर्थिक रूप से पिछड़े छात्रों की मदद के लिए स्कॉलरशिप शुरू की जाएगी, जिससे संस्थान की सुविधाओं तक व्यापक पहुंच सुनिश्चित हो सके.

परिसर में उन्नत शैक्षणिक और क्लिनिकल बुनियादी ढांचे के साथ-साथ अंतर्राष्ट्रीय सहयोग और आवासीय सुविधाएं भी होंगी. यह वन्यजीव स्वास्थ्य, संरक्षण प्रथाओं और पशु कल्याण को मजबूत करने पर केंद्रित क्रिया-उन्मुख अनुसंधान को प्राथमिकता देगा. शैक्षणिक मॉडल प्राकृतिक पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र को वैज्ञानिक देखभाल और दीर्घकालिक प्रबंधन रणनीतियों के साथ जोड़ते हुए, ‘इन-सिटू’ और ‘एक्स-सिटू’ दोनों प्रकार के संरक्षण को एकीकृत करेगा.

संरक्षण शिक्षा और इनोवेशन के लिए कोशिशें

यूनिवर्सिटी का शुभारंभ भारत में संरक्षण-केंद्रित शिक्षा के विस्तार की व्यापक कोशिशों का हिस्सा है. समारोह के दौरान वंतारा ने ‘वंतारा यूनिवर्सिटी फाउंडिंग फेलोज’ कार्यक्रम और ‘एवरी लाइफ मैटर्स’ स्कॉलरशिप जैसी पहलों की घोषणा की, साथ ही ज्ञान को सुरक्षा के साथ जोड़ने का आह्वान किया.

एक शैक्षणिक संस्थान से कहीं बढ़कर वंतारा यूनिवर्सिटी एक ऐसे दृष्टिकोण को दर्शाती है, जो वैज्ञानिक कठोरता के साथ करुणा को जोड़ता है. इसका घोषित दृष्टिकोण इस बात पर जोर देता है कि वन्यजीवों की सुरक्षा के लिए केवल जागरूकता ही नहीं, बल्कि मजबूत प्रणालियों, कुशल पेशेवरों और निरंतर संस्थागत समर्थन की भी जरूरत है.

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मुंबई में 38 करोड़ का 30 किलो सोना जब्त, 24 महिलाओं ने कहां-कहां छुपा रखा था गोल्ड?

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 10, 2026 | Business

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

मुंबई एयरपोर्ट पर 24 केन्याई महिलाओं से सोना जब्त.
डीआरआई ने 38 करोड़ रुपये के सोने की तस्करी रोकी.
गिरोह हवाई अड्डे की सुरक्षा को चकमा देने में माहिर.
डीआरआई बड़े तस्करी नेटवर्क का पर्दाफाश करने में जुटी.

Gold Smuggling: मुंबई के छत्रपति शिवाजी इंटरनेशनल एयरपोर्ट पर हाल ही में DRI ने सोने की तस्करी करते हुए गिरोह का पर्दाफाश किया है. इस गिरोह में 24 महिलाएं थीं जो करीब 38 करोड़ रुपये के सोने की तस्करी करती हुई पकड़ी गई हैं. ये सभी महिला स्मगलर्स केन्या की बताई जा रही हैं. निदेशालय को इसकी सूचना मिली थी, जिसके बाद तुरंत कार्रवाई कर इन महिला तस्करो को हिरासत में लिया गया है.

क्या- किया गया जब्त?
गुप्त सूचना के आधार पर DRI ने कार्रवाई कर इन महिला तस्करों को पकड़ा है. राजस्व खुफिया निदेशालय ने ऑपरेशन धहाबू ब्लिट्ज चलाकर इस गिरोह का भंडाफोड़ किया. इस कार्रवाई में गिरोह से 37.74 करोड़ रुपये कीमत का 29.37 किलो सोना जब्त किया है. जिसमें 25.10 किलोग्राम सोने की छड़ें और 4.27 किलोग्राम सोने के गहने बरामद किए हैं. इसे लेकर वित्त मंत्रालय ने गुरुवार को एक बयान जारी कर बताया कि इस ऑपरेशन में 24 महिला तस्करों को भी हिरासत में लिया गया है.

कहां छुपा रखा था सोना?
सूत्रों ने बताया है कि इन महिलाओं को अच्छी- खासी ट्रेनिंग मिली हुई थी. इन्होंने तस्करी वाला सोना जूतों, कपड़ों के अंदर और शरीर पर विशेष रूप से बनाए गए पाउच में छिपाया था. इससे पता चलता है कि इनको पूरी तरह से ट्रेन्ड किया गया था. इस बारे में DRI के अधिकारी ने भी बताया है.

डीआरआई के एक अधिकारी ने पीटीआई को दी जानकारी में बताया कि, ‘महिलाओं को सोना छुपाने और जांच से बचने के लिए प्रशिक्षण दिया गया था, जिससे पता चलता है कि एक सुनियोजित गिरोह हवाई अड्डे की सुरक्षा व्यवस्था को चकमा देने के लिए ऐसे लोगों का इस्तेमाल कर रहा था. इन महिलाओं को अदालत में पेश किया जाएगा, जबकि गिरोह के सरगनाओं को पकड़ने के लिए आगे की जांच जारी है.’

जांच में जुटी पुलिस
बता दें कि ये कार्रवाई गुप्त सूचना के आधार पर की गई थी जिसके बाद अब भी जांच जारी है. निदेशालय का मानना है कि ये गिरोह केवल इतने में ही सिमटा हुआ नहीं है, बल्कि ये एक बड़ा नेटवर्क है. जिसका जल्दी से जल्दी भंडाफोड़ करना जरूरी है. ऐसे में DRI इस जांच को आगे बढ़ाते हुए गिरोह से जुड़े अन्य लोगों की तलाश में जुटी हुई है. साथ ही साथ एयरपोर्ट की सिक्योरिटी में सेंध लगाने वालों की तलाश भी जारी है.

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Fintechs bet big on digital FDs, eye larger share of retail savings

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 10, 2026 | Business

The shift comes as start-ups and large platforms alike look to tap into a vast pool of retail savings traditionally parked in bank deposits.

Fintech platforms are stepping up their play in India’s fixed deposit (FD) market, betting on digital distribution, ease of access and transparency to attract a new generation of savers.

The shift comes as start-ups and large platforms alike look to tap into a vast pool of retail savings traditionally parked in bank deposits.

Wealthtech start-up Stable Money, which recently raised $25 million led by Peak XV Partners, is among players doubling down on the segment. Platforms such as smallcase, WintWealth and Flipkart-backed super.money have also begun offering FDs, even if not as their core proposition.

Digital platform

“Honestly by regulation there can’t be any differentiation for anybody who’s booking fixed deposit either via branch or via net banking or any digital platform,” said Saurabh Jain, Co-founder and Chief Executive of Stable Money. “But the important thing that we are trying to do is solving for access and the convenience,” he added.

Jain pointed out that digital platforms are bridging a key gap by aggregating multiple banks and non-banking financial companies in one place.

“Taking it digital and making it available in their mobile is giving access to all those 13 banks and NBFCs that we have on our platform through one app,” he said, adding that the entire lifecycle — from KYC to withdrawals — is now handled digitally.

For users, this means less friction compared to traditional processes that often require branch visits or relationship manager intervention. Industry executives say such ease of use, coupled with the ability to compare rates and manage deposits seamlessly, is driving adoption among both first-time and experienced investors.

User first

At Flipkart-backed super.money, the focus is on reimagining the product experience around user needs. “While traditional FDs have largely been a bank-led static product, our app experience puts the user first throughout the journey,” said Prakash Sikaria, CEO and Founder of super.money.

He added that the platform is seeing “strong adoption from both first-time investors seeking safety as well as more seasoned users diversifying their portfolios,” with FDs increasingly becoming an entry point into structured wealth creation.

Sikaria also highlighted the broader opportunity emerging around deposits.

“Going forward, we believe this category has the potential to evolve into a meaningful pillar of our broader wealth stack, complementing both credit and payments,” he said, adding that FD-backed credit cards are helping users without formal credit histories access credit.

Recently, Zerodha has introduced fixed deposits (FDs) on its investment platform Coin, as the brokerage looks to deepen its play in long-term savings products beyond mutual funds.

Allocate savings

Coin, which operates separately from Zerodha’s trading app, Kite, serves as the company’s hub for long-term investments, including mutual funds, insurance and the National Pension System (NPS). With the addition of FDs, users can now allocate savings across both market-linked and fixed-income instruments on a single platform.

The feature allows customers to compare FD rates across multiple banks, book deposits digitally, and track key metrics such as invested amount, accrued interest and maturity timelines in one place. The offering is expected to include deposits from small finance banks, which typically offer higher interest rates.

The growing activity signals intensifying competition in the digital FD space, as platforms race to capture a larger share of household savings. With India estimated to have millions of users holding significant portions of their wealth in fixed deposits, fintech firms are positioning themselves as intermediaries that simplify access while retaining the safety of traditional instruments.

As more players enter the market, the battle is likely to hinge less on rates — which remain regulated — and more on distribution, trust and user experience.

Published on April 10, 2026

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Sharp fall in prices hit gold ETF inflows in March

by Hansraj Agrawal | Apr 10, 2026 | Business

After the steady rally in recent times, the sudden fall in precious metal prices made investors trim down their investment in gold and silver exchange traded funds.

Inflows into gold ETFs fell by 56 per cent to ₹2,266 crore against the record inflow of ₹5,255 crore logged in February as the sudden fall in prices scared investors.

The gold ETFs have mopped-up an investment of ₹24,040 crore in January supported by strong risk aversion, portfolio rebalancing and momentum in gold prices.

Despite the month-on-month slowdown, the category had a strong quarterly inflow of ₹31,561 crore in March quarter. The trend suggests that gold continues to be used both as a tactical hedge and as a strategic portfolio allocation.

The assets under management of gold ETFs were down at ₹1.71 lakh crore (₹1.83 lakh crore) last month due to mark-to-market loss, according to the Association of Mutual Funds in India data released on Friday.

Nehal Meshram, Senior Analyst, Morningstar Investment Research India, said that while the pace of inflows has moderated sequentially, investor interest in gold-backed products remained positive.

The positive flows in March suggest that gold continues to retain investor interest as a diversification tool amid market uncertainty and macro volatility. Gold ETFs remain appealing because they offer a metal liquid, transparent, and convenient way to gain exposure to gold without the frictions of holding physical gold, he added.

Gold prices fell 8 per cent to ₹146,126 in March as investors shifted their bets to crude oil from the yellow metal.

The LBMA gold prices fell 12 per cent in March to $4,608 an ounce, its weakest month since June 2013.

On the other hand, silver ETFs outflow moderated to ₹684 crore against outflow of ₹826 crore in February. The silver AUM stood at ₹79,806 crore (₹91,975 crore) with the sharp fall in prices.

Nitin Agrawal, CEO, Mutual Funds, InCred Money, said that moderation in Gold ETF flows points to a renewed optimism around equities.

The broader takeaway, he said, is that despite industry AUM decline, investor confidence remains intact on equity with a more diversified approach of investing.

Looking ahead, precious metals could find support from elevated geopolitical tensions, including Israel’s continued operations in Lebanon and ongoing risks in the Strait of Hormuz, even as efforts towards regional stability persist, analysts said.

Published on April 10, 2026

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