Press Release For March 2026
AU Small Finance Bank Earns ‘Great Place to Work®’ Certification for the Sixth Consecutive Year
AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), India’s largest Small Finance Bank and the first in over a decade to receive in-principle approval to transition into a Universal Bank, has been certified as a Great Place to Work® for the sixth consecutive year. The achievement reinforces the Bank’s commitment to its core philosophy of Forever Banking, a long-term promise of trust, care, and continuity for all stakeholders.
The certification is based entirely on employee feedback. For FY26, AU SFB achieved a significant increase in the Trust Index Score, highlighting the strength of its culture and the deep sense of belonging, employees experience across the organisation. The Great Place to Work® Institute is a global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behaviours.
Speaking on the milestone, Sanjay Agarwal, Founder, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank, said, “At AU SFB, our people have always been the heart of our journey, from a single-branch NBFC in Rajasthan to becoming India’s largest Small Finance Bank now poised to transition into a universal bank. This sixth Great Place to Work® certification is more than an award; it validates our ‘Forever Banking’ promise that celebrates aspiration, rewards integrity, and enables every AUite to grow with purpose. When trust meets opportunity, excellence becomes a collective habit. Our journey and growth is a reflection of AUites who embody trust, innovation, ownership, and compassion.”
Over the years, AU SFB has made long-term investments to strengthen employee experience. These include a culture of execution excellence, a values-driven leadership framework, robust learning and development programmes, and a work environment that encourages innovation, inclusion, and career mobility. The Bank has also expanded its technology and digital ecosystem, now supported by a 1,100-member IT team and 200+ in-house developers focused on Digital, Data, and AI – creating future-ready roles and opportunities for employees.
Earning this recognition for six straight years reflects AU SFB’s sustained focus on building a purpose-led organisation where every voice is valued and every individual is empowered to grow.
India Exim Bank forecasts India’s merchandise exports to amount to US$ 125.3 bn and Non-oil exports to US$ 113.4 bn for Q4 (January-March) of FY2026
Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank) forecasts India’s total merchandise exports to amount to US$ 125.3 bn, witnessing a year-on-year (y-o-y) growth of 8.7%, while non-oil exports are forecast to increase to US$ 113.4 bn, growing at 12.1%, during Q4 (January-March) of FY2026. Non-oil and non-gems and jewellery exports are forecast to amount US$ 98 bn, with an y-o-y growth of 5.7% during the same quarter.
With these forecasts, India’s total merchandise exports for the full year for FY2026 are expected to be at US$ 455.6 billion, growing at 4.1%, while non-oil exports are likely to touch US$ 401.6 billion, growing at 7.3%. Non-oil and non-gems and jewellery exports are expected to amount to US$ 364.9 billion, growing at 5.7% in FY2026.
India’s export outlook is expected to improve further, supported by a rise in overall competitiveness driven by sustained macroeconomic stability, competitive exchange rate, and the higher capital expenditure committed in the recent Union Budget. This momentum is further supported by policy interventions in the form of export relief measures. Increased geographical diversification of exports and favourable prospects of recently concluded trade negotiations with select countries are also expected to contribute to positive exports’ growth. However, there are downside risks to these growth projections on account of continued global uncertainty and volatility in commodity markets.
Forecast of growth in India’s total merchandise exports, non-oil exports and non-oil and non-gems & jewellery exports are released by Exim Bank on a quarterly basis, during the first fortnight of the months of May, August, November, and February for the corresponding quarters, based on its Export Leading Index (ELI) model. The next growth forecast for India’s exports for the first quarter of FY 2027 (i.e., April-June 2026) would be released during the first fortnight of May 2026.
ICICI Prudential Life launches Dividend Leaders 50 Index Fund for customers seeking stability and long-term wealth creation
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has launched the Dividend Leaders 50 Index Fund under its Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs). The new fund will enable customers to build wealth over the long-term by investing in fundamentally strong stocks with a proven track record of consistent dividend payouts. Commenting on the launch, Mr. Manish Kumar, Chief Investment Officer, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited, said, “The Dividend Leaders 50 Index Fund offers customers a disciplined and transparent way to participate in equity markets by investing in fundamentally sound companies with a consistent dividend track record.
The fund’s strategy is structured around four pillars which includes dividend payoutfocused stock selection, quality checks aimed at stronger financials and stable cash flows, diversification across multiple sectors, and a transparent, rule-based and disciplined investment process with periodic review and rebalancing. Importantly, this new fund will empower our customers to stay invested with confidence, knowing their portfolio is aligned with financially strong and time-tested companies. This launch is another step in our journey towards a disciplined, transparent, and high-quality investment opportunity for our ULIP customers while also getting a life cover.”
The fund follows the BSE 500 Dividend Leaders 50 Index, which tracks the performance of 50 companies selected from the broader BSE 500 universe that have consistently paid dividends over the past 10 years. The index comprises 50 constituents and is rebalanced annually. Through the fund, we are giving our customers access to companies that have demonstrated financial strength and commitment to shareholders over time.
Historically, the index factsheet presents annualised total returns of 33.63% over three years, 30.96% over five years and 20.40% over ten years, as of January 30, 2026, highlighting the long-term potential of a disciplined investment strategy. However, regulations may restrict the Company from investing in all the stocks in line with their weights in the index from time to time. As a result, there could be a possible tracking error. The fund adopts a passive, index-mirroring approach, tracking the stocks in the index instead of picking stocks actively.
The Dividend Leaders 50 Index Fund is available with some of the Company’s popular ULIP products such as ICICI Pru Signature Assure, SmartKid Assure with ICICI Pru Signature Assure, ICICI Pru Smart Insurance Plan Plus (SIP+) amongst other ULIP products available on www.iciciprulife.com.
HDFC Bank Opens a Currency Chest in Lucknow
The Honourable Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Smt. Anandiben Patel, recently inaugurated HDFC Bank’s new currency chest at Viraj Khand, Lucknow. This will be the Bank’s fourth such facility in the state and 38th in India. The facility is equipped with a police room, cash receipt area, sorting rooms, fire safety system and vibration and motion/sensors along with a robust a security system.
Present on the occasion were Shri. Pankaj Kumar – Regional Director – Reserve Bank of India, Lucknow and from HDFC Bank -, Shri Bhavesh Zaveri – Executive Director; Shri Gourab Roy – Group Head, WBO Operations; Shri Arun Mediratta – Group Head, Regional Brach Banking; Shri. Muskaan Singh – Branch Banking Head (Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand), among other senior executives of the Bank.
The currency chest will play a pivotal role in facilitating an efficient cash distribution and timely availability of clean and fit currency to all stakeholders. It will significantly enhance logistics operations and ensure uninterrupted currency supply to 246 Branches, 317 ATMs across Lucknow, Faizabad, Barabanki, Gorakhpur & Kanpur districts, enhancing turn-around-time (TAT) for currency notes availability. It will benefit various business organisations in the region, government institutions and local residents, with improved cash management.
“HDFC Bank strives to simplify banking at every level while fulfilling the evolving needs of the banking ecosystem. The launch of the latest currency chest is one more step in that direction. The newly commissioned currency chest will allow us to cater to the currency requirements with greater agility, speed and further enhance our operational reach.” said Mr. Bhavesh Zaveri, Executive Director, HDFC Bank.
