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Bank holiday tomorrow: Are banks closed in Maharashtra on 19 February for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti?

Bank holiday tomorrow, 19 February: Bank holidays are decided by the Reserve Bank of India, where lenders follow the RBI bank holiday calendar that is released at the beginning of every year.

18 Feb 2026 1:03 pm
Owning Indias real estate one square foot at a time with ease: Alt DRX's Avinash Rao

You can sit where you are right now, use that mobile phone, and own a square foot anywhere in the country, said Avinash Rao, founder of Alt DRX, a blockchain-powered digital real estate marketplace

18 Feb 2026 12:46 pm
Indian mens luxury fragrances race ahead of mass brands

Luxury men's perfumes are booming in India, with men accounting for 60% of the $189.1 million market. Sales of premium fragrances grew significantly, driven by rising disposable incomes and gifting culture, as men shift towards higher-end products.

18 Feb 2026 12:42 pm
Mint Explainer | Why fund houses and private equity firms are eyeing greenfield BOT highway projects again

Revised concession terms and improved traffic growth are attracting long-term capital back to greenfield highway projects in India. After a decline in investor interest, institutional participation is expected to increase, potentially enhancing project oversight and ensuring better risk management.

18 Feb 2026 12:37 pm
OTT turns viewers into shoppers: Buy the outfit your favourite actor is wearing in real time

JioHotstar lets you make impulse buys directly from shows, creating a new revenue stream beyond ads and subscriptions. This could redefine how brands engage audiences.

18 Feb 2026 12:28 pm
Indians want global assets. See how to invest abroad despite limits.

Viram Shah, co-founder and CEO, Vested Finance, and Vaibhav Shah, head of products, business strategy and international business, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India), share how you can invest abroad at Mint Money Festival 2026.

18 Feb 2026 11:48 am
DoT asks Adani Group to let telcos deploy network at Navi Mumbai airport

The intervention from the telecom department has come at a time when passengers at the Adani Group- Navi Mumbai International Airport have been complaining about the absence of mobile network from private telecom operators.

18 Feb 2026 11:43 am
Why mutual funds are emerging as the default investment choice

At Mint Money Festival in Mumbai, top mutual fund CEOs explain why Indias MF boom reflects a structural savings shiftand why asset allocation and discipline matter more than chasing returns.

18 Feb 2026 11:37 am
Are Reits the right way to own top commercial real estate?

Pratik Dantara, EPC member of the Indian REITs Association and chief investor relations officer and head of strategy at Nexus Select Trust, weighed in on the question at the Mint Money Festival.

18 Feb 2026 10:46 am
Bank holiday today: Are banks open or closed on 18 February? Check state-wise list

Bank holiday today, 18 February: Since there is a bank holiday today in Sikkim due to Losar, lenders including SBI, HDFC Bank, PNB, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and others will remain closed in the state. However, banks will be open everywhere else in India.

18 Feb 2026 7:40 am
India's wealth boom sparks a talent war for relationship managers

Indias rising population of high-net-worth individuals has triggered an intense talent war for relationship managers. Wealth firms are luring bank RMs with 20-40% salary hikes and bonuses, driving attrition as high as 40%. 

18 Feb 2026 6:00 am
Govt negotiating age-related restrictions with social media firms, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also says the government is concurrently addressing the challenge of deepfakes with these digital entities

17 Feb 2026 6:28 pm
Income-tax draft rules 2025: Form 16 and 26AS numbers to change from 1 April? Here's all you need to know

The draft document for the updated Income Tax rules 2025, set to come into effect from 1 April this year state changed numbers for Form 16 (TDS on salary) and Form 26AS (AIS) among others. Here's all you need to know

17 Feb 2026 2:46 pm
Indian solar equipment makers plan 30,000 crore play for 50 GW of cell capacity to meet local sourcing mandate

A new government rule, taking effect this June, aims to cut India's reliance on Chinese imports by mandating that solar cells for government-supported schemes and projects from where distribution companies procure electricity must come only from an approved list of models and manufacturers.

17 Feb 2026 2:40 pm
Financial DNA: Why your credit score is the new social currency

At the Mint Money Festival 2026, CRIF Highmarks Ramkumar Rajashekaran explained how credit scores now influence everythingfrom loans and insurance to jobs and even marriage.

17 Feb 2026 2:14 pm
GIFT City allows Indians to build global portfolios: Sandeep Batra

Within GIFT City, investors can open multi-currency accounts and access outbound funds for investing in the US, Nasdaq, or emerging markets, says Sandeep Batra, head of international wealth and premier banking at HSBC India.

17 Feb 2026 12:30 pm
Emergency fund vs health insurance: What should you really rely on?

At the Mint Money Festival, insurance experts unpack why health policies trigger so many complaints, whether an emergency fund can replace cover, and how to choose the right plan.

17 Feb 2026 12:07 pm
Mint Explainer | Is quick commerce forcing legacy FMCG players to rethink growth?

Quick commerce is moving from a niche, high-value, convenience channel to a daily shopping feature. Legacy FMCG companies are taking notice.

17 Feb 2026 12:06 pm
Next trillion dollars of Indias mcap could create more wealth than the last: Raamdeo Agrawal

The next trillion dollars of Indias market capitalization could create more wealth than the last, Raamdeo Agrawal, co-founder of Motilal Oswal Financial Services, said at the Mint Money Festival

17 Feb 2026 11:23 am
New studios from Birla and Balaji invest in India's crowded content space amid volatility and risk of unsold content

Birla Studios and the Collective Artists Network are focusing on feature films, stressing the importance of building strong IP and differentiated storytelling to navigate market challenges and audience fatigue.

17 Feb 2026 11:17 am
We have a lot of conviction in small & mid caps, says Vaiibhavv Chugh of Abakkus Mutual Fund

The fund house's CEO speaks about a slew of topics ranging from the fund house's investing philosophy, expectations from small caps in 2026, why he believes in making contrarian bets and how should a young investor views investing.

17 Feb 2026 10:41 am
India is set to cater to global shipbuilding demand: Sarbananda Sonowal

Union ports minister Sarbananda Sonowal tells Mint that Indian shipbuilders, through global tie-ups, will receive more orders to develop large ships that were never manufactured in India before. 

17 Feb 2026 6:00 am
Why asset allocation, not prediction, drives long-term returns

Multi-asset investment offers lower volatility, better risk-adjusted returns, and built-in tax-efficient rebalancing, said Saugata Chatterjee of Nippon Life Asset Management, at the Mint Money Festival 2026

16 Feb 2026 3:29 pm
Vijay Kedias Valentines Day masterclass: From situationships to stock market discipline

At Mint Money Festival 2026, Vijay Kedia used Gen Z dating slangfrom situationships to ghostingto decode stock market discipline, long-term commitment and wealth creation.

16 Feb 2026 2:52 pm
Banks 25,000-crore insurance gravy train faces RBI reality check

The Reserve Bank of India has released draft proposals targeting mis-selling of third-party financial products, bundled sales, and even dark patterns in banking apps, redrawing the boundaries of how banks sell such products.

16 Feb 2026 2:15 pm
Beyond FDs: How to build a diversified fixed-income portfolio

At the Mint Money festival on Saturday, Vineet Agrawal, co-founder of Jiraaf, explained how fixed-income instruments fit into modern portfolios.

16 Feb 2026 1:45 pm
Your toughest investment opponent is yourself: Bajaj Finserv MF's Ganesh Mohan

At the Mint Money Festival 2026, Bajaj Finserv Mutual Fund MD Ganesh Mohan explains why investor psychology, and not market timing, largely determines long-term returns.

16 Feb 2026 1:13 pm
Micro-drama apps seek aggregation to enhance user reach in India's entertainment market

Micro-drama apps in India are turning to aggregation to widen reach and improve discovery, mirroring OTT bundling strategies. Tata Play Binges new Shots category underscores the push for curated, mobile-first storytelling in a fragmented, multilingual market.

16 Feb 2026 12:08 pm
BSNL redraws performance goals as regional units bleed cash

BSNL's continuing losses prompts a performance reset. With 67 operating regions at a loss, the company is taking drastic steps to ensure operational efficiency and revenue growth. Learn how BSNL plans to revive its fortunes. Don't miss out on exclusive detailssubscribe now for the complete article!

16 Feb 2026 9:05 am
20 crore and still not enough? Rethinking retirement planning

At the Mint Money Festival, Aarati Krishnan explains why retirement feels harder today, why 25x may not be enough, and how inflation, longevity and compounding reshape the real corpus goal.

16 Feb 2026 7:00 am
How investors should invest in mutual funds in today's environment

Experts urged investors to stick to disciplined asset allocation, temper equity return expectations, and avoid chasing rallies in gold or silver ETFs.

16 Feb 2026 7:00 am
Is budget push to develop animation, VFX, gaming talent in AI era pragmatic?

The finance minister announced a 250-crore allocation for talent development in the animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics ecosystem. Here's what experts say

16 Feb 2026 6:00 am
India cracks down on professional blood donor rackets with tougher new rules

The new rules to set up blood centres restrict eligibility to registered voluntary and charitable organizations, barring family societies and trusts, and mandate social accountability evaluation. Professional donors who donate blood for money increase the risk of spreading infections.

16 Feb 2026 6:00 am
RBI nod for leveraged buyouts fails to evoke banker enthusiasm; mixed response to broker lending norms

Final guidelines on acquisition financing come with too many conditions, say bankers. Brokers divided on the impact of stricter rules for lending for leveraged trading.

16 Feb 2026 5:58 am
Private banks up the ante on campus hiring in hunt for niche, tech expertise

Engineering and business campuses in India are experiencing a revival in recruitment, particularly from banks. The focus is on global capability centres, wealth management and technology roles, indicating a shift towards digital banking and a demand for specialized talent in the financial sector.

16 Feb 2026 5:50 am
Why you shouldn't make investment decisions based on tax incentives

Monika Halan, founder of Dhan Chakra Financial Education, explained why tax breaks shouldn't influence your investment decisions, and decoded Budget 2026 for households to explain what really matters for jobs, taxes, investments and long-term financial security.

15 Feb 2026 6:07 pm
Bank holidays next week: Are banks closed for Losar, Shivaji Jayanti and State Day? Check full RBI calendar here

In its official holiday calendar for the year, the RBI has listed nine holidays for banks in February 2026, including the weekend holidays for second Saturday, fourth Saturday, and all Sundays.

15 Feb 2026 6:48 am
Tax refunds jump 22% so far, claims Scott Bessent what should filers look for this season?

The average tax refund has increased by 22% this season, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The IRS has not released official data yet, and early figures can be misleading, says expert.

14 Feb 2026 7:46 pm
How to earn 20,000 per month using SCSS while getting tax benefits? Explained

SCSS is a government-backed small savings scheme designed for senior citizens to keep their finances steady after retirement. SCSS gives Indians over the age of 60 to have a secure and safe investment avenue.

14 Feb 2026 3:41 pm
Explained: Can you open more than one PPF account? Here's what government rules say

Individuals can invest a minimum of 500 and a maximum of 1.5 lakh per year for 15 years in their PPF accounts. This amount is locked in for 15 years, after which you can get your investment back with interests without having to pay any tax.

14 Feb 2026 10:57 am
UPI to withdraw PF? EPFO working on new app to make money transfer easy for you, reports claim How it will work

The labour ministry is working on a project under which a certain amount of PF money will be frozen, and members will be able to see a large chunk of their provident fund available for withdrawal through their bank using UPI.

14 Feb 2026 8:52 am
5 lakh DICGC bank deposit insurance: Is it enough or should the govt increase it?

DICGC insurance covers 97.6% of the total bank accounts, but only 41.5% of the value (amount) of deposits. The cover was last increased from 1 lakh to 5 lakh in 2020. In 2025, a proposal to increase it was considered.

12 Feb 2026 8:39 pm
New income-tax rules may revive interest in old regime for high-income salaried taxpayers

The recent proposals in the Income Tax Rules enhance education and college hostel allowances and reclassify cities for HRA purposes. These changes may entice salaried individuals to reconsider the old tax regime, especially in high-rent urban areas. 

12 Feb 2026 11:46 am
Indian market is 18 months ahead of its fair value: DSP Mutual Fund's Kalpen Parekh

Despite consolidating over the past year, the market remains expensive and investors should therefore moderate their return expectations, Parekh told Mint in an interview.

12 Feb 2026 11:26 am
Beyond the comfort of groups: Why individual health insurance still matters

Group and affinity health insurance expand coverage, but their short-term nature, hidden risks and lack of continuity make them an unreliable substitute for individual health policies.

12 Feb 2026 10:50 am