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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.

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%. 

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

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.

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

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.