Starting October 1, several key changes rolled out across India’s financial and regulatory sectors, shaking up everything from railway tickets and postal services to pensions and banking options. These updates aim to boost security, cut misuse, and give more flexibility to everyday users and businesses. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest shifts.
Indian Railways is cracking down on ticket fraud with new Aadhaar rules for IRCTC online bookings. To stop shady agents from hogging general tickets, only Aadhaar-verified users can book reserved general tickets through the IRCTC website or app during the first 15 minutes of reservations opening. A government circular from September 15 spells this out, kicking in from October 1, 2025, to make sure real passengers get a fair shot at seats without the hassle of scalpers.
India Post is also stepping up its game. They’re tweaking Speed Post charges and rolling out an OTP-based delivery system to keep packages safer from tampering or theft. This change starts today, October 1, and could mean slightly higher costs for faster shipping, but better protection for your valuables.
On the pension front, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) updated fees for Central Recordkeeping Agencies that manage the National Pension System (NPS) and related plans, effective October 1. Good news for non-government subscribers: You can now put up to 100% of your NPS funds into equities right from the start of the month, opening doors for potentially higher returns if you’re okay with the market risks.
Private banking giant HDFC Bank tightened rules for its premium Imperia services. If you signed up before June 30, you’ll need to hit new Total Relationship Value (TRV) targets to keep those perks like priority support and exclusive offers. It’s all about ensuring the service fits active, high-value customers.
Public sector bank Punjab National Bank hiked its locker rental fees and charges for service requests, so if you’re storing valuables there, check your statements to avoid surprises.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) brought fresh guidelines for small business loans to ease lending. Banks can now dial back certain spread components sooner than the old three-year wait, helping borrowers save on interest. Plus, at loan reset times, you can switch to a fixed-rate option for more predictable payments.
RBI also greenlit Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) to offer working capital loans to jewellers, supporting the industry’s cash flow needs. And for manufacturers using gold as raw material, Tier 3 and Tier 4 Urban Co-operative Banks can now provide similar loans, streamlining funding for gold-based businesses like jewellery making or processing. These moves should help small players in the gold sector grow without jumping through extra hoops.
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