Equity-oriented mutual funds saw net inflows of Rs 42,702 crore in the month of July, up 81 per cent from Rs 23,587 crore in June, the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) data showed on Monday.

By the end of July, the mutual fund industry's net assets under management (AUM) increased to Rs 75.36 lakh crore. The AUM stood at Rs 74.40 lakh crore in June and Rs 72.19 lakh crore in May, according to monthly data released by AMFI.

Equity funds have seen positive flows for 53 consecutive months, with July inflows being broad-based across most categories. Record monthly inflows were driven by new fund offerings (NFOs), which raised Rs 30,416 crore – the highest NFO collection ever.

Smallcap schemes led the inflows with Rs 6,484 crore added to AUM in July, up from Rs 4,024 crore in June, marking a 61 per cent increase.

The life insurance industry reported “satisfactory” business growth with 10 per cent retail annual premium equivalent (APE) growth in July 2025, a report said on Monday.

The private life insurance companies grew 14 per cent and LIC's retail APE grew at a flat 0.4 per cent, according to a report from Emkay Global Financial Services Ltd.

The annual premium equivalent is the total value of regular or recurring premiums plus 10 per cent of new single premiums written in the period.

The government’s financial inclusion schemes -- from Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) to MUDRA and the quintessential UPI-based digital payments -- are shifting India’s growth story from being metro-centric to truly national, according to a report on Monday.

According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Economic growth cannot only be restricted to a few cities and a few citizens. Development has to be all-round and all-inclusive.”

“In practice, that inclusivity has been driven not just by rhetoric, but by the deliberate weaving of policy, technology, and community outreach into an unprecedented net of access," according to the report in India Narrative.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced the premature redemption price for two tranches of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) due on August 11, 2025.

The 2019-20 Series IX (issued in February 2020) and the 2020-21 Series V (issued in August 2020) can be prematurely redeemed at Rs 10,070 per gram. SGBs have an eight-year maturity, but investors can opt for premature redemption from the fifth year onwards.

Investors in the February 2020 SGB tranche achieved a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20 per cent. The August 2020 tranche delivered a 13.5 percent CAGR to investors over five years.

These returns are in addition to 2.5 per cent annual interest paid semi-annually, which increases the effective yield.

The returns from these tranches mirror gold’s returns over the last five years. In February 2020, when RBI released the 2019-20 Series IX tranche, the gold was priced at Rs 4,070 per gram, just before the pandemic spurred a flight to safe-haven assets.

The Indian rupee opened stronger on Monday, amid additional 25 per cent tariff proposed by US President Donald Trump on India, which is set to take effect from August 27.

The rupee likely inched up higher on optimism that the Russia-Ukraine war will end following the upcoming US-Russia negotiations on August 15, leading to removal of additional tariffs on India.

The local currency opened 13 paise stronger at 87.53 against the US dollar up from 87.66 on Friday. The immediate trading range is expected to be between 87.25 and 87.80, according to analysts.

The Indian rupee was expected to open with small gains today at 87.51, while markets are awaiting US and domestic inflation data. Indian markets are focused on domestic CPI and WPI inflation data, set to be released on August 12 and August 14.

Indian benchmark indices began the week higher on Monday, led by gains in the PSU bank stocks. The BSE Sensex advanced 122 points or 0.15 per cent to 79,980 while the Nifty 50 inched up to 24,405, up 42 points or 0.17 per cent. The Nifty Bank rose 0.34 per cent to 55,194.

Broader market indices also saw buying activity, with the BSE SmallCap adding 0.16 per cent and the BSE MidCap climbing 0.19 per cent. Last week, the Nifty and Sensex fell by nearly one per cent each.

“Nifty can find support at the 24,300 zone, followed by the 24,200 zone. A breakdown below these levels could accelerate selling pressure towards the 24,000 zone. On the higher side, the 24,500 level can be an immediate resistance,” said Hardik Matalia from Choice Equity Broking.

India on Saturday welcomed the forthcoming summit between the United States President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that is scheduled to take place in Alaska on August 15.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Swaminathan Janakiraman on Saturday highlighted that true financial inclusion goes beyond expanding banking access, stressing the need to empower citizens through financial literacy.

Indian bullion prices ended marginally higher this week amid global market cues and higher festive demand. By mid-week, gold prices saw a significant dip, with the price of 24-carat gold dropping by Rs 91, but the price inched up higher toward the weekend.

The Income Tax Department on Saturday released the ITR-5 Excel Utility for Assessment Year 2024–25. This utility can be used by partnership firms, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), and cooperative societies to file their annual returns.