Gen Z s pursuit of quick gains in mutual funds clashes with the reality of wealth creation, which demands patience and time in the market. Kaustubh Belapurkar advises investors to focus on diversification, understand metrics like capture ratios, and resist the urge to frequently switch funds. Staying invested in well-managed strategies, even through market cycles, is crucial for long-term success.

Equity markets remained steady this week. Nifty tested 25,000 but could not surpass it. Sectoral momentum offered support. Banking stocks are a drag. Rajesh Palviya suggests automobile, FMCG, metals, and new-age stocks are worth watching. BSE Ltd. gained attention after structural changes. National Aluminium and Bajaj Finance are Palviya s stock picks for the week.

Indian equity markets saw a 1% gain but stayed below 25,000, prompting analysis of underlying trends. GST rationalization is expected to boost volumes and margins from Q3, benefiting India Inc. Metals led sectoral gains, supported by potential US rate cuts and improved India-China ties. Despite positive indicators, markets remain cautious, awaiting earnings reset and resolution on US tariffs.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new dual-slab GST structure expected to significantly boost India s economy. The government is also preparing a package for US tariff-affected export sectors and relentlessly working on next-generation policy changes. While not directly addressing tariff issues, the GST reform is anticipated to spur demand and provide some relief to affected sectors.

Bank of Baroda has declared Reliance Communications loan accounts, along with Anil Ambani, as fraudulent due to alleged fund misutilisation and improper transactions. This action follows similar declarations by SBI and Bank of India. Anil Ambani Group denies the allegations, asserting they will contest the claims in court, citing a consortium of 14 lenders and delayed proceedings.

Kalyan Kumar is expected to lead Union Bank of India. Lalit Tyagi is likely to transfer to Central Bank of India. Asheesh Pandey is dropped from consideration for a top post. The Financial Services Institutions Bureau had recommended Pandey. Reserve Bank of India had previously raised concerns about Pandey. Union Bank has been without a head since June.

Indian equity indices ended flat amid choppy trading, with IT stocks declining due to US tariff concerns, offsetting auto sector gains fueled by GST cut hopes. For the week, however, markets gained 1%. Positive global cues and expectations of US rate cuts are expected to support a recovery next week, though Nifty faces resistance at 25,000.

India s foreign exchange reserves saw a significant increase of $3.5 billion, reaching $694 billion in the week ending August 29, according to RBI data. This surge was primarily driven by a rise in both foreign currency assets and gold reserves, which climbed by $1.7 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively.

The Indian rupee plummeted to a new low of 88.36 against the dollar on Friday, fueled by an unverified social media post about potential US tariffs on the Indian IT sector. This sparked speculative trading and increased dollar demand from importers, despite some intervention from nationalized banks.

Indian banks are accelerating efforts to fully implement SWIFT s ISO 20022 messaging standard by the November 2025 deadline, driven by directives from the Ministry of Finance and the RBI. Several major banks, including SBI and ICICI Bank, have already migrated to the new system. Failure to comply with the deadline could result in payment disruptions and penalties.