RBI panel announced 25 basis points rate cut but Indian stock markets were expecting a small rate cut. The rate cut hasn't led to any major market movement.

Indian public sector banks have been suffering for last few years due to high non-performing assets. The banking sector needs government's support and strong reforms for its revival.

Indian government has move ahead with its decision to consolidate some of the public sector banks in order to improve efficiency and have better control over management of these banks.

Indian government has been planning consolidation of public sector banks for quite some time.

Indian stock market witnessed rally for the last three trading sessions and investors felt relief as many stocks had declined significantly. Among the major gainers for the week were Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS), HDFC Bank, HDFC, Infosys, Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Bank.

Markets gained from lower levels and buying was witnessed on Wednesday. Investors turned bullish on Thursday and Friday ended with smart gains. Among top 10 Indian stocks, seven companies gained during the week. Small investors mainly invest in mid-cap and small-cap companies and the trend in both these segments is still not positive. Mid-cap stocks of many well performing companies are trading at a lower price.

Vienna - Austria-based Erste Group Bank saw its net profits drop 26.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2009, the bank said Thursday, reflecting its high exposure to loans to central and Eastern Europe.

The bank, one of Central and Eastern Europe's biggest lenders, made a net profit of 232.1 million euros (306.7 million dollars) in the first three months of the current year, down from 315.6 million euros in the same period of the previous year.

With the exception of the Ukraine, all of Erste's Central and Eastern European operations were profitable.