ICICI Bank just made a big move. The board has greenlit the sale of a 19% stake in ICICI Merchant Services Private Limited (IMSPL), its associate company. This isn’t a casual shuffle of assets—it’s a ₹160-190 crore deal that will streamline the bank’s portfolio and redirect resources toward its core business. The sale agreement should be locked in by June 30, 2025, assuming all the regulatory boxes get ticked. Once the deal’s done, IMSPL steps out of ICICI’s associate status, marking a clean break. And while IMSPL pulled in a respectable ₹475 crore in revenue last fiscal year, ICICI Bank is clearly playing the long game—focusing on core services and sharpening its competitive edge. The stock climbed 2% and it’s not just today, either—ICICI has been riding a wave, up 35% year-to-date and gaining for seven straight months.