Abhijit Lele &Amp;Amp; Ruchika Chitravanshi

Stories by Abhijit Lele &Amp;Amp; Ruchika Chitravanshi

Digital Competition Bill Wants Interoperability

Digital Competition Bill Wants Interoperability

Rediff.com   19 Feb 2024

It is being suggested that apps, such as WhatsApp and Telegram, should share their APIs with each other to ensure there is interoperability, just as it exists across email services.

'Tax buoyancy can't continue year after year'

'Tax buoyancy can't continue year after year'

Rediff.com   16 Feb 2024

'The revenue projection arises out of all sectors doing well and the formalisation of the economy helps in making sure the tax domain gets widened.'

ED to probe Fema breach in Paytm bank case

ED to probe Fema breach in Paytm bank case

Rediff.com   15 Feb 2024

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has launched a preliminary investigation or a pre-open inquiry into alleged violations related to the Foreign Exchange Management Act (Fema) in the Paytm Payments Bank case, according to sources in the know. The probe follows serious concerns raised by the Reserve Bank of India on multiple violations by the Paytm bank, which is a joint venture between One97 Communications, which is the parent company of Paytm, and the group's founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma.

'There's a de-emphasis on divestment'

'There's a de-emphasis on divestment'

Rediff.com   12 Feb 2024

'We now look at divestment as an opportunity for maximising the value of public assets, not necessarily as a short-term resource-raising measure.'

'We are almost at peak of interest rates cycles'

'We are almost at peak of interest rates cycles'

Rediff.com   6 Feb 2024

'The stabilisation of interest rates followed by reduction is going to happen over the next year.'

IBBI allows same RP for company and personal guarantor insolvency

IBBI allows same RP for company and personal guarantor insolvency

Rediff.com   5 Feb 2024

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has lifted the restriction to allow the same insolvency professional for the resolution process of a company as well as its personal guarantor for a better harmonisation and effective coordination of both processes. The changes made to IBBI - Bankruptcy Process for Personal Guarantors to Corporate Debtors, Regulations, 2019 -- came into effect on January 31. IBBI has also amended the provision regarding the meetings of the Committee of Creditors to make them mandatory in insolvency matters about personal guarantors.

Tax devolution to states seen at 32%, but lags 15th FC advice

Tax devolution to states seen at 32%, but lags 15th FC advice

Rediff.com   2 Feb 2024

The Union government is projected to share about 32 per cent of central taxes with states during the financial year 2024-25 against the 15th Finance Commission's recommendation of 41 per cent. The Revised Estimates (RE) for FY24, too, show a similar share of states in the central taxes at 32 per cent. In absolute terms, however, there has been an increase in the amount devolved to states compared to the Budget Estimates (BE) for FY24 at Rs 11 trillion.

Health check for healers: The big audit firms are under the NFRA lens

Health check for healers: The big audit firms are under the NFRA lens

Rediff.com   17 Jan 2024

In recent times, more and more audit firms have challenged company managements, some going to the extent of resigning on the ground of incompatibility with what the management wanted or was doing. This, said Ajay Bhushan Pandey, chairman of the National Financial Regulatory Authority (NFRA), in a media interview, was a good sign. Now, the national accounting watchdog has turned the spotlight on audit firms themselves.

RBI gives clarity to 'politically exposed persons' term to meet FATF norms

RBI gives clarity to 'politically exposed persons' term to meet FATF norms

Rediff.com   8 Jan 2024

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has updated Know Your Customer (KYC) norms for politically exposed persons (PEPs) who transact with regulated entities (REs), seeking to comply with the recommendations of intergovernmental organisation Financial Action Task Force (FATF). PEPs are individuals entrusted with prominent public functions by a foreign country, including the heads of states/governments, senior politicians, senior government or judicial or military officers, senior executives of state-owned corporations and important political party officials, said the RBI. This change is expected to provide more clarity to undertake Customer Due Diligence (CDD), said the RBI in a communication to REs.

India tops remittances table with $125 bn inflows: World Bank report

India tops remittances table with $125 bn inflows: World Bank report

Rediff.com   20 Dec 2023

India is expected to be the top recipient of remittances in 2023 as inflows increase 12.4 per cent to $125 billion, said a World Bank report on Tuesday. Mexico will come next by receiving $67 billion and China will follow it at $50 billion. The key drivers for remittance growth in 2023 are a tight labour market in the United States, high employment growth in Europe reflecting extensive leveraging of worker retention programs, and a dampening of inflation in high-income countries. India's growth in remittances is expected to halve to 12.4 per cent in 2023 from a historic peak of 24.4 per cent in 2022.

Liquidation share in insolvency cases on the decline, shows IBBI data

Liquidation share in insolvency cases on the decline, shows IBBI data

Rediff.com   28 Nov 2023

From almost 60 per cent as of December 2019, the share of liquidations in the mode of closure of total Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) cases came down to 44 per cent till September 2023, data by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) shows. Experts say the decreasing trend in liquidations under the IBC in India can be largely attributed to the initial economic conditions of companies entering the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP). IBC experts also say the trend shows a certain stabilisation in IBC with the Code now rid of legacy bankruptcy issues.

PowerMin nudges states, gencos to take up insolvent assets

PowerMin nudges states, gencos to take up insolvent assets

Rediff.com   12 Nov 2023

To tackle increasing demand, the Union Ministry of Power has urged central and state public-sector power-generating companies (gencos) and state power and energy departments to pick projects that are undergoing insolvency proceedings. The power ministry is looking at a quicker turnaround of these stressed power plants and enhancing power supply. Increasing demand is pushing states to scout for more power sources. "It is requested that state-owned gencos may be encouraged to participate in the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) of stressed power assets, which are of strategic and commercial significance to the capacity addition plans of the states concerned.

Former Barclays banker Ashok Vaswani to head Kotak Mahindra Bank

Former Barclays banker Ashok Vaswani to head Kotak Mahindra Bank

Rediff.com   23 Oct 2023

Ashok Vaswani, a banker with more than three-and-half decades experience in building and scaling up businesses across consumer and corporate banking and payments, will be the next managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Kotak Mahindra Bank. Last week, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had given its approval to Vaswani's appointment. Vaswani is currently President of Pagaya Technologies, a US-Israeli artificial intelligence (AI) fintech firm, which he joined in June 2022.

Net FDI in India down to $3 billion in April-August

Net FDI in India down to $3 billion in April-August

Rediff.com   23 Oct 2023

Net foreign direct investment (FDI) in India, inflows minus outflows, declined sharply in April-August this year to $2.99 billion from $18.03 billion in the same period last year on moderation in global activities and a rise in repatriation. The Reserve Bank of India's data (October 2023 bulletin) said FDI in India was $7.28 billion and FDI by India, that is money invested abroad from the country, was $4.28 billion in April-August 2023. As for 2022, FDI in India was $22.79 billion and FDI by India was $4.76 billion in April-August.

Rs 2,000 crore loans to Go First are now NPA: Central Bank of India

Rs 2,000 crore loans to Go First are now NPA: Central Bank of India

Rediff.com   23 Oct 2023

Central Bank of India classified its loans to Go First as non-performing assets (NPAs) in the July-September quarter (second quarter, or Q2) of 2023-24 (FY24). The no-frills carrier has been under insolvency proceedings since May 2023 and ceased operating flights on May 3 this year. The public sector lender's exposure, including government-guaranteed emergency credit to the ailing airline, amounts to about Rs 2,000 crore.

Lenders unlikely to clear Anil Agarwal's Vedanta spinoff in hurry

Lenders unlikely to clear Anil Agarwal's Vedanta spinoff in hurry

Rediff.com   11 Oct 2023

Indian lenders are unlikely to clear the vertical split of BSE-listed Vedanta Ltd in a hurry, considering that the demerger would reduce the fungibility of cash flows across businesses and increase their volatility, according to analysts. The demerger plan, which would result in six separate listed entities, would require approval from shareholders, lenders and other statutory bodies. "We believe that a separate listing of different businesses would reduce the fungibility of cash flows across businesses and increase the volatility of cash flows.

Regulatory framework for large unlisted firms by MCA in the works

Regulatory framework for large unlisted firms by MCA in the works

Rediff.com   4 Oct 2023

The ministry is of the opinion that there is a need for a rigorous regime for large unlisted companies, in contrast with the current "light-touch" regulation. "There is a defined regime for listed companies, by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). "There is a view in the ministry that it needs to look at a framework for large unlisted companies," the senior official said.

Savings declined but resulted in rise in assets: SBI chief economist

Savings declined but resulted in rise in assets: SBI chief economist

Rediff.com   22 Sep 2023

The net financial savings of the household sector has moderated to 5.1% of GDP in FY23 from 7.6 per cent in FY20, as households shifted their savings to physical assets amid low interest rates during the pandemic, according to State Bank of India's (SBI) Research report.

Household savings report: There is no distress, says finance ministry

Household savings report: There is no distress, says finance ministry

Rediff.com   22 Sep 2023

The finance ministry on Thursday sought to clarify that there was no distress in household savings and the data indicated that changing consumer preference for different financial products was the real reason for the change in the pattern of household savings. The clarification comes in the backdrop of Reserve Bank of India data showing that household net financial savings rate is at its lowest in decades, at 5.1 per cent of GDP in FY23 compared to 7.2 per cent of GDP in FY22. The divergence in the data for household gross financial assets and liabilities is not a cause for concern for the government, as the loans have largely been taken to buy real assets or automobiles, the finance ministry said.

'India's done magical work'

'India's done magical work'

Rediff.com   21 Sep 2023

'To get a 100 per cent consensus document without any reservation, any bracket, any chair summary is unprecedented in the history of multilateral forums.'