Abhijit Lele And Bhavini Mishra

Stories by Abhijit Lele And Bhavini Mishra

C S Setty: SBI's New Boss

C S Setty: SBI's New Boss

Rediff.com   1 Jul 2024

'You will see him frequently asking customers -- especially retail -- about service experience, pain points, areas of improvement and suggestions.'

Jio Fin arm plans Rs 36K cr deal with Reliance Retail

Jio Fin arm plans Rs 36K cr deal with Reliance Retail

Rediff.com   27 May 2024

Mukesh Ambani's Jio Financial Services (JFS) is set to seek shareholders' approval for its leasing subsidiary to acquire telecom equipment and devices worth Rs 36,000 crore ($4.33 billion) from Reliance Retail. Jio Leasing Services Limited (JLSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of JFS, plans to enter the device leasing business, and the equipment will be deployed in broadband wireless connectivity and other services.

'Liquidity will improve in system after elections'

'Liquidity will improve in system after elections'

Rediff.com   24 May 2024

'We may see little softness in liquidity position after the stabilisation of the government.'

SBI to hire over 15,000 in FY25 to boost operations, expand network

SBI to hire over 15,000 in FY25 to boost operations, expand network

Rediff.com   13 May 2024

State Bank of India (SBI) is planning to recruit over 15,000 people in 2024-25, increasing the strength of those in the field for marketing. The recruits will be also for deployment in the bank's operations subsidiary and expanding the branch network. The operations subsidiary - State Bank Operations Support Services - became functional last year.

'There Is No Modi Wave'

'There Is No Modi Wave'

Rediff.com   3 May 2024

'I am shocked that the BJP makes so many commitments. What did they deliver as the NDA?'

Godrej Split Handled With Admirable Dignity

Godrej Split Handled With Admirable Dignity

Rediff.com   2 May 2024

'Business families like the Godrej group are increasingly realising that an amicable settlement is better.' 'Else, the wealth of all shareholders gets destroyed.'

Big win for Go First lessors

Big win for Go First lessors

Rediff.com   27 Apr 2024

The Delhi high court on Friday directed the civil aviation regulator to deregister planes leased to Go First within five working days, giving respite to the lessors. This means that the airline will have to give back all 54 aircraft to the lessors if its resolution professional (RP) does not challenge the order or ask for a stay. Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju also refused the request of the RP, represented by advocate Diwakar Maheshwari, to keep the operation of the order in abeyance for a week to enable them to file an appeal before the division Bench of the court.

WhatsApp Would Cease To Exist If...

WhatsApp Would Cease To Exist If...

Rediff.com   26 Apr 2024

'As a platform, we are saying, if we are told to break encryption, then WhatsApp goes.'

Outward foreign direct investment by Indian companies stabilises in FY24

Outward foreign direct investment by Indian companies stabilises in FY24

Rediff.com   22 Apr 2024

The outward foreign direct investment (FDI) by Indian companies stabilised in 2023-24 (FY24) after witnessing a fall in 2022-23 (FY23). The actual outward FDI inched up slightly to $13.75 billion in FY24 from $13.49 billion in the previous financial year (FY23), according to finance ministry data. This stability came after a sharp fall in outward flows in FY23 from $18.52 billion in 2021-22 (FY22).

Credit growth, quality assets likely to spur bank profits in Q4 FY24

Credit growth, quality assets likely to spur bank profits in Q4 FY24

Rediff.com   17 Apr 2024

With high credit growth and healthy asset quality, listed commercial banks are expected to report steady growth in earnings during the fourth quarter ended March 2024 (Q4 FY24). Profits are expected to grow at 9.6 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) and net interest income (NII) by 8.7 per cent in Q4 FY24, according to Bloomberg analysts' estimates. According to Motilal Oswal Securities, while bank credit growth has been robust, deposit growth has also gathered pace.

Bajaj Auto to pump Rs 3,000 crore into finance subsidiary

Bajaj Auto to pump Rs 3,000 crore into finance subsidiary

Rediff.com   1 Apr 2024

Bajaj Auto, India's leading two-wheeler (2W) and three-wheeler (3W) maker, is scaling up its wholly owned finance subsidiary, Bajaj Auto Credit Ltd (BACL), with an investment of more than Rs 3,000 crore planned over the next two financial years, company's managing director Rajiv Bajaj said. BACL has already started commercial operations, Bajaj recently said on the sidelines of the group's CSR identity event. According to rating agency CRISIL, BACL's operations began on January 1 after receiving its licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in August last year.

Net FDI in India down 38% in Apr-Jan

Net FDI in India down 38% in Apr-Jan

Rediff.com   20 Mar 2024

Net foreign direct investment (FDI) in India, inflows minus outflows, declined 38.4 per cent year-on-year to $15.41 billion in the first 10 months of this financial year due to an increase in the repatriation of capital. According to the Reserve Bank of India's data in the March 2024 bulletin, FDI in India was $25.53 billion and outflows were $10.11 billion in April 2023-January 2024. In the same period last year, FDI inflows stood at $36.75 billion and outflows at $11.75 billion.

Shaktikanta Das: RBI Governor Who Walks The Talk

Shaktikanta Das: RBI Governor Who Walks The Talk

Rediff.com   13 Mar 2024

'Das is friendly, but he finally does what he does. The quality of engagement is very good.'

Battle for short term money likely to turn more intense in March

Battle for short term money likely to turn more intense in March

Rediff.com   13 Mar 2024

The need for money among banks, especially for short-term funds, may turn more intense in the last month of the financial year to feed the demand for capital for tax payments and meet year-end targets. The mobilisation of funds via the certificate of deposits (CDs) has seen a threefold increase to over Rs 60,000 crore in the fortnight that ended February 23 from around Rs 20,000 crore in the fortnight of January 26, 2024, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data.

8 NBFCs eye ECB route to raise over $2 billion

8 NBFCs eye ECB route to raise over $2 billion

Rediff.com   7 Mar 2024

The NBFCs, which filed for ECB in January with the Reserve of India (RBI), include REC (over $500 million), Tata Motors Finance ($200 million), L&T Finance Holdings ($125 million), and Shriram Finance ($750 million), according to the RBI data. A senior executive with State Bank of India (SBI) said overseas borrowing by Indian companies, including highly rated NBFCs, was likely to grow because hedging costs were low and there was a softening bias in global interest rates.

Banking system liquidity goes into surplus mode after 3 months

Banking system liquidity goes into surplus mode after 3 months

Rediff.com   6 Mar 2024

The liquidity in the banking system moved into surplus almost after three months as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) absorbed over Rs 40,000 crore from the market on Monday, predominantly on the back of increased government spending. However, this situation may be short-lived given the higher demand for funds to pay taxes and year-end targets, treasury executives said. Meanwhile, two variable reverse repo rate (VRRR) auctions held on Tuesday received weak response.

'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.'

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.

Google vs MakeMyTrip: A curious case of 'confusion'

Google vs MakeMyTrip: A curious case of 'confusion'

Rediff.com   19 Dec 2023

Last week, the Delhi high court ruled that the mere use of trademarks on Google Ads, an online advertising platform, did not amount to infringement under the Trade Marks Act, 1999. This was after online travel agency MakeMyTrip (MMT) claimed that its trademarks, "Makemytrip" and "MMT", were being used as keywords in Google Ads to display ads and links of its rival Booking.com. The order has opened up a new debate on trademark infringement in the digital realm, revolving around whether it can create confusion among users.

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.