Ajinkya Kawale &Amp;Amp; Amritha Pillay

Stories by Ajinkya Kawale &Amp;Amp; Amritha Pillay

Fintechs may shift to secure products after RBI order on consumer loans

Fintechs may shift to secure products after RBI order on consumer loans

Rediff.com   23 Nov 2023

Fintech companies believe that the impact of Reserve Bank of India's order last week on unsecured loans will be visible in six to 12 months and prompt them to diversify and strengthen their secured portfolio. Fintechs which source funds through banks or non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) are looking at quickly building their secured portfolio options to at least 40 per cent of their total portfolio. "Over the medium to long term, as part of our product strategy, we are evaluating secured products which can be enabled over a digital platform" said Yogi Sadana, the founder of Zype, a lending-focussed fintech.

'Challenge for us is resource management'

'Challenge for us is resource management'

Rediff.com   21 Nov 2023

'The fact still remains that we will have to deliver, so the pressure is now on us to make sure we get our resources, our supplies lined up at acceptable costs.'

ICC Cricket World Cup: Ahmedabad airport sees surge in chartered flights

ICC Cricket World Cup: Ahmedabad airport sees surge in chartered flights

Rediff.com   20 Nov 2023

Ahmedabad airport recorded thrice the number of private chartered/VIP flights in the build-up to the final of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup as compared to the average four-day period. The airport, which usually operates around 64 chartered flights in a span of four days, is set to handle 205 such flights between November 17 and 20, as celebrities and other VIPs descended to watch the India-Australia match.

IT Hiring Slowdown Worries Students

IT Hiring Slowdown Worries Students

Rediff.com   13 Nov 2023

'Students of Tier-II and Tier III engineering colleges in the south may find 2023 to be one of the toughest years for getting jobs.'

Growth in personal loans offering likely to remain muted for Paytm

Growth in personal loans offering likely to remain muted for Paytm

Rediff.com   1 Nov 2023

The growth in personal loans for fintech major Paytm may remain muted in the future and not replicate a three-digit year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth that it recorded in the previous years, a person familiar with the matter said. Sources said the personal loans book may grow in the range of 30 to 40 per cent Y-o-Y on its current base. On a quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q) basis, the number of personal loans the Noida-based fintech company disbursed has dropped 20 per cent from 0.3 million in the first quarter of this financial year (Q1FY24) to 0.24 million in Q2FY24, according to regulatory filings.

'India is big enough to have over 4 airlines'

'India is big enough to have over 4 airlines'

Rediff.com   28 Oct 2023

'Within five years, we should be achieving more on the international front than what it took most airlines 15 to 20 years back.'

Five accidents in six months: DGCA grounds flight training at Redbird

Five accidents in six months: DGCA grounds flight training at Redbird

Rediff.com   24 Oct 2023

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday suspended operations at Redbird Flight Training Academy, one of India's largest flight schools, across all five of its training bases in the country. This action was taken after five accidents involving the institute's planes in the past six months. The DGCA announced it would conduct an audit of the academy's maintenance practices and also proficiency checks of the institute's flight instructors before allowing it to resume operations.

Profit of capital goods cos may stay the course in Q2

Profit of capital goods cos may stay the course in Q2

Rediff.com   18 Oct 2023

Capital goods companies in their Q2FY24 results are expected to report another steady quarter of earnings growth as order inflows and execution remain healthy, according to analysts. An upward revision in order inflow targets and a margin improvement due to lower raw material costs are also anticipated. "We expect the execution of all capital goods companies and most EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) companies to remain healthy Y-o-Y (year-on-year), led by strong order book accretion in the past 5-6 quarters," wrote analysts at Kotak Securities in a note, estimating revenue growth of 32 per cent for India's largest company in the capital goods space -- Larsen & Toubro.

Cement companies may report firm profit growth for Q2

Cement companies may report firm profit growth for Q2

Rediff.com   17 Oct 2023

With another quarter of steady growth in demand, cement companies are expected to report strong year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth in earnings, according to analysts. The September quarter (Q2FY24) also witnessed a resumption of price hikes in certain markets. UltraTech Cement, India's largest cement producer, reported a 15 per cent Y-o-Y increase in cement sales in the country for the quarter under review.

IiAS against Anant on Reliance board

IiAS against Anant on Reliance board

Rediff.com   11 Oct 2023

Proxy advisory firm IiAS has recommended that institutional investors should vote against the appointment of Anant Ambani on Reliance Industries Ltd's (RIL's) board, citing his age as the reason. The firm has, however, given its green light to the appointment of Anant's elder siblings - Akash and Isha. In its recommendation note, IiAS said, "At 28 years of age, his appointment as a non-executive, non-independent director does not align with our voting guidelines."

Coming Soon! UPI-Based ATMs

Coming Soon! UPI-Based ATMs

Rediff.com   11 Oct 2023

The transition to UPI-based ATMs will be gradual, and consumers will not immediately switch to using standalone UPI ATMs overnight.

Average ticket size on UPI down 10% in H1 2023

Average ticket size on UPI down 10% in H1 2023

Rediff.com   4 Oct 2023

The average ticket size (ATS) of all transactions on United Payments Interface (UPI) in H1 2023 was pegged at Rs 1,604, marking a 10 per cent decline, compared to Rs 1,774 in H1 2022, according to data from Worldline India's Digital Payments Report. The reduction in the overall ATS on UPI is a good sign, suggesting a deeper embedding of UPI as it is being used for smaller or micro-transactions, and the dip is driven by the growth in person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions, the report said. The ATS of P2M transactions dipped 21 per cent from Rs 839 in H1 2022 to Rs 659 in H1 2023.

'Building a war chest essential for expansion'

'Building a war chest essential for expansion'

Rediff.com   3 Oct 2023

'To sustain our growth trajectory, we must continue to explore and capitalise on growth opportunities.'

RIL seeks postal ballot for Ambani third-gen's board appointment

RIL seeks postal ballot for Ambani third-gen's board appointment

Rediff.com   26 Sep 2023

Oil to telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries (RIL) has initiated the process to seek shareholders' approval for the appointment of the third generation of the Ambani family on the company's board. The remote voting through postal ballot will start from September 27 onwards. In a separate note, CreditSights said a trust and hold-co model could be a possibility for the anticipated succession at RIL.

Higher fuel cost and low-demand headwinds seen for cement companies

Higher fuel cost and low-demand headwinds seen for cement companies

Rediff.com   25 Sep 2023

Even as cement companies continue to announce ambitious expansion plans, analysts turn cautious over the sector as incremental supply is expected to coincide with a weak demand growth period, and other headwinds of higher fuel costs, weak monsoons and general elections. In August, JSW Cement said it will take its current 19 million tonnes (MT) capacity to 60 MT in the next five years. The country's top producers have massive expansion plans underway - UltraTech Cement targeting 200 MT, Adani Cement aiming for 140 MT and Dalmia Cement planning for 110-130 MT.

'There is not a major worry on the price front'

'There is not a major worry on the price front'

Rediff.com   7 Sep 2023

'I believe that as we produce more, our cost will come down further. We will maintain our competitiveness.'

'India will be beneficiary of China plus one strategy'

'India will be beneficiary of China plus one strategy'

Rediff.com   5 Sep 2023

'Our factories are world-class and are becoming increasingly attractive for our global business leaders to use to serve other markets.'

Why India Has Shortage Of Skilled Workers

Why India Has Shortage Of Skilled Workers

Rediff.com   31 Aug 2023

'The second generation of migrant labourers is not enthusiastic about continuing in this field.' 'The parents of the next generation do not wish their children to be part of this trade.'

DGCA suspends Air India's Boeing simulator facility in Mumbai for lapses

DGCA suspends Air India's Boeing simulator facility in Mumbai for lapses

Rediff.com   30 Aug 2023

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday suspended Air India's Boeing simulator facility in Mumbai after finding certain alleged lapses during a spot check, a DGCA official said. The pilots, who were scheduled to undergo refresher courses at the Mumbai facility, will now not be able to do so.

Why private manufacturers shun super-critical thermal plants

Why private manufacturers shun super-critical thermal plants

Rediff.com   27 Aug 2023

This includes distancing themselves from the new and emerging super-critical technology.