Amritha Pillay &Amp;Amp; Abhijit Lele

Stories by Amritha Pillay &Amp;Amp; Abhijit Lele

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.

L&T takes on global peers with electrolyser play

L&T takes on global peers with electrolyser play

Rediff.com   27 Feb 2024

Engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is preparing the ground to begin the commercial sale of electrolysers in September, which would be 50 per cent cheaper than its European counterparts, a senior company executive has said. An electrolyser is a key equipment required for the generation of green hydrogen. Last quarter, L&T manufactured its first electrolyser as a prototype.

'Rural consumers also driving power demand'

'Rural consumers also driving power demand'

Rediff.com   24 Feb 2024

'This was earlier driven by industries and the commercial sector.'

Now, It's Shah Rukh Vs Sunny Deol

Now, It's Shah Rukh Vs Sunny Deol

Rediff.com   17 Feb 2024

Of the top four companies, which collectively hold more than half of India's market share, two have pitted Shah Rukh Khan and Sunny Deol against each other.

'Private capex will depend on demand and supply situation'

'Private capex will depend on demand and supply situation'

Rediff.com   14 Feb 2024

'The private sector will look to the budget to check whether there are any headwinds or tailwinds.'

Brokerages divided on L&T's new order prospects, exposure to West Asia

Brokerages divided on L&T's new order prospects, exposure to West Asia

Rediff.com   8 Feb 2024

Brokerage firms on Wednesday appeared divided in their calls on Larsen & Toubro (L&T) after the company's 2023-24 (FY24) October-December quarter (third quarter, or Q3) performance and guidance for the quarters ahead. While few stayed optimistic about the stock over future order inflow prospects, others saw increasing exposure to West Asia and fixed price contracts as a concern. In Wednesday's trade, L&T's share price closed at Rs 3,480 per piece, 4.22 per cent down from its previous day's close.

'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.'

Indian companies look to cash in on bulging infrastructure order book

Indian companies look to cash in on bulging infrastructure order book

Rediff.com   6 Feb 2024

Investments worth more than Rs 80 trillion are expected in roads, railways and urban infrastructure between now and FY30 and the supply chains helping to build this core infrastructure are also readying to cash in on the growth. In the first half of the current financial year, orders worth more than Rs 2.6 trillion were tendered in the roads and railways segment alone, according to data sourced from ICRA Ratings and Research. "India's transportation infrastructure sector is in high gear, and we enjoy a sizable share of it," said S V Desai, whole time director and senior executive vice president (Civil Infrastructure) for Larsen & Toubro.

Q3FY24 earnings preview: Consumer business to boost RIL's earnings

Q3FY24 earnings preview: Consumer business to boost RIL's earnings

Rediff.com   23 Jan 2024

Reliance Industries' (RIL's) consumer business is expected to lead earnings growth in the Q3FY24 performance, according to analysts. While the energy business is expected to show sequential weakness, the consumer business, especially retail, is estimated to show strong growth. The oil-to-telecom conglomerate will announce its Q3FY24 financial results on Friday.

Yet another healthy showing likely for capital goods in Q3

Yet another healthy showing likely for capital goods in Q3

Rediff.com   17 Jan 2024

Earnings growth trajectory for India's capital goods firms is likely to stay buoyant for the December 2023-ended quarter (Q3 FY24), said analysts. Guidance on margins, ordering activity in an election year and export-related demand would be key monitorables. Brokerages - Motilal Oswal, Nuvama, Kotak Institutional Equities and Prabhudas Lilladher - estimated revenue growth for their capital goods universe to be 11-16 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y).

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.

Corporate bosses' message for 2024: Focus on people, tech, geopolitics

Corporate bosses' message for 2024: Focus on people, tech, geopolitics

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2024

Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, signed off an address to employees last week by assuring them that 2024 would be better than 2023 for both Reliance Industries and India. Ambani isn't an exception. Promoters and their representatives from several other conglomerates have expressed similar optimism.

Navi Mumbai international airport's commercial launch expected in Dec 2024

Navi Mumbai international airport's commercial launch expected in Dec 2024

Rediff.com   26 Dec 2023

The outer structure of Navi Mumbai International Airport's first terminal building is almost ready. Exactly behind the under-construction building, stands a partially demolished hill. Executives from the airport company are now hopeful the hill will be flattened by mid-January, paving the way for the first commercial take-off by December next year.

RIL's new energy business piques analysts' interest

RIL's new energy business piques analysts' interest

Rediff.com   18 Dec 2023

For the company's latest energy initiative to expand its green energy and storage portfolio, some analysts are beginning to suggest a closer look at some of its segments. In his address to shareholders in the company's FY22 annual report, billionaire Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of the company, said: "The green energy value holds great promise to outshine all our existing growth engines in just 5-7 years." The company has marked an investment of Rs 75,000 crore towards its new energy plans, which include solar energy value chain, green hydrogen, energy storage and other similar businesses.

100 deaths at BSE50 Companies

100 deaths at BSE50 Companies

Rediff.com   11 Dec 2023

74 of these fatalities were reported by 8 companies: Coal India (21), L&T (14), Vedanta (13, of which Hindustan Zinc reported 7), Tata Steel (7), Power Grid Corporation of India (7), JSW Steel (6), and ONGC (6).

Rs 8.45 trn & rising: Orders flood major capital goods firms

Rs 8.45 trn & rising: Orders flood major capital goods firms

Rediff.com   4 Dec 2023

India's leading capital goods and engineering firms are in the midst of one of their busiest seasons, with the combined orderbook surging past Rs 8 trillion in value. As on September 30, 2023, 13 of India's top 15 listed capital goods and engineering firms, for which data for the September 2023 quarter was available, had a total orderbook worth Rs 8.45 trillion - a number unseen at least since 2018-19. "This intuitively looks like an all-time high factoring in inflation," said Anupama Arora, a senior independent analyst who tracks the capital goods sector.

Elections, festivities, and pollution weigh on India's cement demand

Elections, festivities, and pollution weigh on India's cement demand

Rediff.com   24 Nov 2023

India's cement demand has consistently shown double-digit growth over the past few quarters, primarily driven by infrastructure spending. However, dealers and industry executives note that state elections, festival season, and, in some markets, weddings and pollution may temporarily disrupt this demand story. While the festival season typically sees a slowdown in construction activity, some dealers anticipate this lull extending throughout the entire month as multiple states enter election mode.

'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.'

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.