Anita Bhoir &Amp; Reena Zachariah In Mumbai

Stories by Anita Bhoir &Amp; Reena Zachariah In Mumbai

Nearly 50 FIIs apply for licences

Nearly 50 FIIs apply for licences

Rediff.com   14 Nov 2007

Less than three weeks after the curbs on participatory notes, overseas investors are rushing to invest in the booming Indian stock markets directly by applying for Foreign Institutional Investor licences.

Global financial cos unveil India plans

Global financial cos unveil India plans

Rediff.com   13 Nov 2007

Credit Agricol (CA), the second-largest French bank, is all set to enter the Indian insurance and asset management business.US-based middle market focused investment bank Jefferies Group, which opened its representative office in New Delhi last month, plans to enter the institutional brokerage and asset management business in India.

Rising Re shakes BPO valuations

Rising Re shakes BPO valuations

Rediff.com   13 Nov 2007

With the rupee going from strength to strength and attrition a continuing concern for Indian business process outsourcing companies, the new poster child of private equity investors is witnessing adjustments in valuations in the changed scenario.

RBI norms may spell bad news for ICICI, SBI

RBI norms may spell bad news for ICICI, SBI

Rediff.com   8 Nov 2007

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to reiterate its view that it would be comfortable only with holding companies at the top in financial services groups when it releases final guidelines on setting up bank holding companies or financial holding companies by November 15.

Banks panic, squeeze small loan tap

Banks panic, squeeze small loan tap

Rediff.com   7 Nov 2007

ICICI Bank, the country's second-largest bank, has stopped lending to borrowers from the sub-prime segment, while the biggest player in small loans, Citigroup, has made its processes more stringent.

ICICI Bank sells 45% bad home loans to Arcil

ICICI Bank sells 45% bad home loans to Arcil

Rediff.com   6 Nov 2007

ICICI Bank, the country's second largest bank, has sold roughly 45 per cent of its sticky home loans to the Asset Reconstruction Company India Ltd (Arcil) in a first step towards creating a market for retail loans that have turned bad.ICICI Bank sold Rs 360 crore of non-performing home loans at a price around the book cost, confirmed Rajiv Sabharwal, senior general manager, ICICI Bank.

Reddy warns bankers on excessive charges

Reddy warns bankers on excessive charges

Rediff.com   5 Nov 2007

RBI's warning was delivered by Governor Y V Reddy at an address to bank chiefs during the mid-term review of the monetary policy on October 30. Reddy told bank chiefs he would not hesitate to recommend to Parliament that the ULA be extended to the banking sector if they did not charge reasonable rates of interest.

Anti-recovery bid: Banks fear willful defaults

Anti-recovery bid: Banks fear willful defaults

Rediff.com   29 Oct 2007

The Mumbai-based recovery chief does not want to be identified but says his greater concern is not that non-performing loans would rise from the already elevated levels. Coordinated opposition to recovery efforts could lead to banks withdrawing altogether from lending to this sub-prime segment in India that otherwise depends on informal money lenders.

270 FIIs await Sebi nod

270 FIIs await Sebi nod

Rediff.com   19 Oct 2007

Over 270 applications from foreign institutional investors (FIIs) are awaiting the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi) clearance as the debate on the speedy clearance of registrations by the capital market regulator rages on. In fact, during the last one year, the Sebi has cleared a total of 141 applications, an average of about 12 registrations a month.

Barclays Bank has exciting plans in India

Barclays Bank has exciting plans in India

Rediff.com   10 Oct 2007

We are focusing on how to make banking affordable for the customer. The bank is bullish on retail business, says Suresh Gurumani.

Sebi for repo in corporate bonds

Sebi for repo in corporate bonds

Rediff.com   5 Oct 2007

The capital market regulator would soon write to the Reserve Bank of India to allow repos in corporate bonds, which were expected to boost the liquidity in the corporate debt market, said sources. In a repo trade, a market participant pledges a corporate paper in exchange for funds for a specific period and at a rate determined by the market.

Small firms may get their own bourse

Small firms may get their own bourse

Rediff.com   4 Oct 2007

The NSE, along with financial institutions like IL&FS and IDBI, has proposed to set up a special exchange.

Sebi may cut MF fee structure

Sebi may cut MF fee structure

Rediff.com   3 Oct 2007

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is looking at reducing the fees of all mutual fund schemes - equity funds (open- and close-ended), debt funds, index funds and even funds of funds (or FoFs, mutual funds that invest in mutual funds).

Free credit card culture worries RBI

Free credit card culture worries RBI

Rediff.com   21 Sep 2007

The RBI is drafting a comprehensive study on the credit card market and a best practices code for credit card issuers.

Now, update passbook at ATMs

Now, update passbook at ATMs

Rediff.com   19 Sep 2007

Now you can withdraw money and simultaneously get your passbook updated at the automated teller machine (ATM) instantly.

Interview with Sebi chief M Damodaran

Interview with Sebi chief M Damodaran

Rediff.com   14 Sep 2007

An interview with Sebi chief M Damodaran.

Loan recovery goons may become history

Loan recovery goons may become history

Rediff.com   12 Sep 2007

The RBI is working on a comprehensive set of guidelines that will make banks responsible for ensuring that their recovery agencies do not recruit individuals with a criminal background.

Vedanta's open offer for Sesa Goa gets nod

Vedanta's open offer for Sesa Goa gets nod

Rediff.com   29 Aug 2007

The Securities and Exchange Board of India on Tuesday approved the open offer of Vedanta Resources for Sesa Goa.

ICICI Bank faces stiff RBI test

ICICI Bank faces stiff RBI test

Rediff.com   22 Aug 2007

Chidambaram clears holding company for insurance & mutual fund subject to RBI clearance.

Allianz plans MF biz in India

Allianz plans MF biz in India

Rediff.com   13 Aug 2007

The Allianz Group, the German financial services powerhouse, is planning to foray into the booming asset management business in India.