Anup Roy &Amp;Amp; Hamsini Karthik

Stories by Anup Roy &Amp;Amp; Hamsini Karthik

Risks to economy still look uncomfortably high: Experts

Risks to economy still look uncomfortably high: Experts

Rediff.com   16 Jun 2021

High inflation print is the price that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will have to pay to nurse a fragile growth back, say economists. Wholesale Price Index-based inflation rose to a record high of 12.94 per cent in May, aided by low base effect, but also because of higher fuel and commodity prices. Retail inflation, too, surprised by rising to 6.30 per cent, while the core inflation, which is the non-food and non-fuel component, rose to an 83-month high of 6.55 per cent. These numbers are much above RBI's upper limit of 6 per cent inflation target, but there is very little that the RBI can do at this moment.

How RBI managed to give Rs 1-trillion dividend to govt

How RBI managed to give Rs 1-trillion dividend to govt

Rediff.com   28 May 2021

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) booked massive gains on its foreign currency sales and needed to provide much lesser for its reserves in 2020-21 (FY21), helping it to carve out a significant Rs 99,122-crore dividend for the government, revealed the RBI's annual report for FY21. By doing so, the central bank's risk buffers have reduced to the bare minimum, which may restrict some of RBI's scale of operations, and would likely hamper dividend payout for financial year 2021-22, said analysts. The annual accounts are for nine months ended March 31, 2021 since the RBI changed its accounting year from July-June to April-March from FY21.

Covid impact: RBI may have to change growth forecast

Covid impact: RBI may have to change growth forecast

Rediff.com   18 May 2021

Those hardest hit by the second wave of the pandemic have been blue-collared workers, doctors and healthcare workers, law and order and municipal personnel, individuals eking out daily livelihood, and small businesses. And there should be more measures taken to alleviate their pain, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Monday. The report also indicated that the RBI's growth numbers might have to be revisited as the central bank's real GDP growth projection of 26.2 per cent given in the MPC's resolution of April 7 for the first quarter of 2021-22, were "made before the full fury of the resurgence." Nevertheless, the "resurgence of COVID-19 has dented but not debilitated economic activity in the first half of Q1: 2021-22.

'Impossible Trinity': RBI's precarious balancing act

'Impossible Trinity': RBI's precarious balancing act

Rediff.com   17 May 2021

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is precariously balancing two opposing objectives - maintaining easy financial condition in the domestic market, while ensuring external stability - and economists have started taking note. They say India is going through the classic trilemma of the 'Impossible Trinity'. The RBI cannot have an independent monetary policy (setting domestic interest rates) in an environment of an open capital account and flexible exchange rates. What is even more complicated for the central bank now is that financial market stability overlays all the other three objectives.

Decoded: Why higher circulation of currency is normal in abnormal times

Decoded: Why higher circulation of currency is normal in abnormal times

Rediff.com   6 May 2021

Theoretically, the currency with the public should expand in sync with the nominal income, which again moves in relation to the nominal growth rate of the economy. But the correlation breaks easily when other factors come into play, says Anup Roy.

IL&FS case reveals what India's resolution mechanism is lacking

IL&FS case reveals what India's resolution mechanism is lacking

Rediff.com   1 May 2021

The infra-major going belly up cracked open some major flaws in the system - the most evident being weak corporate governance and how layers of corporate structures could be formed adding to the opaqueness of the group.

$1-bn outflows: FPIs turn wary of India on worsening Covid virus crisis

$1-bn outflows: FPIs turn wary of India on worsening Covid virus crisis

Rediff.com   30 Apr 2021

Covid-19, US yields, dollar to weigh on equity flows in the near term.

How Banks will Pester Customers to Pay

How Banks will Pester Customers to Pay

Rediff.com   23 Apr 2021

Although such alerts are not compulsory for the banks, this may become the norm now if payments are missed even for a day.

'Father of banking reforms', M Narasimham, passes away

'Father of banking reforms', M Narasimham, passes away

Rediff.com   21 Apr 2021

New-generation private sector banks such as ICICI, HDFC, Axis, Kotak etcetera owe their existence to the recommendations of the first Narasimham Committee.

AU SFB has to pass asset quality test: Analysts

AU SFB has to pass asset quality test: Analysts

Rediff.com   13 Apr 2021

Despite a shaky Q3, conviction over the stock remained high, with 65 per cent of the analysts polled on Bloomberg retaining their 'buy' recommendation.

Don't panic over sudden movement of rupee, say dealers

Don't panic over sudden movement of rupee, say dealers

Rediff.com   12 Apr 2021

The sudden movement of the rupee - post the monetary policy - is not a reason to panic, said currency dealers. According to them, a correction was overdue for the rupee that remained the best performing currency in the region for well over a month. The rupee closed at 74.72 a dollar on Friday from its previous close of 74.60. It had dropped 1.52 per cent against the dollar on April 7 after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced its monetary policy, committing to buy Rs 1 trillion of bonds in the June quarter. A weak rupee goes well with the export narrative of the government, and is consistent with the RBI's intervention strategy that prevented an appreciation.

How govt can boost infra funding in India

How govt can boost infra funding in India

Rediff.com   4 Apr 2021

For development finance institution to succeed now, the government must stand like a rock behind it and be patient.

MobiKwik continues to deny any data breach, but will do forensic audit

MobiKwik continues to deny any data breach, but will do forensic audit

Rediff.com   31 Mar 2021

If the data breach is found to be genuine, and if the company is found guilty on the grounds of dereliction of duty, or misleading the general public and the RBI about the data breach, actions taken against it will be severe, the person quoted above said.

India to become 3rd largest economy by 2031: BofA Securities

India to become 3rd largest economy by 2031: BofA Securities

Rediff.com   24 Mar 2021

Bank of America (BofA) Securities expects India to be the third-largest economy in the world by 2031. The economic rise could become a reality by 2028, but the Covid pandemic delayed the pace, BofA Securities economists Indranil Sen Gupta and Aastha Gudwani wrote in a report.

Amid global rout, govt cancels last bond auction of FY21

Amid global rout, govt cancels last bond auction of FY21

Rediff.com   23 Mar 2021

In the state of the economy report, the RBI said bond vigilantes could undermine the recovery, unsettle financial markets, and trigger capital outflows from emerging markets.

Corporate bond yields may come under pressure over AT-1 bond rule

Corporate bond yields may come under pressure over AT-1 bond rule

Rediff.com   22 Mar 2021

This is a key reason for the finance ministry's objection to fixing the tenure at 100 years, as it is pushing PSBs to be self-dependent and raise funds from the market, reports Hamsini Karthik.

After nearly 13 years, brokerages are betting big on PSBs

After nearly 13 years, brokerages are betting big on PSBs

Rediff.com   16 Mar 2021

It is nearly after 13 years that a foreign brokerage has resumed holistic coverage on stocks of public sector banks (PSBs). To that extent, Morgan Stanley's report dated March 3, where the analysts have listed their order of preference for PSB stocks, is an indication that the state-owned banks may once again be attracting some interest, thanks to three back-to-back quarters of good results in FY21 so far. "State-owned banks' balance sheets have improved, and bad loans formation should moderate going forward," the analysts note and this is the key reason for them to relook at their stance on PSBs. While State Bank of India (SBI) remains their preferred pick, stocks of Bank of Baroda (BOB) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have been upgraded from 'underweight' to 'equal-weight'. The brokerage maintains its underweight recommendation on Bank of India and Canara Bank.

Citibank likely to hive off consumer banking business in India

Citibank likely to hive off consumer banking business in India

Rediff.com   8 Mar 2021

In India, it is not easy to fight it out with the large banks which are nimble-footed and technology-savvy and are continuously innovating on the retail turf with newer products for customer acquisition.

How IL&FS crisis has impacted non-banking finance companies

How IL&FS crisis has impacted non-banking finance companies

Rediff.com   5 Mar 2021

For non-banks, the IL&FS crisis was nothing short of India's Lehman moment, which has for a foreseeable future reset the sector on multiple grounds.

RBI's lack of support pushes up bond yields

RBI's lack of support pushes up bond yields

Rediff.com   23 Feb 2021

The bond market is not in a mood to reason with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on keeping yields low. The 10-year bond yields continued to rise for the fourth straight session to close at 6.202 per cent from its previous close of 6.135 per cent. The yield was at 6 per cent a week ago. The RBI wants the yields to remain at 6 per cent, but bond dealers say the central bank will have to step up its bond-buying programme.