They say liquidity remains a major cause of concern, and the coming quarters could witness a significant rise in non-performing assets. According to them, a robust risk management system, adequate capital infusion and regulatory reforms is crucial if India's economic growth is to remain intact in the medium and long term. Banks are facing immense liquidity pressure, as resources gradually disappear from the system. Banks have also been unwilling to lend each other.
Since November 3, the day the central bank's special window was opened, bids worth Rs 2,775 crore (Rs 27.75 billion) were placed at the auctions against the total outstanding amount of Rs 60,000 crore (Rs 600 billion) at the fixed rate of 7.5 per cent. "It's a commercial decision of banks to lend money to NBFCs. It implies that banks are still cautious about lending to NBFCs and they might take some more time to start lending normally to us," said an NBFC chief.
"The NBFC gives us greater flexibility in functioning. Retail and broking businesses can be affected by the ups and downs in the market, but private banking does not get affected as high networth individuals continue to get high salaries and earn profits. However, on the individual risk profile, the asset class keeps changing," said Nipun Mehta, head and executive director, SG Private Banking India.
While there is more than one irritant that the bank and the insurer are trying to sort out, sources close to the development said the biggest roadblock is the rights that IAG will enjoy if the proposed venture gets a go-ahead from the SBI board. The issues are likely to be discussed at the board's meeting on Friday.
The Institute of Actuaries of India has formed a technical group and is working out modalities in consultation with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority to set risk-based capital norms for the industry. Under the current Irda regulations, insurers are mandated to maintain a solvency margin of 150 per cent. Accordingly, insurance companies have to maintain 150 per cent of the amount underwritten by them in cash.
The fund will close in two tranches, with the first tranche of $ 100 million expected to close in two months. However, the company has not set any time-frame for raising the entire corpus of the fund. In addition, Dewan Housing Finance, the parent entity, is also looking to raise Rs 150 crore (Rs 1.5 billion) to bolster its operations. The fund-raising may also be in the form of equity dilution.
Banks levy a fee on transactions under core banking solutions.
Life Insurance Corporation of India has asked the Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority to allow it a shareholding of up to 20 per cent in a company.
With the top life insurance companies planning to list next year, the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority is setting up a committee for working out a mechanism to decide the valuation and the likely initial public offer price.
ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank, the two leading private sector banks in the country, said cash sales for cars and commercial vehicles have doubled to 30 per cent of the total sales compared to a year ago. In the case of two-wheeler buyers, more than 30 per cent are paying in cash
With higher interest rates, bankers today said their loan portfolios will grow at a slower pace, partly because of the caution being exercised by lenders themselves.
In a move that will bring cheer to health insurance policyholders, non-life insurers are finalising the contours of a new product that will have a common minimum standard cover and will be renewable and portable across companies.
High interest rates and lack of funds has hit non-banking finance companies. Though banks had extended loans to NBFCs at fixed rates, there is a reset clause which is now being exercised. Besides, the increase in interest rates is impacting companies that were borrowing directly from the market. What is also making life tough is the demand for longer-tenure loans by borrowers as they want to keep the equated monthly instalments under control despite a rise in interest rates.
The next time you buy a householder's insurance policy, you could be paying premiums that are 35 to 50 per cent lower. This is the result of the de-tariffing or lifting of price controls on insurance policies from January this year.
According to sources privy to the information, default rates have touched 5-6 per cent in the past six months as against the usual 1-2 per cent. Banks and other lending organisations agree that there has been a rise in delinquency rates, but the increase has only become significant during the past one month following the fuel hike. Fuel costs account for about 60 per cent of the total operating expenses of truckers.
LIC, ICICI Prudential invest Rs 13,000 crore (Rs 130 billion) and Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 20 billion) respectively in the first quarter of FY09.
General Insurance Corporation, the country's only reinsurer, will be launching Retakaful -- reinsurance based on Shariah principles -- in this financial year. Retakaful will provide reinsurance support and will be based on the Islamic principles called Shariah. Reinsurance refers to insuring insurance companies. Similarly, a Retakaful company provides reinsurance support to Takaful insurance companies (insurance companies following the Islamic concept of insurance).
An increasing number of companies are outsourcing superannuation, gratuity and leave encashment programmes of their employees to insurance companies.The trend that emerged two years ago has got a shot in the arm with SAIL, Nicholas Piramal, Vishakhapatnam Port asking insurers to manage their employees' retirement programmes.
Life insurers have decided to pass on service tax to customers. The chief financial officers of life insurance companies met last Wednesday and have decided to pass on the service tax burden to customers, confirmed officials of various life insurance companies.
The amount is almost double the Rs 220 crore (Rs 2.2 billion) that a consortium of Bank of Baroda and Andhra Bank earned for its life insurance tie-up with the UK-based wealth and investment company, Legal & General Group (see table). The entry premium is a result of regulations that require foreign insurers to tie up with Indian partners. SBI will hold 74 per cent in the non-life insurance company and IAG the remaining 26 per cent.
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