The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) had sent a letter to about half a dozen banks last month, seeking details on how they had determined the interest rate increases on their housing loans.
Banks had raised the interest rates on loans by as much as 350 basis points although the cost of deposits had increased by a maximum of 200 basis points. With the deposit rates having softened from the April 2007 levels, banks have decided to pass on the benefits but only to the new borrowers.
Policy rates are not likely to increase in 2008 but a cut in repo rate too is uncertain.
At the start of April, State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI Bank, the country's two largest banks, reviewed the situation. They felt the resource-raising madness was over and that interest rates on bulk deposits would drop automatically with credit growth expected to temper between June and September.
The group has earmarked over Rs 4,000 crore (Rs 40 billion) to acquire coal mines in foreign countries.
Vodafone-Essar, the leading GSM operator is raising around $500 million (Rs 2,000 crore) through overseas borrowing. This is the first fund raising by the telecom major after British telecom major Vodafone acquired a majority stake.
Videocon Industries, the oil-to-consumer durables company, has joined the race for the acquisition of the London-based Burren Energy, which recently rejected several approaches including one worth $3.5 billion (Rs 14,000 crore) from the Italian major ENI.
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, 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.
After nearly three quarters of generosity , banks are now facing pressure to reduce deposit rates.
Dubai Holding, an investment firm of the Dubai government, has threatened to come out with an open offer for Orient-Express Hotels if the Tata group acquires a significant stake in the hotel chain. This comes exactly a month after the Tata group's Indian Hotels Company bought 10 per cent and expressed interest in striking a deal which was turned down by Orient-Express.
The top slots at three Tata companies -- Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Consultancy Services -- will be up for grabs in two years with incumbents Ravi Kant, B Muthuraman and S Ramadorai due to retire in 2009.
Interested parties are concerned about the possibility of 24 domestic banks and six financial institutions converting to equity Rs 1,480 crore worth of zero-coupon debentures to which they subscribed in 2002-03.
We are focusing on how to make banking affordable for the customer. The bank is bullish on retail business, says Suresh Gurumani.
Even as the Bajaj imbroglio comes up for hearing before the Company Law Board (CLB) on October 23, there is every indication that this might turn out to be the longest-running family feud of all times.
The interest rates on deposits continue to be high despite ample liquidity due to monetary policy uncertainty and expectations that liquidity would tighten later this year. Banks are still offering peak interest rates of 9 to 9.5 per cent on deposits
The loan portfolio of banks has grown by Rs 54,908 crore (Rs 549.08 billion) till September 14, representing only 3.6 per cent growth. During the same period last year, banks had lent Rs 147,657 crore (Rs 1,476.57 billion), a rise of 10.5 per cent.
Despite all its problems, V Thulasidas, head of the merged Air India-Indian Airlines, feels the elite cadre provides the most challenging environment.
Essel Propack, Amcore other contenders for $1bn deal.
The Indian steel industry is poised to witness an investment of more than Rs 5 lakh crore (Rs billion), which is over six times the total money ploughed into the sector since independence.
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