Basel-II mandates banks to set aside more capital for advances to unrated companies. From Apr 09, the problem will grow bigger since all loans above Rs 20 cr will require similar treatment unless companies get themselves rated. Basel-II is the 2nd of the global banking accords that provide banks with guidelines to measure various types of risk they take. Indian banks have to be Basel-II-compliant from this fiscal. Banks will have to assign 20% risk weight to AAA-rated firms.
Lenders ask RBI to ensure cheaper credit for infrastructure sector. Banks say while hardening of rates may be required to combat inflation, even a 50 basis point rise could render many projects unviable. In a meeting with RBI, bankers factored in the impact of higher interest rates on most sectors as a part of the inflation management drive but indicated that the government & the central bank should take steps to ensure cheaper credit for building roads, power plants & ports.
While banks are busy firming up business plans for 2008-09, some of them have already conveyed to the Reserve Bank of India about prospects of a moderation in the credit growth. In March, many banks held talks with RBI on resource conditions and growth prospects. In fact, Bank of India has already scaled down the estimate for the current financial year to 17-18 per cent compared with the 24 per cent rise it had targeted in the just-concluded financial year.
The move, if implemented, could change the way banks transact business. For starters, the loyal public sector bank customers could be the biggest gainers, with the Pay Commission recommending that government offices should stay closed only on the three national holidays -- Republic Day (January 26), Independence Day (August 15) and Gandhi Jayanti (October 2). All cheque clearances are expected to be faster and make money available in your accounts earlier than at present.
Rejects proposals by Bank of India, IndusInd, Kotak Mahindra and HDFC.
DSP Merill Lynch managing director Monish Mahurkar gives his take on the present Indian debt market and its future course in a wide-ranging interview with Business Standard.
RBI has come down heavily on banks and dealers that are holding government securities portfolio.
State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Bank of Baroda and Bank of India are set to book mark-to-market losses on the exposures of their foreign offices to credit derivatives, with the spreads on these widening since international lenders turned risk-averse following the crisis in the US subprime (or high-risk home loan) market. Credit derivatives are instruments for which the underlying asset is a loan or a bond.
SBI tops the list of league table banks for fees earned on loan syndication in the Asia Pacific region.
During the probation period of six months, CAs will get a lump sum payment of Rs 50,000 a month.
The sub-prime mess has presented the foreign units of domestic banks with lucrative investment opportunities. Global banks, struck by a severe liquidity crunch and risk aversion, are selling a lot of their investments in debt of Indian companies at a discount.
The money mule scam has reached Indian shores. Banks have noticed instances of fraudsters based overseas, posing as global payment companies, luring gullible people into joining them as "money transfer agents" and using their bank accounts to route ill-gotten money.
The adverse impact of the rupee appreciation has gone beyond exports. The currency's climb is now affecting government infrastructure projects funded by multilateral lending agency such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Faced with abundant liquidity and flat credit off-take, banks are reversing interest rate hikes charged to large companies.In the first three months of this fiscal, most blue chips could access loans at a maximum of one to two percentage points below the PLR. Today, short-term loans (that is, for less than one year) for such companies are available between 7.5 and 9 per cent.
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.
Central bank fears corporate credit is finding its way to the bourses.
For a larger pie in business opportunities thrown up by the rising cross-border acquisitions by Indian companies, the country's largest bank, State Bank of India, is looking to acquire a small investment banking firm in Europe.
For tapping high growth units in special economic zones, a host of Indian banks had established offshore banking units in 2003-04 in these duty free enclaves
A severe staff crunch at the branches for managing the front desk operations has compelled the State Bank of India to resume recruitments in the clerical cadre after almost a gap of 20 years.
Banks to also charge 50-100 bps more for a second home.