'Opportunity is there in each segment of the market. There is opportunity in affordable and specifically governed by government initiatives as well as for housing for all.'
With concern on food inflation ebbing with the monsoon progressing well, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is warming up to the idea of a change in stance to "neutral" from "withdrawal of accommodation", according to economists. In his speech on Thursday during the annual event of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry-Indian Banks' Association, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said: "The balance between inflation and growth is well-poised."
West Bengal is home to 43,000 Durga Pujas, and the business around it is a major economic driver.
It is to be seen if SBI under Setty, who will have a three-year term, can ride the economic cycle to take SBI to new heights, navigating some of these challenges.
'A possible post-election growth momentum may be lost.'
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) distributors' association has written to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, expressing its apprehensions that the "unchecked expansion" of quick commerce platforms was leading to severe disruptions in the retail ecosystem. India Consumer Products Distributors Federation on Thursday shot an email to the government, saying that significant challenges were posed by the rapid growth of quick commerce platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart to the traditional retail sector and the FMCG distribution network in the country.
Deputy Governor Michael Patra warned about the spillover effects of food inflation.
Following a review of peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms, certain issues -- including high non-performing asset levels, significantly high balances in escrow accounts, and non-compliance with net owned fund and disclosure requirements -- came to the RBI's attention.
Retailers are set to end a prolonged period of sluggish sales as the end-of-season sales (EOSS) coincide with the upcoming long weekend. Apparel and lifestyle retailers have faced challenges since the festival season last year. However, with EOSS, which began in June, sales have started to recover, showing noticeable improvement in July and August.
'The Casa ratio is at 33.4 per cent, which has to keep improving. Right now, there is a bit of liquidity pressure in the market.'
'A mule operates someone else's account to transfer illegal money.'
In view of the rising number of mobile and internet banking users, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed to tighten norms related to the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) by increasing the run-off factor for retail deposits. "Banking has undergone rapid transformation in recent years. "While increased usage of technology has facilitated the ability to make instantaneous bank transfers and withdrawals, it has also led to a concomitant increase in risks, requiring proactive management," the RBI said in the draft guidelines released on Thursday.
'Customers are coming in; if they aren't buying, they are at least visiting the stores, which was not the case before the Budget.'
The Budget proposals are expected to boost the fortunes of consumer goods and fast-moving consumer goods companies, which have been struggling with poor consumer demand for more than a year. The Budget announcements, such as the increase in standard deduction by Rs 25,000 for income-tax payers and slab revisions, will put more money in their hands, boosting consumer demand. Private consumption is also likely to benefit from a new scheme to offer internships to 10 million youths in the country's top 500 companies.
Vivek Biyani, the nephew of retail veteran Kishore Biyani, will launch a retail chain focused on direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands under the name Broadway, along with actor Rana Daggubati, Apurva Salarpuria of Salarpuria Group and Anuj Kejriwal of Anarock Retail. This new retail format is a multi-brand outlet, which will house D2C brands under one roof. The first store is set to open in Delhi in August this year, and subsequent store launches in Hyderabad and Mumbai are slated in September 2024 and March next year, the company said in its release.
Subhash Dandekar, chairman emeritus of Kokuyo Camlin and the man known for bringing colours to artists as well as students in the country, passed away on Monday at 85.
Hindustan Unilever (HUL) will closely assess the global initiatives of its parent under the productivity programme and evaluate what works best for its business and people, said the company. The statement from HUL comes after its parent Unilever recently told its employees that it will cut a third of office-based jobs in Europe by the end of 2025. "We will closely assess the global initiatives of Unilever under the productivity programme and evaluate what works best for our business and our people," HUL told Business Standard.
'We found certain banks having lakhs of such accounts with apparently no valid reason.'
Commercial banks have turned cautious in lending to smaller microfinance institutions (MFIs), which has compelled the latter to borrow from non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) at much higher rates. Recently Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor M Rajeshwar Rao slammed micro lenders for increasing their margins "disproportionately" and said these lenders were quick to pass on the increased cost to the borrowers but reluctant to pass on the benefits under the new regime, where margins are not capped.
For over a decade, HDFC Bank consistently outperformed industry growth rates in both deposits and advances, maintaining impeccable asset quality. Amid a landscape where other banks struggled with soaring non-performing assets (NPAs), HDFC Bank thrived, eventually surpassing ICICI Bank to become the largest private sector lender in India. Its net interest margin (NIM) remained stable in the range of 4.1-4.4 per cent.