Vinay Umarji &Amp;Amp; Abhijit Lele

Stories by Vinay Umarji &Amp;Amp; Abhijit Lele

Many cases may have to be reopened after SC ruling on borrowers' voice

Many cases may have to be reopened after SC ruling on borrowers' voice

Rediff.com   4 Apr 2023

The Supreme Court's decision to allow borrowers a chance to be heard before their accounts are flagged as fraudulent by lenders is expected to result in several cases being reopened where the borrower is aggrieved because of such classification, bankers said. Still, the reopening of cases would not be automatic. A borrower who is aggrieved by the 'fraud' classification will have to approach the bank and consequently, the bank will take the necessary steps so that the apex court's order is followed in letter and spirit, they said.

RIL shareholders to meet on May 2 on demerger of financial services biz

RIL shareholders to meet on May 2 on demerger of financial services biz

Rediff.com   31 Mar 2023

Lenders and shareholders of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) will meet on May 2 to demerge the firm's financial services business. This is expected to create a big player in segments including the NBFC (non-banking financial company) space with net worth of Rs 25,851 crore as of March 2022. According to the plan, RIL shareholders will get a share in the demerged entity for each one held in the company.

HDFC's exit to ease fund-raising conditions for high-rated finance firms

HDFC's exit to ease fund-raising conditions for high-rated finance firms

Rediff.com   27 Mar 2023

Highly-rated finance firms and housing finance companies are expected to benefit from the absence of Housing Development Finance Corp (HDFC) from the bond market once it merges with the HDFC Bank in early FY24. Post merger, the bond market is expected to become less crowded, which will ease fund raising conditions for other players in the field. It may perhaps also compress the spread for debt instruments floated by housing finance companies (HFCs) over 10-year government bonds, subject to demand and supply conditions.

Students From Ukraine Look Elsewhere

Students From Ukraine Look Elsewhere

Rediff.com   28 Feb 2023

Of the 18,000 medical students who returned to India last year, 5,000-7,000 have either shifted to universities in Georgia, Russia, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Moldova or are in the process of seeking a transfer to those.

PSBs wrote off Rs 29,000 cr in Dec quarter

PSBs wrote off Rs 29,000 cr in Dec quarter

Rediff.com   15 Feb 2023

Public-sector banks (PSBs) in Q3FY23 wrote off bad loans worth Rs 29,000 crore, up from Rs 23,000 crore in the same quarter a year ago, as part of a clean-up exercise. According to estimates by rating agency CARE Ratings, the write-offs by PSBs in April-December 2022, at Rs 81,000 crore, were lower than the Rs 90,000 crore in April-December 2021. Sanjay Agarwal, senior director, CARE Ratings, said a lot of it was driven by regulations, and assets that had 100 per cent provision coverage were written off.

Banks get time till Dec end to renew safe deposit locker agreements

Banks get time till Dec end to renew safe deposit locker agreements

Rediff.com   24 Jan 2023

The Reserve Bank of India on Monday gave banks time till end of December 2023 to complete renewal of agreements for the existing safe deposit lockers of customers. Banks were earlier required to complete the process by January 01, 2023. The central bank has asked them to complete work in phases with intermediate milestones of 50 per cent by June 30, and 75 per cent by September 30.

SBI To Raise Another 10,000 cr Through Infrastructure Bonds

SBI To Raise Another 10,000 cr Through Infrastructure Bonds

Rediff.com   4 Jan 2023

UCO Bank mulls AT1 offering to raise Rs 1,000 cr.

Change Of Guard At Banks, LIC In 2023

Change Of Guard At Banks, LIC In 2023

Rediff.com   31 Dec 2022

The first quarter of calendar 2023 will see new faces heading four large public-sector banks -- Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, Indian Overseas Bank, and Bank of India.

How FYUP Will Benefit Undergrads

How FYUP Will Benefit Undergrads

Rediff.com   26 Dec 2022

'If the FYUP is making the child employable, then we will have to ensure that learning on the job is integrated.' 'And also ensure that by the time they end FYUP they are completely employable.'

Privatisation of PSBs gets bankers' thumbs up

Privatisation of PSBs gets bankers' thumbs up

Rediff.com   22 Dec 2022

Exuding confidence in sustaining the tempo of credit growth, public sector bankers said on Wednesday that consolidation in the public sector bank (PSB) space has given them a robust base to scale. The privatisation of PSBs can be done through divestment of government stake to a wider base of investors without haste. There is nothing to worry about at this point (high credit offtake) as underwriting standards and risk management are much better.

In a U-turn, outstanding NRI deposits rise in October

In a U-turn, outstanding NRI deposits rise in October

Rediff.com   21 Dec 2022

Breaking the streak of continuous fall in outstanding amounts, non-resident Indian (NRI) deposits rose for the first time in the financial year to $134.54 billion in October 2022. The figure was $133.67 billion in September. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data showed that NRI deposits were in shrinking mode for the first six months of FY23. They fell to $133.67 billion in September from $139 billion in March.

RBI issues framework for Indian banks' foreign biz

RBI issues framework for Indian banks' foreign biz

Rediff.com   2 Dec 2022

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has put in place a framework to allow overseas subsidiaries and branches of Indian banks and financial institutions to undertake activities not specifically permitted in the Indian domestic market. The framework also specifies the applicability of these instructions to International Financial Services Centres in India, including Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). While these activities may not need prior approval, they are subject to compliance with all applicable laws/regulations and conditions stipulated by the RBI and those prescribed by the host regulator.

Amul's utterly butterly supply melts; eateries switch to alternatives

Amul's utterly butterly supply melts; eateries switch to alternatives

Rediff.com   30 Nov 2022

It is the season of cooking and baking, but with Amul Butter in short supply, consumers aren't like the cat that got the cream. A shortage only means market shelves without butter on them. "There is a supply-side deficit. "We are now able to procure only two packs of butter a day, as opposed to three packs (each containing 30 packets of butter) in a day," says a salesman at Modern Bazaar, a departmental store in New Delhi's Greater Kailash.

Excess credit growth to affect banks: Fitch

Excess credit growth to affect banks: Fitch

Rediff.com   29 Nov 2022

Global rating agency Fitch said on Monday that bank credit growth in excess of 13 per cent year on year in FY23 could put pressure on core equity tier ratios (CET1) of banks, especially public sector lenders. It may limit the buffers of Indian banks to absorb potential future losses. Bank credit expanded by 11.5 per cent in FY22. Full-year loan growth for FY23 will represent a modest slowdown from the 17 per cent YoY pace in H1FY23.

SBI in talks with EIB for euro 200 mn green funding

SBI in talks with EIB for euro 200 mn green funding

Rediff.com   14 Nov 2022

After securing a euro 150 million Credit line for solar energy finance from a German financial institution, State Bank of India is in talks with european Investment Bank for about euro 200 million to fund climate finance. Recently the country's largest lender obtained euro 150 million in green funding from German government-owned KFW on soft terms and a long repayment period. SBI will use funds to finance solar energy projects.

B-Schools: Consulting Tops Interns Hires

B-Schools: Consulting Tops Interns Hires

Rediff.com   9 Nov 2022

...followed by financial services, IT, and sales and marketing.

GEMs No Longer Shine At MBA Campuses

GEMs No Longer Shine At MBA Campuses

Rediff.com   10 Oct 2022

Many top B-schools attach more value now to academic record, bachelor's degree marks, work experience, performance in the personal interview, as well as gender and academic diversity -- resulting in a decline of the weighting to the CAT score.

Double-digit salary hikes return

Double-digit salary hikes return

Rediff.com   27 Sep 2022

Double-digits salary hikes are making a post-pandemic comeback on the back of a buoyant business outlook in 2023, according to global professional services firm Aon. Aon's latest "Salary Increase Survey in India" has not only projected a 10.4 per cent average hike across sectors for 2023, but also identified actual hikes in 2022 at 10.6 per cent as against its previous projection of 9.9 per cent in February. The figure of 10.6 per cent is the highest since 2012, whereas the 10.4 per cent levels projected for 2023 were last seen in 2015.

Covid-19: Remittances from West Asia hit in FY21

Covid-19: Remittances from West Asia hit in FY21

Rediff.com   25 Jul 2022

The money sent home by Indians from West Asian countries took a beating in 2020-21 due to the pandemic. On the other hand, overseas Indians in advanced nations - the United States, United Kingdom and Singapore - emerged as important sources of remittance, according to a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) survey. Indians working in informal sectors in West Asia seem to have been impacted the most due to the lockdowns and subdued crude oil prices as well as slower pace of migration in recent years.

How Amul bucked Covid blues to launch 100 products during lockdown

How Amul bucked Covid blues to launch 100 products during lockdown

Rediff.com   23 Jul 2022

The dairy major is transforming into a full-fledged F&B and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) player, reports Vinay Umarji.