The 13th-month persistency rate of life insurers - an important metric indicating the retention of new policies - declined in the first quarter of 2025-26 (Q1FY26). This fall was primarily driven by a lower share of high-value policies, following taxation changes implemented in April 2023.
'The kind of reach it has with so many bank branches even in the remotest part of the country, it is one channel which will play a very important role in vision of insurance for all.'
Mutual fund assets surged 23 per cent or over Rs 12 lakh crore year-on-year to reach a record of Rs 65.74 lakh crore in FY25, propelled by robust net inflows and mark-to-market gains amid buoyant equity and debt markets.
'The US reciprocal tariff has added another element of uncertainty and the central bank may prefer to wait and get further clarity.'
States will remain "net gainers" of the proposed GST rate rationalisation exercise with their GST revenues, including devolution, estimated to be over Rs 14.10 lakh crore this fiscal, according to an SBI Research report released on Tuesday. It said that, as was evidenced in the earlier exercise of GST rate rationalisation in 2018 and 2019, an immediate reduction in rates can cause a short-term dip of around 3-4 per cent in month-on-month collections (roughly Rs 5,000 crore, or an annualised Rs 60,000 crore), revenues typically rebound with sustained growth of 5-6 per cent per month.
The All India Chess Federation did not utilise Rs 3.12 crore out of the central government's allocation of Rs 5.2 crore during FY25.
IndusInd Bank on Sunday said accounting lapses in the derivative portfolio will cost the bank Rs 1,960 crore in FY25. A bank-appointed external auditor has determined cumulative adverse accounting impact on P&L at Rs 1,959.98 crore as on March 31, which is similar to the amount disclosed on April 15, IndusInd Bank said in a regulatory filing.
If cashless services are suspended, AHPI said, its member hospitals will continue to treat Star Health policyholders, but patients will have to pay upfront and later seek reimbursements directly from the insurer.
The life and non-life insurance industries are hopeful of a reduction in the goods and services tax (GST) on health and life insurance premiums, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech on Friday, announced GST relaxations aimed at providing relief to ordinary citizens, farmers, the middle class, and the small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector.
'We are increasing our footprint, but other markets also compete - like Indonesia or Vietnam.'
The 50 per cent US tariff on Indian goods pose a downside risk to growth but the impact is expected to be short-lived for the economy, and consumption demand could see an uptick after the new goods and service tax (GST) rates are implemented which could even offset the external uncertainty, Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran reckoned on Friday.
Both NDA and INDIA are racing to woo marginalised groups with Assembly polls fast approaching.
New business premiums of life insurance companies dropped 5.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in August to Rs 30,959 crore, owing to a double-digit decline reported by state-owned Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), data from the Life Insurance Council showed. LIC recorded a 17 per cent YoY fall in new business premiums to Rs 16,023 crore during the month, while private life insurers reported a 12 per cent YoY increase to Rs 14,936 crore.
With inflation comfortably below the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) 4 per cent median target and likely to undershoot its 3.7 per cent projection for 2025-26 (FY26), there is room for the monetary policy easing cycle to be sustained, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. The comments, featured in the ministry's Monthly Economic Review for June 2025, assume significance ahead of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) scheduled to begin from August 5.
Labour markets showed positive momentum in August as the unemployment rate fell for the second consecutive month to a four-month low of 5.1 per cent from 5.2 per cent in July. It was on account of the start of the sowing season.
Among Sensex firms, Mahindra & Mahindra, Asian Paints, Infosys, Titan, Sun Pharma, Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra and Power Grid were the major laggards. However, Bajaj Finance, Eternal, UltraTech Cement and Reliance Industries were among the gainers.
These changes certainly bring India's GST a lot closer to what an ideal GST would look like, points out Karan Bhasin.
As the potential threat of a steep 200 per cent tariff on pharmaceutical imports hangs in the air, analysts and industry insiders feel that focus on exports to non-US regions as well as domestic market will increase as a long-term trend. US President Donald Trump told CNBC's Squawk Box in the first week of August that planned tariffs on import of pharmaceutical products to the US could eventually reach up to 250 per cent.
Ola Electric could gain market share in the near term with relatively less disruption expected due to rare earth magnets shortage, according to a report by Goldman Sachs. The company has successfully developed heavy rare earths (HRE) free motors which are scheduled for production deployment in Q3 FY26.
The 18 per cent tax slab is expected to remain the major contributor to GST revenues if the Centre's proposal for a two-tier GST structure and a special 40 per cent rate is implemented, according to a source. At present, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) follows a four-tier structure with rates of 5 per cent, 12, 18, and 28 per cent.
'Employers increasingly want candidates who can take AI pilots from proof-of-concept to production-ready systems.' 'That requires governance, monitoring, and ROI measurement -- skills that go beyond coding and into business impact.'
The time taken by the income-tax department to process refunds has dropped sharply from 93 days in 2013.
Recent developments - proposed changes to the goods and services tax (GST) rates and S&P Global Ratings' upgrade of India's long-term sovereign credit rating to BBB, with a stable outlook, - may not be enough to bring foreign investors back to Indian markets in a rush, feel analysts.
Global funds have pulled out Rs 1.54 trillion from domestic stocks in fiscal 2024 - 25 (FY25), the highest-ever outflow recorded so far, according to the data compiled by Business Standard. The last time the global funds exited Indian shores in droves was back in 2022, when they sold a net Rs 1.41 in the backdrop of Covid-19.
'The state governments of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu will be encouraged to consider measures of their own as the employment and economy in such export-oriented states will be affected.'
The country's largest listed gold jewellery maker, Titan Company, maintained its growth pace in the April-June quarter of 2025-26 (FY26).
Novelis' Q3FY25 volume stood at 904,000 tonnes (down 1 per cent Y-o-Y, down 4 per cent Q-o-Q), due to lower VAP and automotive shipments. Revenue stood at $4.1 billion (+4 per cent Y-o-Y, down 5 per cent Q-o-Q).
The country's biggest lender SBI on Friday posted 12 per cent increase in standalone net profit at Rs 19,160 crore for the first quarter of the current financial year. The bank had earned a net profit of Rs 17,035 crore in the same quarter of previous fiscal year.
IndiGo, which operates the largest fleet among Indian carriers, has reported the highest number of serious engine-related incidents.
India's economy is expected to grow 6.4-6.7 per cent during the current financial year driven by strong domestic demand, even as geopolitical uncertainty poses downside risks, the newly appointed CII president Rajiv Memani said on Thursday.
Infosys on Wednesday reported an 8.7 per cent increase in consolidated net profit in the June quarter to Rs 6,921 crore, as India's second-largest IT services firm forecast a 1-3 per cent revenue growth for the full FY26. The Bengaluru-headquartered firm had logged a net profit (attributable to owners of the company) of Rs 6,368 crore in the year-ago period, according to a regulatory filing.
'We will be able to anticipate the full picture of the impact after August, which is also the time when demand for a year begins to peak ahead of the December holidays and Valentine's Day.'
India's economy could reach $20.7 trillion in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) by 2030 and may emerge as the second-largest economy by 2038 with $34.2 trillion GDP, an EY report said on Wednesday. The report also said that with appropriate countermeasures, India can limit the adverse impact of higher US tariffs on selected Indian imports to about 10 basis points of real GDP growth.
Foreign portfolio investors sold stocks worth Rs 1.42 trillion in 2025, with their sales hitting Rs 12,257 crore in the first four trading days of September.
US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation restricting entry of certain non-immigrant workers and imposing a USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visas, citing abuse of the program and national security concerns.
Among India's 150,746 railway bridges, 25.8 per cent are over a century old.
The declared incomes of registered unrecognised political parties witnessed a 223 per cent spike in 2022-23 and more than 73 per cent of these parties failed to publicly disclose their financial records, according to poll rights body the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The Centre's fiscal deficit stood at 17.9 per cent of the full-year target at the end of June, according to data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) on Thursday. It was at 8.4 per cent of Budget Estimates (BE) of 2024-25 in the first three months of the previous financial year.
'You are a guest in the US. It's not your home, you're a guest. If they don't feel comfortable, you have to step out.'
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has barred Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd's (DHFL) former promoters Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan for five years from the securities market for alleged diversion of funds. They have also been barred from holding any key position in a listed company.
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