News for 'Inclusive Finance India Report'

Tamil Nadu pulling out all stops for investor meet

Tamil Nadu pulling out all stops for investor meet

Rediff.com4 Jan 2024

Tamil Nadu is leaving no stone unturned in marketing its upcoming global investors meeting on January 7 and 8. While business veterans are promoting the positives of the state's industrial climate through the 'Titans of Tamil Nadu" campaign, the state is narrating the human stories behind its robust industrial growth via the 'One Trillion Dreams' campaign. Among the industry bigwigs, who are showcasing Tamil Nadu to the world through this mega marketing initiative include Venu Srinivasan of TVS Motor Company, K M Mammen of MRF Ltd, Pratap Reddy of Apollo Hospitals, P R Venketrama Raja of Ramco Group, Mallika Srinivasan of TAFE; and Vellayan Subbiah of Murugappa Group.

BRICS pitches for using local currencies in international trade

BRICS pitches for using local currencies in international trade

Rediff.com2 Jun 2023

The BRICS nations on Friday underlined the need for using local currencies in international trade and financial transactions besides committing themselves to supporting rule-based open and transparent global trade. A joint statement issued at the end of the meeting of the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, also pressed for a robust Global Financial Safety Net with a quota-based and adequately resourced International Monetary Fund (IMF) at its centre. It further said the process of IMF governance reform under the 16th General Review of Quotas, including a new quota formula as a guide, should be completed by December 15, 2023.

India sends medical supplies to Afghanistan

India sends medical supplies to Afghanistan

Rediff.com11 Dec 2021

The medical supplies were sent on a return flight that had brought 10 Indians and 94 Afghans to Delhi from Kabul on Friday.

Covid still a threat, new variant under scanner: WHO chief

Covid still a threat, new variant under scanner: WHO chief

Rediff.com18 Aug 2023

Director-General of World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus on Friday said though COVID-19 is no longer a health emergency for the world, it is still a 'global health threat' and a new variant of coronavirus is already under the scanner.

Social Stock Exchange: Tax benefits among industry's top demands

Social Stock Exchange: Tax benefits among industry's top demands

Rediff.com23 Aug 2023

In an effort to attract investors to the Social Stock Exchange (SSE), the bourses have reached out to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and the government with the industry's demand for additional benefits on contributions made towards social enterprises through the platform. SSE is a regulated platform to facilitate organisations working towards social causes to raise funds and have access to higher capital through the bourses. The platform is aimed at becoming a meeting ground for donors and social enterprises.

Xi, Sharif listening, Modi says must condemn countries backing terror

Xi, Sharif listening, Modi says must condemn countries backing terror

Rediff.com5 Jul 2023

In his opening remarks at the virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Modi also said that some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policy and the grouping must not hesitate to criticise them.

India Inc sees Budget to define 'Amrit Kaal', expect extension of PLI scheme

India Inc sees Budget to define 'Amrit Kaal', expect extension of PLI scheme

Rediff.com13 Jan 2023

A vast majority of the business leaders believe that the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes have been beneficial and expect an extension to other sectors in the coming years, a Deloitte Survey said on Friday. An overwhelming number of survey respondents hope the budget will fuel growth across industries by building strong domestic demand and focussing on capital expenditure and believe that it would define the 'Amrit Kaal'. "Critical to this growth will be the pace of capital expenditure, infrastructure development, and the need to boost infrastructure financing through private partnership. 60 per cent of respondents suggested raising funds through Indian Government Bonds," the survey said.

India led G20 very well to date, but...: US

India led G20 very well to date, but...: US

Rediff.com3 Mar 2023

India as the G20 host has a 'unique role' to play in bringing about an end to the war in Ukraine due to its 'longstanding historical' ties to Russia, the United States has said, expressing hope to work closely with New Delhi to find a way to stop the conflict.

Remittances from overseas Indians up by 12% to $100 billion in 2022: Sitharaman

Remittances from overseas Indians up by 12% to $100 billion in 2022: Sitharaman

Rediff.com10 Jan 2023

Underlining the contribution of non-resident Indians, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said remittances sent to the country by overseas Indians were about $100 billion for the year 2022, an increase of 12 per cent in one year. Speaking at a session during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city, she described NRIs as the "real ambassadors of India" and appealed to them to use made in India products and services as far as possible so that the country's individual brand can be promoted across the globe. Sitharaman also said that after the "China plus one" policy, the world is now talking about the "European Union (EU) plus one" policy.

Infrastructure development capex hiked by 33% to Rs 10 lakh crore for 2023-24

Infrastructure development capex hiked by 33% to Rs 10 lakh crore for 2023-24

Rediff.com1 Feb 2023

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced hiking the capital expenditure by 33 per cent to Rs 10 lakh crore for infrastructure development for 2023-24 and will be at 3.3 per cent of the GDP. Presenting the Budget for 2023-24, she said the newly established infrastructure finance secretariat will assist in attracting more private investment. "Capital investment outlay is being increased steeply for the third year in a row by 33 per cent to Rs 10 lakh crore, which would be 3.3 per cent of GDP.

MCC recommends limiting bilateral ODIs

MCC recommends limiting bilateral ODIs

Rediff.com12 Jul 2023

'In many ways, cricket is growing and, on the surface, seems financially strong. However, we are increasingly seeing a game which focuses on a powerful few, as opposed to a democratic and inclusive approach for the benefit of the whole sport.'

Ukraine war an important point of discussion at G20 FMs' meet: India

Ukraine war an important point of discussion at G20 FMs' meet: India

Rediff.com1 Mar 2023

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Wednesday refused to speculate on whether the G20 foreign ministers' meeting would be able to come out with a joint communique against the backdrop of widening differences between the West and Russia on the Ukraine conflict.

India may boycott 2nd BRF; China says New Delhi misunderstood BRI

India may boycott 2nd BRF; China says New Delhi misunderstood BRI

Rediff.com15 Apr 2019

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing in Beijing that the BRI is an economic cooperation project and it does not involve territorial disputes.

Don't want any conflict with any country, including India: Taliban

Don't want any conflict with any country, including India: Taliban

Rediff.com14 Nov 2021

'Women have 100 per cent inclusion in the health sector. They are also teaching in the education sector. They are working in each and every one of those sectors where they are required'

Reliance net profit drops 11 pc in Q1 on weak O2C business

Reliance net profit drops 11 pc in Q1 on weak O2C business

Rediff.com21 Jul 2023

Reliance Industries Ltd on Friday reported an 11 per cent drop in its June quarter net profit largely due to weak oil-to-chemical (O2C) vertical and higher interest and depreciation cost. Net profit was Rs 16,011 crore, or Rs 23.66 per share, in April-June - the first quarter of current 2023-24 fiscal year - compared with Rs 17,955 crore, or Rs 26.54 a share, earning a year back, according to a company's stock exchange filing.

6 years of GST: Rs 1.5 trillion monthly tax revenues becomes 'new normal'

6 years of GST: Rs 1.5 trillion monthly tax revenues becomes 'new normal'

Rediff.com29 Jun 2023

Six years after the rollout of the biggest indirect tax reform in India, Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue of Rs 1.5 lakh crore every month has become a new normal and tax officers are focusing on dealing with fraudsters who are adopting newer modus operandi to game the system, causing loss to the exchequer. To apprehend black sheep, who operate as syndicates and create fake entities on the basis of forged documents to claim input tax credit (ITC), tax officers have started using data analytics, artifical intelligence and machine learning aiming to curb evasion, which was over Rs 3 lakh crore since inception of GST. It was over Rs 1 lakh crore in 2022-23. Thinktank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said the most critical pending GST reform is upgradation of GST Network to prevent fake supplies and fraudulent claims of Input Tax Credit (ITC).

Social media platforms being used to raise terror funds: NIA chief

Social media platforms being used to raise terror funds: NIA chief

Rediff.com17 Nov 2022

India has evidence that social media platforms are being used to raise terror funds, NIA director general Dinkar Gupta said on Thursday, underlining that the issue will be deliberated during a two-day international ministerial conference on countering terror financing.

UK agrees to support India's defence manufacturing

UK agrees to support India's defence manufacturing

Rediff.com23 Apr 2022

After his wide-ranging talks with Modi on the second and final day of his India visit, Johnson said the new defence and security partnership will enable India to strengthen its domestic defence industry as well as help the two countries protect vital shared interests in the Indo-Pacific.

Need to make banks, rupee important part of trade: Modi

Need to make banks, rupee important part of trade: Modi

Rediff.com6 Jun 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stressed the need to make India's banks and currency an important part of the international trade and supply chain. The prime minister also exhorted financial institutions to continuously encourage good financial and corporate governance practices. Inaugurating the iconic week celebrations by the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Modi said India has developed various financial inclusion platforms and there is a need to create awareness about them for their optimum utilisation.

Inflation to further decline, assures Sitharaman

Inflation to further decline, assures Sitharaman

Rediff.com14 Dec 2022

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday exuded confidence that inflation would further decline and the government is on track to meet its budgetary target for deficit and said that there is no fear of stagflation in India. Replying to the debate on first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants 2022-23 in Lok Sabha, the finance minister said inflation has come down and it is now in the tolerable band of the RBI. Inflation has been declining since April 2022 and it is declining further, she said.

Budget has very little to offer for marginalised: Rights groups

Budget has very little to offer for marginalised: Rights groups

Rediff.com2 Feb 2023

"There has been a 0.05 percentage points decline in the share of allocation for child budget to the Union Budget from 2.35 per cent (2022-23 BE) to 2.30 per cent (2023-24 BE).

More than skin-deep: Nifty Next 50 complexion to get a shade of difference

More than skin-deep: Nifty Next 50 complexion to get a shade of difference

Rediff.com12 Jun 2023

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) Nifty Next 50 Index could undergo large-scale changes if the proposed tweaks to its computation methodology get implemented. In a discussion paper floated recently, NSE Indices, which owns and manages a portfolio of over 350 indices under the Nifty brand, proposed that only stocks that are traded in the futures and options (F&O) segment can be part of the index. Currently, as many as 11 non-F&O stocks are part of the Nifty Next 50 Index, which, as the name suggests, represents the next rung of large and liquid securities after the Nifty50.

Budget 2023: Opposition slams 'limited focus' on health, education

Budget 2023: Opposition slams 'limited focus' on health, education

Rediff.com1 Feb 2023

Opposition leaders slammed the Centre on Wednesday for its 'limited' focus on important sectors like health and education in the Budget for 2023-24 fiscal.

Carnatic Music Goes From Raga To Rage

Carnatic Music Goes From Raga To Rage

Rediff.com29 Mar 2024

They all seem to forget that the Music Academy is as much an independent institution as T M Krishna is an individual musician. In drawing those red lines for the Academy management, they do not even seem to recognise that they too have crossed a red line themselves, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.

Ajay Banga will be a 'transformative leader': Biden

Ajay Banga will be a 'transformative leader': Biden

Rediff.com5 May 2023

Ajay Banga will be a 'transformative leader', who will bring expertise, experience, and innovation to the position of World Bank President, United States President Joe Biden has said after the top Indian-American business executive was confirmed as the new head of the international lender.

Big-bang privatisation of PSUs can be harmful, says RBI article

Big-bang privatisation of PSUs can be harmful, says RBI article

Rediff.com19 Aug 2022

A gradual approach to privatise public sector banks (PSBs) is more ideal than taking a big-bang approach, a study by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) staff has concluded. It has backed the government's idea to privatise two PSBs initially. Such a gradual approach would ensure that large-scale privatisation does not create a void in fulfilling important social objectives of financial inclusion and monetary transmission, the study has argued.

Not going for lockdowns in big way, says Sitharaman

Not going for lockdowns in big way, says Sitharaman

Rediff.com13 Apr 2021

Amid surging coronavirus cases in India, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday made it clear that the government would not go for lockdowns in a big way and only resort to local containment. In a virtual meeting with World Bank Group president David Malpass, Sitharaman appreciated the initiatives of the World Bank to increase the lending space for India to enhance availability of finance for development.

India Inc's wishlist for the finance minister

India Inc's wishlist for the finance minister

Rediff.com7 Jul 2014

The forthcoming budget is an excellent opportunity for the Government to fulfill its promise of high economic growth.

The challenges of branchless banking

The challenges of branchless banking

Rediff.com5 Dec 2016

Some believe the shift to mobile-based transactions will be seamless considering that the urban tele-density is 148%. In rural areas, it is touching 51%. But smartphone penetration in India is a mere 12%. Growth of mobile money has been extremely slow: It is currently 1%.

Modi pays tribute to Abe Shinzo at state funeral, meets Kishida

Modi pays tribute to Abe Shinzo at state funeral, meets Kishida

Rediff.com27 Sep 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday offered a floral tribute to former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe at his state funeral in Tokyo.

Neither dukandar nor chowkidar helps Muslims: Owaisi

Neither dukandar nor chowkidar helps Muslims: Owaisi

Rediff.com10 Aug 2023

Lashing out at both the opposition and ruling fronts led by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday said that neither dukandar nor chowkidar opens their mouths when Muslims are oppressed.

Be inclusive for higher growth: FM

Be inclusive for higher growth: FM

Rediff.com31 Mar 2008

"Please remember India's economy is driven by one half of the population. The other half is mute witness to what is happening in India. If other half also becomes part of the driving forces of growth, India's economy will grow not by 8-9 per cent, it will easily grow between 10-11 per cent," Chidambaram said at a Delhi-based bank's function in New Delhi.

Ahead of talks, Jaishankar hosts reception for visiting ministers

Ahead of talks, Jaishankar hosts reception for visiting ministers

Rediff.com1 Mar 2023

A day ahead of a crucial G20 meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday evening hosted a welcome dinner for the foreign ministers attending the deliberations but the reception was missed by his counterparts from the US, China, Germany and France.

Pandemic has IFC pumping $1.7 bn in India

Pandemic has IFC pumping $1.7 bn in India

Rediff.com17 Aug 2021

The pandemic has led to the International Finance Corporation massively ramping up its impact investment in the country - its largest client nation globally - at $1.7 billion as of June, a 51 per cent rise over the past 12 months, the largest developmental lender into third world private sector said on Tuesday. This is nearly half of its investment in the whole of South Asia since the pandemic, which touched $3.8 billion as of June 2021, it said. "Our total commitment to India, which is our largest client country globally, at the end of June stood at $1.7 billion representing an increase of over 51 per cent from last year," IFC vice-president for Asia and the Pacific region Alfonso Garcia Mora said in a statement.

Sitharaman walks the tech talk with AI, data governance, digilocker in Budget

Sitharaman walks the tech talk with AI, data governance, digilocker in Budget

Rediff.com1 Feb 2023

The Union Budget on Wednesday outlined several initiatives to drive India's technology agenda and boost digital infrastructure, including new centres of excellence for artificial intelligence, National Data Governance Policy, and Entity DigiLocker.

National retail trade policy may include insurance plan for traders

National retail trade policy may include insurance plan for traders

Rediff.com10 Jan 2022

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) will soon start public consultation for a national retail trade policy, which is likely to include an insurance scheme aimed at providing financial protection against losses caused by theft, accidents or natural calamities. The policy will also spell out ways to give traders access to low-cost finance, promote digital inclusion, and create necessary infrastructure to support them, a senior government official told Business Standard. This is expected to offer relief especially to traditional traders, who are facing stiff competition from large e-commerce players.

Why Bank HRs Are Under Pressure Suddenly

Why Bank HRs Are Under Pressure Suddenly

Rediff.com10 Nov 2022

Employees across segments, including those involved in specialised jobs such as technology, compliance and risk management, have started leaving the bank fold in hordes, observes Tamal Bandyopadhyay.

NDA Turns 25, But Does This BJP Remember?

NDA Turns 25, But Does This BJP Remember?

Rediff.com23 May 2023

'It is not just about numbers. Sometimes coalitions and alliances have symbolic value.'

Prez Murmu hosts gala dinner for G20 leaders

Prez Murmu hosts gala dinner for G20 leaders

Rediff.com9 Sep 2023

They welcomed the guests before the start of the dinner from the reception dais, with its backdrop showcasing the ruins of the Nalanda University in Bihar besides India's G20 presidency theme -- 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - One Earth, One Family, One Future'.

Modi sworn-in for 2nd term; Shah joins govt, may get finance

Modi sworn-in for 2nd term; Shah joins govt, may get finance

Rediff.com31 May 2019

Modi, 68, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony at the forecourt of majestic Rashtraparti Bhavan.