Parekh said divestment can unlock huge funds.
Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Thursday held discussions with chief executives of public sector oil companies to explore the possibility of merging BPCL and HPCL with ONGC and OIL with IOC to create two oil behemoths.
'They are trying to make the situation bad for Indian Railways so that they can hand it over to private companies.'
Setting at rest any confusion over rollback of divestment of cash-rich oil companies in the wake of blue chip oil firms taking a beating in the stock market
Hiring demand for the month of October 2021, witnessed a dip of 3 per cent, as compared to September 2021. However, job demand grew 9 per cent sequentially in the past six months showing an optimistic outlook to recovery, said the Monster Employment Index. There has also been a strong year-on-year recovery with a 9 per cent uptick in October 2021 (Oct 2021 vs Oct 2020).
'Periods of high volatility are usually bad for mid-caps and this is something that has to be kept in mind.' 'Focus on quality is of paramount importance.'
The staff of public sector banks had gone on a nationwide strike for two days beginning February 10 after discussions with the IBA failed.
State-owned companies have been set stiff targets to increase accountability as they get ready for divestment. Nikunj Ohri explains why meeting them will be challenging.
The government has increased the dearness allowance for officers and employees of the central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) by 5 per cent, to help them meet the increasing cost of living.The employees and workers of the CPSEs were earlier getting an IDA of 79.4 per cent of the basic pay, which came into effect on April 1.
This apart, to further increase capacities, Bharat Biotech has partnered with Indian Immunologicals (IIL) to manufacture the drug substance for Covaxin. The technology transfer process is underway and IIL has the 'capabilities and expertise' to manufacture the inactivated viral vaccines at commercial scale.
Over 210,000 executives in estimated 240 central public sector undertakings are in for a bonanza with a pay revision committee recommending a massive hike in their annual cost-to-company. The hike ranges between 379 per cent at the highest level and 57 per cent at the lowest across companies and levels.
The new guidelines restrict bankers not just from advising private sector companies in the 'same line of business' on public issues.
After the CPI(M), the crucial partner of the ruling UPA government, raised its voice against any attempt to shut down three public sector vaccine manufacturing units, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has quickly moved to announce that it will upgrade the units and 'do everything to protect their interest'.
At least two public sector banks Union Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank have quietly increased interest rates on short-term deposits to raise resources and manage asset-liability mismatch. Union Bank has announced a special deposit scheme for 400 days, which offers 9 per cent interest. The scheme was launched much before the announcement of the monetary policy. Chennai-based Indian Overseas Bank has also raised rates for large deposits.
Non-performing assets of banks have increased from Rs 2.75 lakh crore in March 2015 to Rs 7.33 lakh crore as on June 2017.
Finance Minister Chidambaram has summoned chiefs of public sector banks on May 1. This meeting will be held 2 days after the annual credit policy to review their financial performance in 2007-08. The move is being seen in banking circles as a message from the Centre to ensure that the public sector does not take interest rate cues from the central bank alone. Detailed agenda of the meeting has not been circulated. Bankers are waiting for signals from the RBI's monetary policy
With recruitment numbers having dropped off sharply since the liberalisation process got under way in 1991, large-scale retirements of people hired during the 1970s and 1980s will leave large gaps in the organisational structures of these banks.
'Had there been no war, maybe, we would come out with a 7.5 per cent stake sale.' 'At this point in time, a 3.5 per cent stake sale looked good.'
CNG price in the national capital and adjoining cities on Tuesday was hiked by Rs 0.50 per kg, while an imminent increase in petrol and diesel price has been put on wait-and-watch mode for more clarity on global oil prices. CNG price in NCT of Delhi has been increased to Rs 57.51 per kg from Rs 56.51, according to the information posted on the website of Indraprastha Gas Ltd - the firm which retails CNG and piped cooking gas in the national capital. Following the firming up of international gas rates, IGL has been raising CNG rates by up to 50 paise (Rs 0.50) per kg periodically. Prices have gone up by about Rs 4 per kg this year alone.
Public sector lenders Canara Bank, Corporation Bank and Allahabad Bank have decided to lower interest rates on housing loans, preferring to keep their prime lending rates (PLRs) unchanged. ICICI Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer K V Kamath has indicated that the country's second largest bank would review interest rates only in 2008-09.
The posts of Chairman and MD in the private sector are held separately.
The nation-wide strike call has been given by United Forum of Bank Unions, consisting of nine national level unions, including AIBEA, NCBE, BEFI, INBEF, NOBW and AIBOC.
At present, 58 per cent of the population has bank account.
HUL was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, spurting around 3 per cent, followed by Infosys, M&M, ITC, SBI, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance, Asian Paints, TCS and Bharti Airtel. On the other hand, Titan, PowerGrid and NTPC were among the laggards.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)'s decision to require a minimum of 25 per cent public shareholding for government companies translates into around Rs 60,000 crore (Rs 600 billion) in divestments in the next three years.
Omkeshwar Singh, Head, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
While divestment through IPOs saw an over 90 per cent drop as compared to the previous financial year, the exchange traded fund (ETF) route proved to be a shot in the arm for the government, reports Sundar Sethuraman.
The UPA-II may not talk about this, but it continues to implement its programme to revive ailing PSUs by investing fresh capital.
Officers of public sector oil companies have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from August 21 if their demand for higher salaries was not met.
ETFs function like a mutual fund scheme and have underlying assets of government-owned companies.
Considering the scarcity of land for development projects in Kerala, there should be optimal use of the land being held by the public sector companies, experts said.
India may soon see a new set of oil barons with lesser-known companies venturing into crude oil and natural gas production. These new kids on the block have come up through a mix of entrepreneurial grit and backing from oil industry veterans. Nippon Power, South Asia Consultancy, PFH (Poddar Family Holdings) Resources and Chennai-based Adbhoot Estates could be the first ones to start production from blocks awarded during the first round of Discovered Small Field (DSF-1) auctions. Adbhoot is in a 50:50 joint venture with the Bombay Stock Exchange-listed Hindustan Oil Exploration Company that has some five oil producing assets and over 10 blocks across the country.
ONGC was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying around 6 per cent, followed by NTPC, Tata Steel, ICICI Bank, ITC, Titan and Bajaj Auto. On the other hand, Axis Bank, M&M, Tech Mahindra, Asian Paints and Bajaj Finserv were among the laggards.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will meet chiefs of public sector banks here on Saturday, at a time when industrial growth has decelerated to a 13-month low of 7.1 per cent and interest rates have moved northward.
IBA has commissioned a study to evaluate the pros and cons of keeping banks shut on Saturdays.
Sources said the company had already applied for a licence to produce defence products.
PSU banks must be privatised, say experts.
Confronted with competition, state-run logistics companies are opting for joint ventures among themselves and with the private sector.
Invest 5 to 10 per cent in a banking sector fund. Ensure that mutual fund's portfolio includes all three players -- private sector banks, public sector banks and NBFCs.
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