Public sector banks may be allowed to recruit talented middle-level management executives of other banks at an attractive pay package so as to improve their productivity.
Today, banks are being asked to discover niche strengths and focus on them
Divestment in major state-run firms is set to perk up the IPO space, with about six PSUs including Air India, BSNL, Oil India and NHPC, gearing up to sell equity sale in the primary market.
Delhi International Airport Ltd, the five-company consortium led by Bangalore-based infrastructure conglomerate GMR Group that is upgrading Delhi airport, has managed to raise over Rs 1,000 crore (10 billion) to meet its financial obligations for the Rs 8,890-crore (80 billion) project.
The government may delay Rs 14,000 crore (Rs 140 billion) fund infusion in the public sector banks in view of volatile market conditions.
In a move that is likely to attract political controversy, the committee on financial sector assessment has recommended that the banking sector should be gradually opened to foreign players and that the government lower its shareholding in public sector banks below 51 per cent and allow state-owned players to merge if the Centre's stake cannot go below the prescribed lower limit.
Public banks face slowdown heat.
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.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday made a double pitch for public sector companies. First he urged private sector companies to enter into joint venture partnership with PSUs
The government has approved a Rs 517 crore (Rs 5.17 billion) package to clear the pending salaries and statutory dues of 4,500 employees of 24 ailing PSUs, Heavy Industries Minister Santosh Mohan Deb said on Thursday.
Nearly 55,000 officers of 14 public sector oil companies have decided to strike work indefinitely from January 7 to seek higher wages, Association of Scientific & Technical Officer's vice president P K Sharma said in New Delhi on Tuesday
The minister said RBI maintains a list of non-suit filed borrowers of banks and financial institutions, while CIBIL had a database on suit-filed accounts of Rs 1 crore (Rs 10 million) and above.
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.
Unwilling to compromise autonomy for a hefty pay hike announced on Thursday, several PSUs chiefs on Friday conveyed displeasure to the government over a directive asking them not to create senior posts in their units without the approval of their administrative ministries.
Amid stiff competition from private and foreign players, the country's 27 public sector banks logged 35 per cent growth in profit at Rs 16,546 crore (Rs 165.46 billion) while their bad assets fell below 3 per cent during 2003-04.
'They are trying to make the situation bad for Indian Railways so that they can hand it over to private companies.'
Offloading shares in ONGC, CIL, NHPC may fetch govt more than the year's target.
Public sector banks have suddenly developed cold feet on raising lending rates even if it means sacrificing on their bottom lines.
Top level public sector executives, including directors and chief executives, will not be able to join private firms after retirement or resignation unless they get go-ahead from the government.
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.
The Centre on Monday said nationalised banks, which were provided equity as part of capital restructuring need not return it.
Under Indradhanush roadmap announced in 2015, the government will infuse Rs 70,000 crore in state banks over four years while they will have to raise a further Rs 1.1 lakh crore from the markets to meet their capital requirement in line with global risk norms, known as Basel-III.
With the new financial year kicking in and the equity markets showing signs of stability, the government is expected to soon initiate its divestment programme with renewed vigour.
Omkeshwar Singh, Head, Rank MF, a mutual fund investment platform, answers your queries.
The move comes even as Bank of India on Wednesday said its corporate clients will suffer mark-to-market losses of around Rs 125 crore. It has 34 clients with 74 derivative transactions. Last week, State Bank of India said its clients may incur MTM losses of up to Rs 700 crore at the end of March 2008.
'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.'
A host of public sector banks had cut interest rates in the earlier part of this year following an advisory from Finance Minister P Chidambaram in January. Private and smaller state-owned banks, however, did not cut rates.
As per the structure proposed, 99 per cent of government holding in the bank will be shifted to the Holding Company and the government will retain 1 per cent with itself so that it remains a state-owned bank.
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.