A record amount of pension money may be finding its way into the stock market, if buying figures in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) data are any indication. Category inflows touched Rs 37,409 crore for the three months ending September 2025, shows an analysis of NSE data.
The Indian government is reportedly considering increasing the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the pension sector to 100 per cent, bringing it in line with the insurance sector. A Bill to amend the PFRDA Act, 2013, is expected in an upcoming Parliament session.
Since this is a long-term investment, investors must do their homework and choose a fund manager carefully.
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has launched a new Retirement Income Scheme (RIS) and drawdown options under the National Pension System (NPS), offering greater flexibility for managing pension savings post-retirement. Additionally, PFRDA has eased annuity surrender rules, allowing exits in cases of critical illness or for older contracts with explicit surrender clauses.
A delegation of high-level executives from US public pension funds (non-profit and government sectors) is visiting India next week to assess and familiarise themselves with the investment opportunities in the country. These executives belong to various American states and cumulatively represent $1.8 trillion in assets under management (AUM) invested across the US and global markets. The United States (US) mission to India, which includes its embassy and consulates and the Department of Treasury, along with India's Ministry of Finance and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), is hosting the delegation.
Entities controlled by governments - sovereign wealth funds, and pension funds - have recorded higher growth in equity assets under custody compared to other foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) over the past five years.
A parliamentary panel has recommended an urgent review of the Rs 1,000 minimum monthly pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme, 1995, to raise it to a more realistic and dignified level, considering the rising cost of living and the financial hardships faced by pensioners.
A special audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed that Odisha's forest and environment department sidestepped central guidelines, procuring and customising Mahindra Thar SUVs worth 17 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for forest protection, despite the funds being earmarked for 'preparedness and capacity building'.
Ask rediffGURU Naveenn Kummar your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
NPS Vatsalya offers a disciplined investment avenue that parents can use to create intergenerational wealth by contributing even small sums.
Global pension funds have started investing aggressively in primary market offers. Till recently, they were not looking beyond some of the largest Indian listed companies.
Rising stressed debt and past exposures like Reliance Capital, Yes Bank push EPFO to frame exit rules for its portfolio.
The draft regulations for the new pension scheme likely to be out by September first week is expected to recommend fixing minimum base capital for pension fund management companies less than that stipulated for insurance companies.
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority will consider a proposal to manage the pension funds of companies at its board meeting on Wednesday, extending its role from being manager of individual pension plans.
The funds are likely to be invested as per the interim investment guidelines, which may allow investment of 5 per cent in equity and 10 per cent in equity-linked mutual funds.
The interim Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority on Friday said it will appoint a Central Record-keeping and Accounting Agency and give licence to six pension fund managers to start the new pension regime by December this year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy to deepen India's bilateral ties amid geopolitical changes.
The continued MF buying has pushed the equity holding of MFs to over Rs 50 trillion for the first time.
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have expressed significant concerns regarding the labour ministry's recent clarifications on labour codes, citing ambiguity in wage calculation and implementation, which they argue creates interpretational and operational challenges for employers.
With India's stock markets being one of the best performing among the emerging markets, a number of global pension funds are planning to make India-specific allocations.
The Left parties have no objection to the deployment of pension funds in the stock market so long as the funds are managed by public sector banks and financial institutions.
Ask your HR department for details about the fund, trustees and returns
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is set to introduce UPI-linked withdrawals by the end of May, as it finalises testing for its Centralised IT Enabled System (CITES) 2.0 overhaul, aiming to streamline PF balance transfers and withdrawals.
Ask rediffGURU and PF, MF and insurance expert Purshotam Lal your mutual fund, insurance and personal finance-related questions.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who wants pension and insurance funds to invest more in equities and infrastructure.
Tough opposition from Left parties notwithstanding, the government has opened a window of opportunity for foreign companies for managing pension funds of central and state government employees.
The Union Budget 2021-22 has made it easier for sovereign wealth funds and pension funds to invest in Indian infrastructure projects, but some of the new rules may need more clarity, experts said. The proposed regime requiring investments through holding companies may have adverse tax implications for such funds and may create an arbitrage between the new and old projects, they said. Besides, the ownership structure of holding companies through which investments are to be made requires further clarification, they added.
Public sector entities Life Insurance Corporation, UTI AMC, State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank are among the front-runners to become pension fund managers under the new pension system.
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has sought income tax exemption for the New Pension Scheme at par with other schemes like Public Provident Fund (PPF).
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Fund managers will be given more flexibility to invest in corporate bonds.
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