News for 'The Illustrated Weekly of India'

Fear of failure? Firms let IPO nods lapse on pricing mismatch, volatility

Fear of failure? Firms let IPO nods lapse on pricing mismatch, volatility

Rediff.com14 Jun 2023

The initial public offering (IPO) market has seen some momentum of late with robust responses to recent issues. However, only some have been able to ride the wave. So far in 2023, 23 companies have let their approval granted by the markets regulator - the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) - lapse.

Rupee falls 9 paise to settle at all-time low of 83.13/USD

Rupee falls 9 paise to settle at all-time low of 83.13/USD

Rediff.com6 Sep 2023

The rupee depreciated by 9 paise and settled at its all-time low level of 83.13 against the US dollar on Wednesday, weighed down by a surge in crude oil prices and strong American currency. Forex traders said the Indian rupee depreciated as the US dollar rose to the highest levels in six months. Moreover, elevated crude oil prices also weighed on rupee.

Divorce And The Business World

Divorce And The Business World

Rediff.com6 Jan 2024

'Being financially independent is crucial.' 'This spares women a lot of grief if the marriage, especially in large business families, breaks down.'

The Modi Premium

The Modi Premium

Rediff.com13 Dec 2023

Economic growth, which we are taking for granted, slows for a completely different set of local or global factors and the Modi premium vanishes, observes Debashis Basu.

Lata loved to sport jeans

Lata loved to sport jeans

Rediff.com10 Feb 2022

Where Shamshad Begum was charging Rs 900 for a song, Lata was prepared to settle for Rs 50 as she came on the scene. Raju Bharatan recalls yet another memorable incident from Lata Mangeshkar's incredible life.

Foreign flows into Indian equities to take a breather, suggest analysts

Foreign flows into Indian equities to take a breather, suggest analysts

Rediff.com25 Sep 2023

Foreign flows into Indian equities are expected to pause in the short to medium term, say analysts. The outlook is influenced by multiple factors, including rising oil prices, actions from global central banks, climbing bond yields, and the dollar index gaining prominence. "Valuations appear rich with the markets at record highs.

RBI may introduce CBDC in call money market soon

RBI may introduce CBDC in call money market soon

Rediff.com5 Sep 2023

The Reserve Bank is planning to extend wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) for transactions for interbank borrowing or call money market, sources said on Tuesday. The pilot in the wholesale segment, known as the Digital Rupee -Wholesale (e-W), was launched on November 1, 2022, with the use case being limited to the settlement of secondary market transactions in government securities. "RBI is now planning to go into the interbank borrowing market.

India will become world's third largest economy by 2027-28: Panagariya

India will become world's third largest economy by 2027-28: Panagariya

Rediff.com2 Feb 2023

Eminent economist Arvind Panagariya has said India is on the cusp of returning to a high growth trajectory and voiced confidence that the country will become the world's third-largest economy by 2027-28. Currently, India is the fifth largest economy "so it's another five years.We are already in (the year) 2023. "So 2027-28, India should be the third-largest economy," Panagariya, Columbia University Professor and former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, told PTI in an interview in New York.

Nine of top 10 firms lose Rs 1.87 lakh cr in market valuation

Nine of top 10 firms lose Rs 1.87 lakh cr in market valuation

Rediff.com26 Feb 2023

Nine of the 10 most valued firms faced a combined erosion of Rs 1,87,808.26 crore in market valuation last week, with HDFC Bank and Reliance Industries taking the biggest hit amid an overall weak trend in equities. Last week, the BSE benchmark tumbled 1,538.64 points or 2.52 per cent amid concerns that the US Federal Reserve might raise interest rates further to curb inflation. Fresh foreign fund outflows also dented investor sentiments. Barring ITC, all 10 firms, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, ICICI Bank and Hindustan Unilever, were the laggards.

28% GST on online gaming, casinos, horse race clubs get Cabinet nod

28% GST on online gaming, casinos, horse race clubs get Cabinet nod

Rediff.com9 Aug 2023

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved changes to GST laws to levy a 28 per cent tax on the full face value of bets in online gaming, casinos and horse race clubs, sources said. The amendments to the Central GST (CGST) and Integrated GST (IGST) acts, which were approved by the GST Council last week, are likely to be introduced in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, which will end on August 11. The GST Council in its 51st meeting on August 2 recommended amendments to the Schedule III of the CGST Act, 2017, to provide clarity on the taxation of supplies in casinos, horse racing and online gaming.

Markets May Tank 40% If...

Markets May Tank 40% If...

Rediff.com15 Sep 2023

The outcome of the general elections, the Morgan Stanley note says, has enough firepower to sway the markets on either side.

Is India Witnessing A Silent Bull Market?

Is India Witnessing A Silent Bull Market?

Rediff.com24 Nov 2022

The most important positive of India's stealth bull market is earnings growth across different sectors, explains Debashis Basu.

What are the key triggers for the Indian markets?

What are the key triggers for the Indian markets?

Rediff.com4 Jul 2023

Equity and oil markets can breathe easy for now, as the developments in Russia are unlikely to trigger a runaway rally in crude oil prices, said analysts. India, which imports nearly 80 per cent of its crude oil requirement, has been dependent on cheap Russian oil over the past few months to keep inflation - a sore point for the equity markets - in check. For the Indian markets that are expected to remain volatile amid these developments, analysts believe, the progress of monsoon, fund flows - both foreign institutional investor (FII) and domestic - and the upcoming corporate earnings season back home remain key.

Vistara to add 10 planes, 1,000 people this fiscal

Vistara to add 10 planes, 1,000 people this fiscal

Rediff.com8 Jun 2023

Full service carrier Vistara expects to add a total of 10 planes as well as hire more than 1,000 people in the current financial year and has shelved plans to fly to the US, according to a top executive. Currently, Vistara, which is set to be merged with Air India, has a fleet of 61 aircraft and a staff strength of over 5,200. During an interaction in Istanbul this week, Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan said there has been a ready pool of talent, especially pilots and cabin crew members, with the collapse of Go First.

Why PSU Banks Should Be Held Accountable

Why PSU Banks Should Be Held Accountable

Rediff.com8 Nov 2023

If they are made accountable, bad loan cases will shrink dramatically, recoveries will rise, and the NCLT process will be more manageable, asserts Debashis Basu.

'These laws are equipped to suppress democracy'

'These laws are equipped to suppress democracy'

Rediff.com27 Dec 2023

'...by directing these draconian provisions against political and ideological opponents of the ruling group, minorities, and those who dare to dissent through and selective prosecution and prolonged incarceration as undertrials.'

Why India's gig workforce is still outside purview of basic benefits

Why India's gig workforce is still outside purview of basic benefits

Rediff.com7 Apr 2023

If you have seen Zwigato, Param Kumar's story will sound familiar. Laid off from his job as a repairman at a Gurugram-based water purifier provider, he now delivers groceries and food for a mobile-based delivery app, in Delhi. Kumar, who started making deliveries last August, told Business Standard that he is working longer hours than his older salaried job as an RO repairman, and has no paid leaves or health insurance. Kumar is part of India's estimated 7.7 million-strong force of gig workers.

Market structure to face shorter IPO timeline test: Industry players

Market structure to face shorter IPO timeline test: Industry players

Rediff.com18 Aug 2023

The shift to a shorter T+3 settlement cycle for initial public offerings (IPOs) will be a big test of the domestic market structure, requiring players in the ecosystem to work harder to meet the squeezed timelines, according to industry insiders. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), has announced that the transition to the T+3 cycle will be voluntary starting next month and mandatory from December 1. The new mechanism will necessitate quicker confirmations from banks and speedy verification of permanent account numbers (PANs) for all applicants.

Crypto unicorn CoinSwitch lays off 44 employees citing role redundancy

Crypto unicorn CoinSwitch lays off 44 employees citing role redundancy

Rediff.com30 Aug 2023

The move comes barely a week after fellow crypto unicorn CoinDCX laid off 12 per cent of its workforce - an estimated 80 employees - amid challenging macroeconomic conditions and regulatory uncertainty in the sector. CoinSwitch has 519 employees, according to its LinkedIn profile. This means around 8 per cent of its workforce were shown the door.

Analysts struggle to find investment-worthy themes in the current market

Analysts struggle to find investment-worthy themes in the current market

Rediff.com6 Jul 2023

The sharp rally in the markets thus far in fiscal 2023-24 (FY24) has left analysts struggling to find investment-worthy themes. The S&P BSE Sensex has surged nearly 7 per cent thus far in FY24 and hit a fresh 52-week high of 63,601.71 levels on June 22, mostly led by foreign institutional (FII) flows. "The Indian market has seen a broad rally in the past few months but headline indices have seen more modest performance. "We are not very clear about the reasons for the rally and the divergent performance and struggle to find ideas in the consumption, investment and outsourcing sectors after the sharp run-up in several of our favored sectors and stocks in the past two months," wrote Sanjeev Prasad, co-head, Kotak Institutional Equities, in a recent co-authored note with Anindya Bhowmik and Sunita Baldawa.

Retail inflation rises to 15-month high of 7.44% in July

Retail inflation rises to 15-month high of 7.44% in July

Rediff.com14 Aug 2023

Retail inflation jumped to a 15-month high of 7.44 per cent in July as prices of vegetables and other food items spiked, according to official data released on Monday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation was at 4.87 in June and 6.71 per cent in July 2022. Previously, high inflation was recorded at 7.79 per cent in April 2022.

India overtakes UK to become 5th largest economy in world

India overtakes UK to become 5th largest economy in world

Rediff.com3 Sep 2022

India's GDP expanded 13.5 per cent in the April-June quarter, the quickest pace in a year, to retain the world's fastest growing economy tag but rising interest costs and the looming threat of a recession in major world economies could slow the momentum in the coming quarters.

Anil Dharker passes into the ages

Anil Dharker passes into the ages

Rediff.com26 Mar 2021

'Goodbye dearest Anil. An elegant mind, a stylish writer, and a loyal friend. You will be missed by all those whose lives you touched. RIP.'

World Breastfeeding Week: When mums breastfed at work

World Breastfeeding Week: When mums breastfed at work

Rediff.com1 Aug 2018

These photographs send out a powerful message.

'Greed and adventurism are bull market traits'

'Greed and adventurism are bull market traits'

Rediff.com25 Sep 2023

'The market should maintain optimism on the back of range-bound oil prices, a robust fiscal balance sheet, a better-than-expected monsoon, and moderating inflation.'

How Vicks Vaporub Become A Blockbuster

How Vicks Vaporub Become A Blockbuster

Rediff.com31 Oct 2023

Within six months, outlets carrying Vicks jumped from 60,000 pharmacies to 750,000 general stores. The trade boycott collapsed. Consumers were happy, finding Vicks now at every street corner. A fascinating excerpt from Gurcharan Das's Another Sort of Freedom.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Rediff.com17 Oct 2023

... And what explains the directions of change? asks Ajit Balakrishnan.

ADB cuts India's GDP forecast for FY23 to 7%

ADB cuts India's GDP forecast for FY23 to 7%

Rediff.com21 Sep 2022

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday slashed India's GDP growth forecast for FY23 to 7 per cent from the earlier estimate of 7.2 per cent mainly on account of higher inflation and a tight monetary policy. India's economy grew 13.5 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022-23, reflecting strong growth in services, ADB said in its second supplement to Asian Development Outlook Report 2022 (ADO 2022). "However, GDP growth is revised down from ADO 2022's forecasts to 7 per cent for FY2022 (ending March 2023) and 7.2 per cent for FY2023 (ending March 2024) as price pressures are expected to adversely impact domestic consumption, and sluggish global demand and elevated oil prices will likely be a drag on net exports," ADB said.

Why MFs have curtailed investments in equities

Why MFs have curtailed investments in equities

Rediff.com14 Jul 2023

Shrinking inflows and surging outflows on account of profit-booking has curtailed mutual fund (MF) investments in equities since April. The total investments made by equity MFs during the first three months of 2023-24 stands at just Rs 2,980 crore, compared with an average monthly investment of Rs 14,500 crore in 2022-23, reveals data from the Securities and Exchange Board of India. "We are seeing signs of moderation in non-systematic investment plan (SIP) contribution, which has impacted domestic fund inflows in recent months to some extent," says Kunal Vora, head-India equity research, BNP Paribas.

WORRYING! Unemployment Rises in December

WORRYING! Unemployment Rises in December

Rediff.com29 Dec 2022

The unemployment rate shot up to a record 10.9 per cent in the week that ended on December 18, points out Mahesh Vyas.

Goldilocks position for Indian equities is getting questioned: Jefferies

Goldilocks position for Indian equities is getting questioned: Jefferies

Rediff.com17 Aug 2023

Rising crude oil prices, traction in China equities and inflation concerns back home are casting a shadow on the Indian equity markets in the short term, believe analysts at Jefferies. They said this could see the markets remaining range-bound in the near term before the next leg up.

How BAD Is The Job Market?

How BAD Is The Job Market?

Rediff.com2 Aug 2023

More people working in India's technology industry have lost their jobs in the first six months of 2023 than in the corresponding period in 2022.

Why India must create new programming languages...

Why India must create new programming languages...

Rediff.com19 Apr 2022

Why hasn't India produced a single earth-shaking idea like Python or the World Wide Web, asks Ajit Balakrishnan.

Nepal's decision on imports may hit India hard

Nepal's decision on imports may hit India hard

Rediff.com19 Apr 2022

Nepal's decision to ban the import of non-essential items amid depleting forex reserves may hit Indian exports. The country's central bank - Nepal Rastra Bank - last week instructed commercial banks not to open letters of credit (LCs) for importing non-essential items. This is to prevent further decline of the country's foreign exchange reserves. However, it has not issued any formal communication yet.

'Markets could remain firm with occasional corrections'

'Markets could remain firm with occasional corrections'

Rediff.com1 Sep 2023

'In case the El Nino pattern plays out negatively and/or the political situation becomes messy, we may see markets correcting and waiting for the situation to become clear by early/mid-2024.'

Credit card spending hits record high at Rs 1.4 lakh crore in May

Credit card spending hits record high at Rs 1.4 lakh crore in May

Rediff.com16 Jul 2023

Credit card spending has hit a record high of Rs 1.4 lakh crore in May, the latest data from Reserver Bank of India showed. The total spending or outstanding dues on credit cards, which remained rang-bound throughout the year in the previous fiscal, have been rising by 5 per cent month on month this year. Similarly, the number of cards in use has also jumped by more than 5 million since January and crossed 87.4 million in the reporting month, making this also an all-time high in May, according to the RBI data.

From hatchbacks to holidays, consumers ready to loosen purse strings

From hatchbacks to holidays, consumers ready to loosen purse strings

Rediff.com1 Sep 2023

With Onam and Raksha Bandhan just around the corner, the festival season is ready to kick off in full swing. As people embrace the celebratory spirit, companies anticipate a surge in sales this year. Consumer durables firms are expecting strong growth of 40-50 per cent in the premium segment during the upcoming season. Appliance makers also foresee increased demand for cooling appliances - refrigerators and air conditioners - which were impacted by unseasonal rainfall.

Covid: India has highest number of critical cases

Covid: India has highest number of critical cases

Rediff.com30 Mar 2021

To achieve herd immunity, rapid vaccination is the only hope.

Mutual funds warming up to REITs, InvITs investments

Mutual funds warming up to REITs, InvITs investments

Rediff.com24 May 2023

The value of MF exposure to REITs and InvITs which was at Rs 734 crore at the end of March 2020, rose to Rs 5,200 crore by the end of March 2023.

Mixed show for AMCs in second quarter; limited scope for stock rally

Mixed show for AMCs in second quarter; limited scope for stock rally

Rediff.com8 Nov 2023

The 2023-24 (FY24) July-September quarter (second quarter, or Q2) proved to be a mixed period for asset management companies (AMCs). While the two largest listed AMCs, HDFC and Nippon, reported robust growth in both revenue and profits, the other two, Aditya Birla Sun Life and UTI, experienced profit declines. HDFC AMC reported an 18 per cent year-on-year increase in Q2 revenue to Rs 765 crore, while Nippon's revenue rose 15 per cent to Rs 475 crore.