Have income tax-related questions? Ask rediffGURUS Mihir Tanna, Vipul Bhavsar, T S Khurana, Vivek Lala and Anil Rego.
Issuers have allotted nearly four times as much to mutual funds (MFs) as they have to insurance companies in recent quarters. MFs invested Rs 21,976 crore as anchor investors in initial public offerings (IPOs) on a trailing four-quarter basis, according to data from Prime Database.
The best way for India to prepare is by preserving and strengthening the RBI's hard-won credibility, point out Rajeswari Sengupta and Vaishali Garga.
Yes, the entry of private bankers, particularly with global experience will add value to PSBs, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
'...aggressive pricing amid volatility, but these are exceptions.'
Opening up the corner office is fine, but will the government be able to attract talent without giving a market-rate salary?, asks Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
India's corporate bond market, driven by public sector undertaking (PSU) banks and financial institutions last year, is losing momentum since the second quarter of FY26.
'Tax cases are technical in nature... Many high courts do not have a tax bench, which also contributes to the delay.'
Multi-asset allocation funds (MAAFs) have emerged as strong performers among mutual funds (MFs), rivalling medium-term returns from traditional equity categories while maintaining a lower risk profile. Over the past three years, average returns for this segment have surpassed those of flexicap and largecap funds, for both lump sum and systematic investment plan (SIP) investments.
Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) poured in Rs 94,829 crore of fresh money into Indian equities in August, the second-highest monthly inflow after record Rs 1.07 trillion influx in October 2024.
More than a third of 83 mainboard IPOs this year ended their debut sessions in the red, with losses of up to 35 per cent.
'They are positioned as defensive products and can potentially give marginally higher returns than liquid funds.'
The sector's IPO pipeline is led by Tata Capital's Rs 17,000 crore issue, followed by ICICI Prudential Asset Management at Rs 10,200 crore and Billionbrains Garage Ventures at Rs 6,000 crore.
Recent developments - proposed changes to the goods and services tax (GST) rates and S&P Global Ratings' upgrade of India's long-term sovereign credit rating to BBB, with a stable outlook, - may not be enough to bring foreign investors back to Indian markets in a rush, feel analysts.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is set to introduce key reforms aimed at facilitating smoother mega initial public offerings (IPOs). Key among the proposals is a reduction in the quota reserved for individual investors - those applying for less than Rs 2,00,000 per application - from the current 35 per cent to 25 per cent for large IPOs (issue size above Rs 5,000 crore).
JioBlackRock Asset Management Pvt Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between Jio Financial Services Limited (JFSL) and BlackRock, on Monday announced closure of its maiden New Fund Offer (NFO), recording a total investment of Rs 17,800 crore ($2.1 billion).
Equity markets this week would keenly track the upcoming GST Council meeting, macroeconomic data announcements and trading activity of foreign investors for further movement, analysts said. Moreover, developments related to tariff negotiations, global market trends and auto sales data would also drive investors' sentiment.
'I will not be surprised if there is a 7 per cent handle in front of the decimal place for the full financial year.'
The Indian government has expressed its disagreement with the IMF staff's 'baseline' assumption that the 50 per cent US tariffs on its goods exports 'would remain in place indefinitely', based on which the staff pegged the country's GDP growth at 6.6 per cent this year, and pared its 2026-27 projection by 20 basis points to 6.2 per cent.
To shield against US President Donald Trump's tariff shock, analysts have been advising investors to focus on stocks of domestic-oriented companies, rather than export-centric ones, to minimise potential losses.
The recent global fund flow data suggests that one big cycle of foreign fund allocation into India may have come to an end and the trend could remain soft for a longer time, according to a report by Elara Capital. The note said last week's outflow of $302 million from India's dedicated funds is the largest since June 2022.
Foreign investors offloaded Indian equities worth nearly Rs 21,000 crore in the first half of August, pressured by US-India trade tensions, lacklustre first-quarter corporate earnings, and a weakening rupee.
After overtaking foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in market ownership, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) have further solidified their dominance. DII ownership reached a new all-time high of 17.82 per cent as of June 2025, up from 17.62 per cent at the end of March 2025, according to an analysis by Prime Database.
Mutual funds (MFs) - flush with cash amid record inflows in July - invested heavily in the Rs 25,000-crore qualified institutional placement (QIP) of India's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI). Fund managers acquired SBI shares worth Rs 10,200 crore last month, making the lender their biggest buy in July.
Investors may wait for six months and then take another look at the stock.
A quiet but consequential power struggle has erupted within the storied 156-year-old Tata Trusts just a year after the death of group patriarch Ratan Tata on October 9, 2024.
Confusing academic freedom with the right to free speech of an individual and expecting unconditional institutional support is not realistic. Academic freedom provides an opportunity for an academic to pursue their passion and contribute to the society through the outcome of their research and/or thought process, points out N Ravichandran.
Among Sensex firms, Eternal, Infosys, Asian Paints, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finserv and Titan were the major gainers. However, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, Adani Ports and Bharat Electronics were among the laggards.
India's real estate investment trust (Reit) sector is set for robust expansion, with at least one new Reit expected to enter the market each year over the next three-five years. This growth trajectory builds on rising occupancies, surging leasing activity, and increasing investor interest.
Promoters' ownership in private listed companies declined to an eight-year low of 40.58 per cent as of June 30, 2025, following a net share sale worth Rs 54,732 crore during the quarter, according to data from primeinfobase.com, an initiative of PRIME Database Group.
Jio BlackRock Asset Management Pvt Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between Jio Financial Services Ltd (JFSL) and US-based BlackRock, has received regulatory approval from the capital market regulator Sebi to commence operations as an investment manager for its mutual fund business. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), vide letter dated May 26, 2025, has granted the certificate of registration to 'Jio BlackRock Mutual Fund' and approval to Jio BlackRock Asset Management Private Limited to act as the Asset Management Company for Jio BlackRock Mutual Fund, JFSL said in a regulatory filing.
rediffGURU Patrick D'souza helps you pick the right management course and business college.
From the Sensex constituents, Adani Ports, Tata Steel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, UltraTech Cement, Bajaj Finserv and Titan were among the biggest gainers. In contrast, Power Grid, Trent, NTPC, Maruti, HCL Tech and Bharat Electronics were among the laggards.
Investors should be mindful of the high volatility in cryptos: Bitcoin has fallen more than 80 per cent in past corrections.
Infrastructure bonds, which were relied upon the most in 2024-25 (FY25) by commercial banks to raise funds through the domestic debt capital market amid lagging deposit growth, seem to have lost their sheen in FY26. So far in FY26, no bank has tapped the domestic debt capital market to raise funds via infra bonds, and the expectation is that the amount raised through this route will be significantly lower than that last year, unless credit demand picks up.
rediffGURU Maxim Emmanuel offers expert advice on how to make an informed career choice.
State-owned banks are prioritising local language skills in their hiring to improve customer service and reduce language barriers.
Even as sectors across India embrace technological transformation, the construction side of the real estate industry continues to trail global trends. While technologies like Building Information Modelling (BIM), 3D printing, drone surveillance, and IoT-enabled smart building systems are increasingly common overseas, their adoption in Indian construction remains limited and largely experimental, developers said.
Stock investors will track the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, Brent crude oil prices, inflation data and the US Fed interest rate decision for further cues this week, analysts said. Tariff-related news would also dictate trends in the equity market, experts noted.
Preparing for the XAT requires a balanced approach, focusing on conceptual understanding, regular practice, and strategic planning, says Rahul K Shukla, convenor, XAT and admissions, XLRI-Xavier School of Management.
