News for 'financial inclusion'

Nirmalaji And Why I Quit The Government

Nirmalaji And Why I Quit The Government

Rediff.com15 Jan 2024

She said I treated her like a bachchi. At another moment, she said I had gone to various people and 'bitched' about her. She also threatened to bring the entire matter to the PM's notice. A revealing excerpt from Subhash Chandra Garg's We Also Make Policy: An Insider's Account of How the Finance Ministry Functions.

Growth of non-performing assets is a cause for concern: Survey

Growth of non-performing assets is a cause for concern: Survey

Rediff.com9 Jul 2014

The bad loans of public sector banks were at 4.4 per cent in March 2014 compared with 2.09 per cent in 2008-09, it said, adding, the gross NPA increased by almost four times from March 2010 (Rs 59,972 crore or Rs 599.72 billion) to March 2014 (Rs 2,04,249 crore or Rs 2,042.49 billion).

Airtel to lean on its 180 mn digital users to propel payments bank business

Airtel to lean on its 180 mn digital users to propel payments bank business

Rediff.com5 Nov 2021

Bharti Airtel aims to leverage its 180 million plus digital service customers and its wide presence in rural areas to grow its payment bank business. "We are well placed as we can leverage the 180 million plus customers we have across our digital assets. "We offer a plethora of services such as lucrative interest rates, gift cards, FASTag, telecom recharges, payments and debit cards. "Our large merchant base of more than eight million allows us to drive both engagement and monetisation.

Extend trading hours, brokers tell govt

Extend trading hours, brokers tell govt

Rediff.com12 Nov 2017

Brokers also want tax rebates, removal of additional tax on dividends, streamlining of GST...

Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0: Rahul to walk from Gujarat to Meghalaya

Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0: Rahul to walk from Gujarat to Meghalaya

Rediff.com8 Aug 2023

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will embark on a fresh padayatra (foot march) from Gujarat to Meghalaya and during that period leaders and workers of the party's Maharashtra unit would criss-cross the state, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole said on Tuesday.

Will Modi's I-Day speech push reforms?

Will Modi's I-Day speech push reforms?

Rediff.com6 Aug 2014

With Narendra Modi about to make his first Independence Day speech, there is a buzz in Delhi that Modi will make some big announcements to signal major reforms and directional shifts. But we have to wait and see if it happens, says Mohan Guruswamy.

Payments under govt schemes get stuck in banks

Payments under govt schemes get stuck in banks

Rediff.com24 Sep 2008

The banks are not ready to open accounts of the beneficiaries through the IT-enabled financial inclusion programme, which is running on a pilot basis in various districts of the state. "The panchayat staff do not co-operate with our business correspondents. They do not come forward to endorse the identity of the beneficiaries. How can we open accounts," asked an official from State Bank of Indore.

RTGS will be made available 24X7 in next few days

RTGS will be made available 24X7 in next few days

Rediff.com4 Dec 2020

In a business friendly move, the Reserve Bank of India on Friday said that the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system, used for large value transactions, will be made available round-the-clock in the next few days. In December 2019, the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system was made available on a 24x7x365 basis. Currently, RTGS is available for customers from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm on all working days of a week, except second and fourth Saturdays of every month.

200,000 recruits to bring bank to your doorstep

200,000 recruits to bring bank to your doorstep

Rediff.com19 Jan 2010

With the Reserve Bank of India allowing retired teachers, kirana shop owners and public call office (PCO) operators to be hired as business correspondents, banks are set to hire over 200,000 people over the next few years to push financial inclusion initiatives.

Jan Dhan: Bankers cross account opening targets on Day 1

Jan Dhan: Bankers cross account opening targets on Day 1

Rediff.com29 Aug 2014

Bankers have hailed the Prime Minister's call to end "financial untouchability" and opened millions of accounts on the inaugural day itself.

New banks may have to reach out to rural India

New banks may have to reach out to rural India

Rediff.com26 Jul 2010

RBI to issue discussion paper on new licence conditions this week.

1st set of differential bank licences by month-end: Rajan

1st set of differential bank licences by month-end: Rajan

Rediff.com4 Aug 2015

RBI had received 72 applications for small finance bank licences.

Ease biz correspondent norms: Private banks

Ease biz correspondent norms: Private banks

Rediff.com24 Dec 2008

The original intention of the 15-km restriction was to ensure timely service to customers, especially in the rural areas. But now, new generation private banks do not have an extensive branch network in semi-urban and rural areas.

No one dare eye a needlepoint of our land, says Amit Shah in Arunachal

No one dare eye a needlepoint of our land, says Amit Shah in Arunachal

Rediff.com11 Apr 2023

The era when anyone could encroach on India's land has passed and no one can dare to eye its border, Home Minister Amit Shah said in Kibithoo, Arunachal Pradesh, on Monday.

Regional rural banks may get tax sops

Regional rural banks may get tax sops

Rediff.com23 Jan 2008

The committee on financial inclusion, headed by C Rangarajan, the chairman of Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, has recommended that the profits transferred to their reserves by such banks should be exempted from tax till the banks achieve the standard capital adequacy ratio (CAR).

How many ATMs were opened after DeMo?

How many ATMs were opened after DeMo?

Rediff.com7 Dec 2018

179 million debit cards were issued during December 2016 to June 2018. A mere 2,000 ATMs were opened in the same period.

RBI panel recommends NE banking overhaul

RBI panel recommends NE banking overhaul

Rediff.com7 Oct 2008

The committee headed by RBI's Deputy Governor Usha Thorat made a series of recommendations that include increasing banking penetration and strengthening of Regional Rural banks and Urban Co-operative banks in the region. It said post offices, traditional institutions and NGOs need to be co-opted by the banking industry so as to encourage economic activities.

Nachiket Mor has his heart in the right place

Nachiket Mor has his heart in the right place

Rediff.com9 Oct 2017

After a 25-year stint at ICICI Bank, Mor suddenly quit as he wanted to add more value in the bigger areas of health care and financial inclusion.

How To Fix The Jobs Crunch

How To Fix The Jobs Crunch

Rediff.com14 Feb 2023

The only real solution to the jobs crisis, whether in India or abroad, is to direct tech innovation towards job enhancing sectors, and disincentivising job-replacing ones, observes R Jagannathan.

100,000 gram panchayts to be linked through BharatNet: Sitharaman

100,000 gram panchayts to be linked through BharatNet: Sitharaman

Rediff.com1 Feb 2020

AI, IoT, 3D printing, drones, data storage, quantum computing etc are all re-writing world economic order, the FM said.

SBI plans 3 mn Tiny cards in 1 year

SBI plans 3 mn Tiny cards in 1 year

Rediff.com21 Jan 2010

A Krishna Kumar, deputy managing director (IT) of the bank, said on the sidelines of Infocom in Kolkata, "Given the reach of the facility, we expect the number to double within a year."

IMF cautions India on govt debt vulnerabilities, Centre disagrees

IMF cautions India on govt debt vulnerabilities, Centre disagrees

Rediff.com27 Dec 2023

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Tuesday that India's general government debt (comprising both central and state government debt) could exceed 100 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the medium term. It also cautioned that long-term debt sustainability risks are high due to the significant investment required to meet India's climate change mitigation targets. The Indian government, however, disagreed, arguing that risks from sovereign debt are extremely limited as it is predominantly denominated in domestic currency.

Banking still miles away from Jalanga

Banking still miles away from Jalanga

Rediff.com7 Dec 2009

Jalanga or its neighbouring villages do not have a single bank branch. The nearest bank branch, that of UCO Bank, where Das has an account, is located at Bhadrak, around 20 km from the village.

Inflation may rise to 6 pc by March: RBI

Inflation may rise to 6 pc by March: RBI

Rediff.com18 Sep 2009

With inflation turning positive after 13 weeks, the Reserve Bank on Thursday said the wholesale price index may rise to six per cent by this fiscal end a development that may pose challenges to the central bank in maintaining a stable monetary policy.

MFIs should not throw caution to wind, warns RBI

MFIs should not throw caution to wind, warns RBI

Rediff.com27 Oct 2021

Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor M Rajeshwar Rao on Wednesday said while the central bank will foster growth in the microfinance (MFI) sector, the lenders in the space should not throw caution to the wind to achieve higher asset growth and returns. MFIs should not try to mimic the strategies of mainstream finance, as those serving the microfinance borrowers have a greater need to balance the social objectives with their lending operations, he said.

Jan Dhan scheme to help tackle ponzi menace: Sebi chief

Jan Dhan scheme to help tackle ponzi menace: Sebi chief

Rediff.com2 Sep 2014

Sinha, who is steering Sebi efforts to tackle the ponzi menace, said that in regions like West Bengal and North East -- where penetration of banking services is low -- have seen a larger number of people getting trapped in illegal money pooling schemes that promise high returns.

Bandhan Bank's tasks and opportunities

Bandhan Bank's tasks and opportunities

Rediff.com27 Aug 2015

The bank will have around 501 branches.

Shinde's Maratha Reservation Dilemma

Shinde's Maratha Reservation Dilemma

Rediff.com23 Dec 2023

Any move of the present government to appease the Marathas may boomerang. Eknath Shinde is a worried man with the agitation not having an easy solution, notes Ramesh Menon.

FMCG supply gridlock: Demand falls, inventory adds up

FMCG supply gridlock: Demand falls, inventory adds up

Rediff.com22 Nov 2023

The supply chain for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies is seeing congestion due to persistently low demand. This has led to an increase in inventory days, with stocks accumulating at distributors and compelling them to extend higher credit periods to retailers. Distributors, Business Standard spoke to, revealed that demand inventory days have more than doubled in some cases, forcing them to offer credit terms as long as 45 days to retailers, as consumer offtake continues to face pressure.

Why financial literacy among urban working youth is low

Why financial literacy among urban working youth is low

Rediff.com14 Oct 2013

The study says living in joint families negatively impacted the level of financial knowledge.

5 Indian-origin women executives on Barron's 100 Most Influential Women in US Finance list

5 Indian-origin women executives on Barron's 100 Most Influential Women in US Finance list

Rediff.com5 Apr 2023

Five Indian-origin women executives have made it to Barron's prestigious annual '100 Most Influential Women in US Finance' list for achieving positions of prominence in the financial services industry and helping shape its future. Barron's is a sister publication of the Wall Street Journal, published by Dow Jones and Company. "The list honours established and emerging leaders in financial services, the corporate world, nonprofit organisations, and government," the magazine said in a press release.

Infy in $1.6 bn deal with telco Liberty Global

Infy in $1.6 bn deal with telco Liberty Global

Rediff.com16 Aug 2023

Information technology major Infosys and Liberty Global, a London-based telecom firm, signed a 1.5 billion (about $1.64 billion) deal for five years to evolve and scale up the telco's digital entertainment and connectivity platforms, the companies said in a joint statement on Tuesday. As part of the expanded collaboration agreement, the size of the contract will touch 2.3 billion (about $2.5 billion) if extended to 8 years. The collaboration allows Liberty Global to realise run-rate savings of over 100 million (about $109 million) per annum, inclusive of other savings and technology investments, Infosys said in a statement.

Inflation to come down to 10% by Dec: Rangarajan

Inflation to come down to 10% by Dec: Rangarajan

Rediff.com15 Sep 2008

Rajya Sabha member and former Chairman of Prime Minister's Economic Panel C Rangarajan on Monday said he expects inflation to ease to 10 per cent by December. He said inflation last year was moderate almost at the end of December, so base effect will be to heighten inflation in the current year.

Sebi working on new ASBA-like payment system for secondary trades: Buch

Sebi working on new ASBA-like payment system for secondary trades: Buch

Rediff.com22 Sep 2022

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is working on a new payment system for the secondary market, which could prevent brokers from accessing their client funds. It will be on the lines of the Application Supported by Blocked Amount (ASBA) process used for subscribing to initial public offerings (IPOs), where funds move out of an investor's bank account only after the trade is confirmed. Sebi chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch on Wednesday said that despite the challenges, the new system would be ready in a few months.

UPI-related scams account for 55% of total digital payments frauds in India

UPI-related scams account for 55% of total digital payments frauds in India

Rediff.com17 May 2023

Out of all the reported digital payment frauds in India, over half (55 per cent) were United Payments Interface (UPI)-related, a new report released on Tuesday revealed. Another 18 per cent are card related, 12 per cent are related to internet banking and nine per cent are from phishing calls. Most of the UPI-related frauds, however, have a low ticket size.

Tiny Card to lead SBI's rural expansion

"Tiny Card" to lead SBI's rural expansion

Rediff.com27 Jun 2007

The "Tiny Card" with biometric identification is State Bank of India's answer to the challenge of financial inclusion of one lakh villages in the country.

Cong rout may force INDIA to redraw strategy for 2024

Cong rout may force INDIA to redraw strategy for 2024

Rediff.com4 Dec 2023

The party was trounced in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and is now left with only Himachal Pradesh in the north. It is ruling in only three states on its own and is in power in Bihar and Jharkhand as a junior partner in alliance with regional parties.

Jaitley gives big push to Digital India; no tax on PoS machines

Jaitley gives big push to Digital India; no tax on PoS machines

Rediff.com1 Feb 2017

The minister also exempted components from taxes to encourage domestic manufacturing of these devices.

Living In The Times Of Crime

Living In The Times Of Crime

Rediff.com3 May 2023

Redress for a victim is not easy. It is not really painful to file a cyber-crime complaint.
But someone who is technically unsophisticated enough to fall for a scam will find it hard to navigate the processes, points out Devangshu Datta.

WhatsApp bets big on payments biz in India, plans big investments

WhatsApp bets big on payments biz in India, plans big investments

Rediff.com15 Apr 2022

A day after getting permission to raise its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) user base to 100 million, WhatsApp on Thursday said it has plans to make significant investments in 'payments on WhatsApp' across India, including India-first features and driving adoption. The company, however, did not share details of its plans. The Meta-owned messaging app got its first greenlight for its payments service from the National Payments Council of India (NPCI) in November 2020 with a cap of 20 million users. A year later, in November 2021, the limit was raised to 40 million users.