The optimism stems from benign fuel prices, adequate and well distributed rainfall and the recent measures announced by the government to boost liquidity at banks and NBFCs.
Capital expenditure by Indian companies is likely to see an uptick in the upcoming quarters as capacity utilisation has surpassed the critical threshold of 75 per cent, and numerous companies have deleveraged their balance sheets, according to analysts. The first quarter of the current financial year has shown improved profitability, driven by a decrease in input prices. This, according to analysts at Care Ratings, should stimulate a revival in the private capex cycle.
Analysts are advising a cautious stance on the steel sector due to a combination of factors. The major one is that China has maintained momentum on steel exports in CY24 and there could also be domestic over-supply in the medium-term. Trade data for Jan-Feb'24 shows that China's finished steel exports rose 31 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to 15.9 MT.
More cos could join the likes of Burger King and Antony Waste in giving listing another shot.
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) reported very strong results for the January-March quarter of the last financial year (Q4FY24), beating consensus comfortably. The margins of the automobile business improved 170 basis points (bps) year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to 8.8 per cent, while FES (Farm Equipment Sector) margins improved to 15.8 per cent (up 60 bps Y-o-Y), despite a decline in volumes due to cost optimisation and lower raw material costs.
This Budget will be a litmus test of the government's resolve to ensure Make in India strategy works
Jaitley was speaking at a breakfast session.
While the country needs at least 200 functional airports, 85 have been made ready so far for complete operations.
Locals have witnessed real estate prices skyrocket from a historic low of Rs 6,000 per square yard (in 2020) during Jagan Mohan Reddy's regime to around Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per square yard after elections.
'This is the victory of the people of Gujarat who want real development, not the hype of development.'
In a rare face off, captains of the auto industry have hit out at the government for not walking the talk. At an industry event in the capital on Wednesday, R C Bhargava, chairman of India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki, and Venu Srinivasan, chairman of TVS Motor, questioned the government's intent to support the auto sector. Revenue secretary Tarun Bajaj sat in the audience listening, before his turn came to counter them.
The revival initiative allows RLIC policyholders to renew their lapsed policies by simply paying their due premium -- without any penalty or medical tests.
The industry said if the policy was announced, it would have taken 28 million vehicles bought before March 2005 off the road.
Tata Steel on Thursday revived its mega Rs 2,500 crore (Rs 25 billion) project to produce titanium dioxide from ilmenite mined from beach sands of Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts in south Tamil Nadu.
Operating margins have been the primary driver of corporate earnings in India in recent quarters, despite revenue growth suffering from weak consumer demand. Companies across sectors have reported a sharp improvement in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda) margins over the past two years, benefiting from lower commodity and energy prices. Higher margins more than compensated for slower revenue growth, resulting in double-digit growth in net profit for five consecutive quarters.
'Modi knows the people here are opposed to this project, but he is using the might of government to push this port down our throats.'
Genset manufacturer Cummins India has seen its share price rise by 45 per cent in the past three months. The management has reaffirmed that growth would be in double digits over the coming two fiscal years. Growth is expected to be driven by a pickup in domestic infrastructure spending.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday said that economic interests cannot override human lives and in view of various hospitals in the national capital running low on oxygen, the Centre should immediately implement the ban on industrial use of oxygen instead of waiting till April 22.
Component makers don't see any recovery yet, but manufacturers believe the end of poor sales is nearing its end.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh exuded confidence that the economy can get back to 9 per cent growth by the end of 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-2012) and do even better thereafter.
The exporters are optimistic that the industry will grow by 8-10 per cent and it can improve further if the government helps the industry.
Passenger vehicle wholesales in India rose 9 per cent year-on-year in August on the back of strong demand for utility models, industry body SIAM said on Monday. Overall passenger vehicle dispatches to dealers rose to 359,228 units last month from 328,376 units in August 2022. Utility vehicle sales increased 34 per cent year-on-year to 181,825 units.
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies anticipate sustained volume pressures in the January-March quarter (Q4) coupled with sluggish rural growth during the period. Brokerages estimate top-line growth to be in low single digits in the quarter. Also, the late onset of winter had an impact on demand for winter products which range from moisturisers to hot beverages.
The move came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the coronavirus situation in the country on Friday, a home ministry statement said.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said that the economy was expected to revive in the second half of the year on the back of the latest Index of Industrial Production numbers, return of foreign institutional investors to the markets over the last two months and the normal functioning of the credit markets
It's not the high interest rates that's affecting the economy but the policy bottlenecks.
Big, listed FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) companies such as Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Nestl, and Britannia have been top-performing stocks on the bourses in recent weeks. The Nifty FMCG index, which tracks the share prices of the country's top 15 listed FMCG companies, is up 1.9 per cent month-to-date in May compared to a 2.4 per cent decline in the benchmark Nifty 50 in the period.
According to Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority recommendations, a uniform grace period of 30 days is extended for annual, half-yearly and quarterly renewals, and 15 days for monthly renewals.
A Parliamentary committee has asked the Ministry of Small Scale Industries to work closely with Uttar Pradesh Finance Corporation for reviving mini cement plants in the state.
Industry asked the government to be 'brave and bold' and said that it will rise to the occasion.
Among the companies that have shown interest in NTC are Abhishek Industries, Alps Industries, Falcon Tyres, Alok Industries and Nitco.
India's real estate market is poised for growth across categories - residential, commercial, and rental. Currently valued at Rs 24 trillion, or about $300 billion, it is projected to surge to $1.3 trillion by 2034, and then grow further to $5.17 trillion by 2047, indicates a report by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (Credai).
Urging India Inc to participate in the growth story, Sitharaman said they should participate in the divestment programme by becoming the first bidders.
The southwest monsoon has started on a weak note and this has delayed the sowing of kharif crops. Though a cause for concern, the situation hasn't reached a stage where it warrants any panic response. Moreover, according to meteorologists and industry players, monsoon rains will witness a revival in the coming few weeks.
After six weeks into the second half, the faltering offline channel, which traditionally rakes in 60 per cent of sales for the market, has become the biggest hurdle towards the path of revival.
Lauding the strong industrial performance, the Economic Survey on Thursday asked the government to ensure a balance and sustained growth as certain sectors have failed to see a revival in 2009-10.
