BUSINESS
India’s life insurers to get the last hurrah on growth before flatlining
The month of March could show sharp business growth for life insurers as Indians make their final dash to secure tax-free insurance policies before new rules kick in
BUSINESS
Fed swap lines don’t impress markets that crave end of hikes
More than rethinking its rate hiking spree, the Fed’s real challenge is to make investors believe that the financial system can be patched up quicker than inflation
BUSINESS
Who will blink first? Moody markets or data driven central banks?
Powell’s dilemma is acute as the stability of banks depends on market sentiment even as the Fed’s credibility depends on inflation data
BUSINESS
Why the Fed had to step in to save Silicon Valley Bank depositors
The Fed’s timely action has calmed the markets for now, but the sharp rise in interest rates could mean trouble for other interest-rate sensitive businesses
BUSINESS
Citibank’s exit: Not easy to do business in India?
The 2008 financial crisis prompted the RBI to turn up the regulation on banks. It also prompted multinational banks to turn down their enthusiasm in spreading their business across geographies and focus on healing the home business
BUSINESS
Surprise, surprise! Mergers have actually worked for Indian banks
A new study by the Reserve Bank of India finds that, in the long-run, bank mergers are good for both the parties involved
BUSINESS
RBI has found its animal spirits even if the economy has not
The State of the Economy report in the RBI Bulletin says 'we believe that India will decouple from macroeconomic projections of current vintage and also from the rest of the world'
BUSINESS
How credible is LIC’s claim to stand tall sans tax crutch?
The low share of life insurance in the overall household savings is a testament to the fact that insurance in India is a push product that needs sweeteners such as tax exemptions
BUSINESS
MPC’s inflation fight easier than RBI’s quest for financial stability
With the government showing fiscal rectitude in its Budget for 2023-24, there isn’t any hurdle for the central bank in achieving price stability
BUSINESS
Yes Bank’s AT-1 bonds legal battle may not give closure to bond holders
The legal battle about Yes Bank’s AT-1 bonds has big lessons for banks, regulators and the judiciary
BUSINESS
With a cleaned-up book, IDBI Bank deserves privatisation success
The bank has made enough provisions for bad loans to ensure future profitability
BUSINESS
India’s GDP growth feels robust, but it may not be
Indians may finally take a break after having fulfilled their pent-up desires post the pandemic—the advance GDP estimates show private consumption is expected to shrink 0.2 percent in second half
BUSINESS
The missing message for 2023 in the RBI’s Financial Stability Report
The banking system is at its best in almost a decade. But for the current credit cycle to be sustained, banks must not repeat the mistakes of the last one
BUSINESS
A New Year of dissent awaits the RBI’s monetary policy committee
Divergences and dissent emerge during periods of economic recovery as emerging data is conflicting
BUSINESS
In the war for deposits, no one is winning yet
Leads and lags in interest rate transmission, and a persistent inflation threat to returns make the pursuit of deposits a challenge for banks
BUSINESS
A private sector chief for LIC may not be an easy deal
The key to a change in LIC's fortunes lies not in bringing in outside talent, but in giving its management a completely free hand
BUSINESS
Should the MPC give one more rate hike for the road before resting?
The MPC faces a tough choice between staying the course and pausing a bit to take stock and then making the next move
BUSINESS
India’s small insurers get the wings to grow as IRDA eases rules
IRDA’s relaxations could see competition heating up in the insurance space in the coming years
BUSINESS
Riding the credit boom won’t be easy for PSU banks
Public sector bank shares are in demand, rising by 28 percent in a month. Investors are betting they will ride the anticipated credit boom
BUSINESS
RBI-EU standoff will hit markets, regulators must talk to each other
If the stand-off continues, European banks operating in India would be forced to halt transactions in the domestic markets
BUSINESS
Doves, hawks and the Catch 22 in monetary policy
While the RBI members of the Monetary Policy Committee are all for further tightening, two outside members---Ashima Goyal and JR Varma—believe it’s time to ease up on tightening policy
BUSINESS
RBI takes its first steps on digital currency, but is it really a giant leap for finance?
The RBI has addressed most of the misgivings about the Central bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in its concept note, but it doesn’t make a compelling case why it’s needed
BUSINESS
A financial stability storm could upset RBI’s optimism
The central bank's optimism on domestic growth could get tested by transmission risks posed by global events on the trade and financial market fronts
BUSINESS
RBI will have to consider not just inflation, but also exchange rate and liquidity
Thanks to the RBI’s defence of the rupee, liquidity is now in deficit and short-term rates have inched up so that the effective policy rate hike is more than the actual 140 basis points hike in the repo rate this year
