BUSINESS
Chart of the Day| MPC minutes show clear shift towards growth focus
Malhotra’s confidence in the disinflationary trajectory is well-founded. After breaching the RBI’s upper tolerance band in October, headline inflation has moderated, with food inflation showing clear signs of easing
BUSINESS
RBI Survey: Indian farmers still love cash, but digital is gaining ground
Cash remains king in India’s agricultural payments—but the tide is turning
BUSINESS
Chart of the Day | NBFCs’ overall loan growth moderates in December quarter, but gold loans surprise
India's loan growth story isn't over; it's merely taking a breather.
BUSINESS
What do Q3 asset quality trends for banks show?
While PSBs have cleaned up their books well, private sector banks (PVBs) are grappling with rising delinquencies in unsecured retail loans and microfinance portfolios.
BANKING
Exclusive Interview | Have seen material improvement in delinquency trends since November: Satin Creditcare CMD
While banks have slowed down on lending, foreign DFIs (development finance institutions) continue to lend to the microfinance sector, albeit selectively, said HP Singh
BUSINESS
Lower January inflation opens door to an April rate cut
The sharp fall in inflation, particularly food inflation dropping to 6% from over 8% in previous months, provides the RBI with much-needed policy space.
BUSINESS
Where does India stand against US in the trade war? These numbers say a story!
By definition, reciprocal tariffs mean imposing the same tariff rate on imports from other countries as those countries impose on US exports
BUSINESS
Karnataka Governor's rejection of MFI Ordinance a timely wake-up call for government
An excessive punitive approach not only risks stifling the microfinance sector but also threatens to undermine the very credit ecosystem that sustains the state's most vulnerable populations
BUSINESS
Quick Take: Sanjay Malhotra’s first rate cut marks an important policy shift for RBI
A faltering growth scenario required monetary policy support. Inflation, the old nemesis of rate cuts, is no longer breathing fire. The RBI used this window to change tracks
BUSINESS
SBI Q3 numbers tick all the right boxes, but challenges persist
SBI’s asset quality, while stable, hints at lingering fragility within sectors like microfinance
BUSINESS
Chart of the Day | Easing price trends set stage for a Friday rate cut
Food inflation, the villain in India’s inflation story, has finally begun to ease, although it is too early to say whether the decline is deceptive.
BUDGET
Big reforms missing in Budget, but banks could benefit from FM’s consumption boost
If the consumption boost translates into higher credit and deposit growth, the sector might still find reasons to cheer.
BUSINESS
Reforms in Insolvency Code: Why FM must take cues from Economic Survey
More courts, more benches, and better infrastructure were promised, but execution has been sluggish. Without immediate investment in strengthening the NCLT’s capacity, the backlog will only worsen, defeating the very purpose of the IBC
BUSINESS
Karnataka’s proposed MFI Bill can turn out be a double-edged sword for the industry
The proposed bill is intended to address the increasing complaints of harassment by lenders, especially in rural areas, where farmers and marginalized communities have become vulnerable to exploitative lending practices.
BUSINESS
Budget Snapshot | Agri credit target to cross Rs 28 lakh crore in this Budget, what’s in it for banks?
Banks are increasing fund flows to the agriculture sector because it’s an obligation under the rules. Under the priority sector lending (PSL) norms, banks are mandated to lend 18 percent of the adjusted net bank credit to agriculture
BUSINESS
Budget Snapshot | No pressing need to capitalise PSBs in this Budget
The RBI rules require banks to maintain a minimum Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 11.50%. This requirement applies to credit risk, market risk, and operational risk. As the chart shows, most PSBs have a CRAR of 16% and above
BUSINESS
RBI’s aggressive forex interventions have countered volatility, but at what cost?
Foreign exchange interventions, both spot and forward, effectively counter capital flows volatility, with symmetric effects of purchases and sales, says article by RBI researchers
BUSINESS
Budget Snapshot: Will government present a road map on bank privatisation?
Missing the large-ticket reforms in the next five years will put Indian banks one step back. Privatising India's dozen PSBs has been a tough task and an unkept promise
BUSINESS
Small lenders had it tough in 2024, will 2025 see a recovery?
It's not just a funding squeeze that's a bother for MFIs, their asset quality too has shown deterioration in 2024 and there are regulatory concerns on lending discipline
BUSINESS
Budget Snapshot: Will Budget 2025 prioritise stress resolution in banking?
An analysis by CareEdge Ratings highlights worsening delays in the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP). By September 2024, over 71% of ongoing CIRPs exceeded the 270-day completion timeframe, up from 63% in September 2022 and 67% in September 2023.
BUSINESS
Banks’ Q3 business updates: Why is credit growth slowing sharply?
Business updates of banks suggest slowdown in credit growth and rise in stress across certain categories. Do these signal suggest a deeper demand slowdown?
BUSINESS
Bank credit slowed down in 2024, but could bounce back in 2025
Overall, the data shows that bank credit marked a slowdown in the year 2024, falling to 10.6 per cent from 20.9 per cent, with only loans to industries showing a pickup.
BUSINESS
Zooming gold loans, rising defaults: What does this combo tell us about the Indian economy?
If there is rising stress at the bottom of the pyramid, such as in sensitive gold loan and microloan portfolios, the RBI should be worried. It should acknowledge the problem rather than pretending all is well in the economy.
BUSINESS
The 2025 New Year resolutions that will not be made…
It’s not just you and me—there are a few others who also want to share their big resolutions for 2025
