Gold hallmarking is a welcome step and was long overdue; move to further organise sector, benefit end consumer

Gold hallmarking is a welcome step and was long overdue; move to further organise sector, benefit end consumer

By allowing phase-wise implementation, exempting small jewellers and ensuring non-coercive action on failure to meet deadline, government has balanced the interests of all stakeholders. India has now made it mandatory for jewellers to sell only hallmarked jewellery, which is a significant step towards making the sector more organised. This is also a win-win situation for […]

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Ethanol Blending targets of government are ambitious, yet praiseworthy but government has been aggressively pursuing it

Ethanol Blending targets of government are ambitious, yet praiseworthy but government has been aggressively pursuing it

Despite challenges, India has been aggressively pursuing its ethanol blending programme and this is reflected in its decision to advance E20 fuel rollout; with this one move, government aims to achieve multiple objectives – clean fuel, energy security, lower import bills and better remuneration for sugarcane farmers   India’s resolve to use cleaner vehicular fuel has […]

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Amendments in rules on appointment, removal of independent directors is significant reform; will bring more transparency, improve corporate governance

Amendments in rules on appointment, removal of independent directors is significant reform; will bring more transparency, improve corporate governance

Changes undertaken by Sebi were much needed and timely and will bring paradigm shift in the ways companies conduct their affairs; decision on InvITs, REITs to usher new opportunities for companies, retail investors       Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has undertaken some major reforms by amending rules related to appointment, reappointment, removal or resignation of Independent Directors on listed company’s board. It has also changed […]

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Indian automobile industry staring yet another crisis as companies now grapple with semi-conductor shortages

Indian automobile industry staring yet another crisis as companies now grapple with semi-conductor shortages

Thanks to automotive semiconductor ICs that modern cars come with high-end functionalities like navigation control, infotainment systems, collision detection systems, 3D mapping applications, augmented-reality technologies and so much more Semi-conductor shortage is posing a great challenge for the global automobile industry and the Indian industry is also feeling the heat. Dealers’ organisation – Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) has […]

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New vehicle buyers need to be incentivised with low taxes, benign fuel prices to keep the sales going

New vehicle buyers need to be incentivised with low taxes, benign fuel prices to keep the sales going

Owning a vehicle has become expensive with rising fuel prices, high taxes, production cost. Unless, potential buyers see value in having one, auto companies will continue to have tough times.  In casual conversations with some friends and people from generation younger to me, many have said that they were not inclined to own a vehicle. […]

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RBI’s latest Financial Stability Report suggests further shocks for banking sector; risks to domestic financial stability staring banks

RBI’s latest Financial Stability Report suggests further shocks for banking sector; risks to domestic financial stability staring banks

Gross bad loans on banks’ balance sheets could rise to 13.5 per cent by 30 September 2021 according to the estimates given by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This is against 7.5 per cent in September 2019  The Indian banking system is headed for a big shock as gross bad loans on banks’ balance […]

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RBI decision to target growth instead of focussing too heavily on inflation control, a welcome departure from its stance

RBI decision to target growth instead of focussing too heavily on inflation control, a welcome departure from its stance

The Monetary Policy announcements last week by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das were bold in ways that the banking regulator this time decided to target growth instead of focussing too much on inflation control. The CPI inflation continues to remain high (at 7.34 per cent in September) – significantly above the regulator’s comfort level of 6 per cent. […]

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