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Markets regulator <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sebi" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Sebi" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Sebi">SEBI</keyword> has asked the <keyword id="20677983" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mutual-fund-industry" source="keywords">mutual fund industry</keyword> to proactively conduct stress tests, a key component of <keyword id="20383727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="risk-management" source="keywords">risk management</keyword> for the financial sector, which will help strengthen the ecosystem, its whole-time member Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan said on Friday. The regulator's stress testing emphasizes the need to assess and manage liquidity risks, especially in small and midcap equity schemes. Speaking at a mutual fund event, Gopalakrishnan highlighted the importance of modelling stress scenarios not just for individual schemes or fund houses, but for the entire mutual fund ecosystem. "It is also important to model stress scenarios for the entire composite mutual fund ecosystem. I would strongly encourage the industry and <keyword id="20090036" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AMFI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="AMFI" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="AMFI">AMFI</keyword> to take the lead and proactively conduct objective and credible industry wide stress tests. themselves," Gopalakrishnan said. He also emphasized the need to find better ways to communicate the risks associated with different mutual fund schemes. The SEBI official mentioned that while the current risk measurement system is straightforward and has had a significant impact, it doesn't fully capture the differences in risks among various investment schemes. According to him, many schemes are just labelled as high risk, even though they have different kinds of risks. The goal is to improve this system to better reflect those differences, while keeping it simple and easy to understand. One possible approach is to consider the portfolio's volatility and liquidity from stress tests to give a clearer picture. "While ensuring simplicity and ease of understanding remains a key objective, perhaps the underlying volatility of the portfolio along with the liquidity of the portfolio from stress tests could be used to provide better colour all around," he added. This comes at a time when the holdings of mutual funds by <keyword id="20234284" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="domestic-institutional-investors" source="keywords">Domestic Institutional Investors</keyword> (DIIs) and individuals have risen from about 54.3% of free float of all mid cap and small cap companies, as of March 2020 to 60.6% as of March 2024. Several fund houses have proactively stopped lump sum investments in some small-cap schemes and also capped the amount that can be invested through <keyword id="20675888" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="systematic-investment-plan" source="keywords">Systematic Investment Plan</keyword> (SIP) into small-cap schemes. He also highlighted the potential mismatch between the demand for paper and the supply of fresh paper coming into the ecosystem. Gopalakrishnan said the industry can make more progress in streamlining operations and improving efficiency for investors. "At a time when instantaneous fund transfers have become ubiquitous in our country, perhaps we should look to improve our internal processes and the security settlement ecosystem, to ensure that funds are passed on to investors on the day of the settlement itself, rather than a day after or two days after," he added. Over the last few years, the mutual fund industry has made impressive strides, and is now playing a crucial role in channeling financial savings towards risk capital formation. This was driven by stable macros, increased formalization, robust corporate earnings, digitisation and user friendly access. Moreover, the number of mutual fund investors has grown significantly from about 2 crore as of March 2019 to nearly 4.7 crore as of June 2024, an impressive compounded annual growth rate of 18% during that period. Gopalakrishnan mentioned that several exciting initiatives are in the works, developed with input from all stakeholders. These include a proposed low-ticket SIP, further breaking down regular SIPs into smaller, more accessible units (sachetisation and tokenization), and the introduction of "mutual funds lite" regulations. These new regulations will simplify rules for passively managed funds, reducing the compliance burden and encouraging competition and innovation. Additionally, a new class of higher-risk schemes is proposed for investors with a greater capacity to handle risk.

SEBI asks mutual fund industry to proactively conduct stress test

<keyword id="19896016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-delhi" source="keywords">New Delhi</keyword>, Global brokerage <keyword id="19906485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="goldman-sachs" source="keywords">Goldman Sachs</keyword> has flagged multiple headwinds to deposit growth in Indian banks as it loses its attractiveness. It has cited head winds like strained financial savings, the rise of alternatives such as stock market investments and strong growth in alternate government savings schemes (<keyword id="20699846" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ppf-and-small-savings" source="keywords">PPF and Small Savings</keyword>), size of which has grown to 21 per cent of the total deposits. Interestingly, increase in alternative government savings schemes is equivalent to 34 per cent of the increase in deposits over FY21-23, Goldman Sachs said. It said: "We believe the system would need to offer attractive rates to make bank-deposits attractive. "We believe consumer lending is nearing the consolidation phase driven by large volumes of unsecured lending with an estimated 120mn unsecured personal loans which increased 4X over the last three years; rising financial leverage at <keyword id="20319599" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="households" source="keywords">Households</keyword> with gross-financial-liabilities to gross-financial-assets increasing to all time peak of 40 per cent, a sharp reduction in net financial assets (financial savings minus financial assets) from 11 per cent+ of GDP to less than 5 per cent of GDP and deteriorating performance of portfolio on boarded over the last 12 months." Bank deposits also see competition from government small savings investments which have now grown to 20 per cent of the total deposit pool in the system, and offer higher interest rates compared to bank TD. The share of deposits in the household financial asset mix has decreased to only 45 per cent in FY23 (compared to 48 per cent in FY21), with incremental flow of only 35 per cent going towards deposits. This has led to flows of net financial assets as a proportion of GDP to more than halve from FY21 to FY23, Goldman Sachs said. --IANS biz/san/svn

Bank deposits losing attractiveness as govt savings schemes see strong growth

<keyword id="20190045" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Industry-body" source="keywords">Industry body</keyword> <keyword id="21568150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SME-Chamber-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SME Chamber of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SME Chamber of India">SME Chamber of India</keyword> has urged <keyword id="19956758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Minister" source="keywords">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> to continue the 45-day <keyword id="21233021" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="MSME-payment-rule" source="keywords">MSME payment rule</keyword> for <keyword id="20008810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="corporates" source="keywords">corporates</keyword> and other buyers. According to Section 43B(h) of the <keyword id="19936187" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Income-Tax-Act" source="keywords">Income Tax Act</keyword>, introduced through the <keyword id="19955404" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance" source="keywords">Finance</keyword> Act 2023, if a larger company does not pay an MSME on time -- within 45 days in case of written agreements -- it cannot deduct that expense from its taxable income, leading to potentially higher taxes. The government in last year's Budget added a new clause under Section 43B of the Income Tax Act to address the challenge of delayed payments faced by MSMEs in the country. "We are pursuing not to change the 45-day MSME payment rules imposed by the Department under the pressure of corporates or multinational companies to save the life span of the MSME sector. Section 43B(h) of the Income Tax Act reinforces the importance of timely payments by mandating that companies settle payments to MSME vendors within 45 days to qualify for deductions," SME Chamber said in a statement addressed to Sitharaman. The industry body argued that this provision serves as a powerful incentive for companies to adhere to payment timelines, thereby supporting the financial health of MSMEs. "Many MSMEs are NPA victims of corporates, who are buying from them and not dealing through the TReDs platform. Most of the corporates and multinational companies are forcefully insisting to deregister from the Udyam Portal and insisting not to deal through the TReDs platform," SME Chamber stated. The industry body also urged the finance minister to consider providing Rs 5 crore loans under the "Differential Rate of Interest" scheme for micro and <keyword id="20569966" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="small-enterprises" source="keywords">small enterprises</keyword>. It suggested changing the NPA definition from 90 days to 180 days for the MSME sector. The chamber also sought the setting up of a task force to review various issues, hurdles, grievances and difficulties faced by MSMEs for availing credit facilities and the lack of approach by the financial institutions towards enhancement of credit flow to the MSME sector.

Continue 45-day MSME payment rule: Industry body to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on Tuesday announced <keyword id="20404375" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="income-tax-relief" source="keywords">income tax relief</keyword> for the <keyword id="20071167" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="middle-class" source="keywords">middle class</keyword>, a Rs 2 lakh crore outlay for <keyword id="22517841" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="job-creation-schemes" source="keywords">job creation schemes</keyword> over the next five years and a spending splurge for states run by her party's new coalition partners as she unveiled <keyword id="20509939" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi-3-0" source="keywords">Modi 3.0</keyword> government's first budget after the general elections. With rural distress and unemployment being blamed for BJP losing its majority, Sitharaman in her seventh straight budget provided Rs 2.66 lakh crore for <keyword id="20027688" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rural-development" source="keywords">rural development</keyword> and maintained spending on long-term infrastructure projects at Rs 11.11 lakh crore to boost <keyword id="19900794" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-growth" source="keywords">economic growth</keyword>. She abolished 'angel tax' for all classes of investors in startups, cut customs duty on mobile phones and gold and simplified capital gains tax. She, however, raised the securities transaction tax (STT) on futures and options of securities, which led to tanking of stock markets. "India's economic growth continues to be the shining exception (in a world that is gripped by policy uncertainties) and will remain so in the years ahead," she said. "In this budget, we particularly focus on <keyword id="19898684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="employment" source="keywords">employment</keyword>, <keyword id="20374219" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="skilling" source="keywords">skilling</keyword>, MSMEs, and the middle class." Besides Rs 2 lakh crore provided over a five year period for schemes and initiatives to facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth, "I have made a provision of Rs 1.48 lakh crore for education, employment and skilling," she said. For Bihar, where assembly elections are due next year, the finance minister announced spending of Rs 60,000 crore on infrastructure projects like expressways, power plant, heritage corridors and new airports. The support to Bihar, whose ruling party and BJP's partner JD-U has been demanding an economic package and special category status for the state, is in the form of capital projects but not subsidy or cash dole. Similarly, for Andhra Pradesh, whose ruling TDP recently joined BJP-led NDA, she allocated Rs 15,000 crore in financial aid through multilateral agencies. A similar request for support to Bihar will be expedited, she said. For the middle class, she raised standard deduction -- a flat deduction from total salary earned by an employee in a year before calculating applicable income tax rate -- by 50 per cent to Rs 75,000 and tweaked tax slabs for taxpayers opting for the new income tax regime. This will lead to taxpayers under the new tax regime -- which offers lower rates of taxes but permits limited deductions and exemptions -- saving up to Rs 17,500 in tax annually, she said. To spur employment, the Budget provided for incentives for companies, including paying for one-month salary for first-time employees, incentive at specified sale to both employee and empower with respect to their retirement fund contribution in the first four years of employment and reimbursing employers up to Rs 3,000 per month for 2 years towards EPFO contribution of each additional employee. Also, a programme to improve skills as well internship for students and subsidised loans for higher education will be provided, she said. India's official unemployment rate in urban areas is pegged at 6.7 per cent but private agencies put it at much higher levels. Buoyed by robust tax collections and a higher-than-expected dividend receipt from the Reserve Bank, Sitharaman said the government's fiscal deficit -- the difference between the total revenue earned and total expenditure -- will be trimmed to 4.9 per cent of the GDP in 2024-25, below the 5.1 per cent figure estimated in the interim budget she presented in February. She reduced gross market borrowing marginally to Rs 14.01 lakh crore. The Budget for 2024-25 fiscal (April 2024 to March 2025) allocated Rs 1.52 lakh crore for agriculture and allied sectors, aid for building 3 crore affordable housing units in urban and rural areas, provided credit support to small and medium businesses, raised small loans to Rs 20 lakh for small business, proposed setting up 12 industrial parks, and provided for setting up a Rs 1,000 crore venture capital fund for space sector.

Modi 3.0 1st Budget: Tax relief for middle class, Rs 2 lakh cr job scheme

India's National Pension System (NPS) has bucked the downtrend triggered by Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent nationwide lockdown to contain it. During the first three weeks of April, the scheme along with the <keyword id="2746514" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Atal-Pension-Yojana">Atal Pension Yojana</keyword> (APY) has seen an upsurge in new enrolments and an increase in assets under management (AUM) of these programmes. ALSO WATCH: The CEO of mutual fund house explains how to invest your savings in the post-coronavirus world <div type="Youtube" id="R0KmfIsR_90" title="How To Divide Your Savings Post Coronavirus" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/R0KmfIsR_90/mqdefault.jpg"></div> In financial parlance, NPS and APY are Central government backed schemes which are administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). The PFRDA is the statutory authority established by an enactment of the Parliament, to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of the NPS and the pension schemes to which this Act applies. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75468072" title="Here is a list of top 25 stocks that qualify for ‘Ten Baggers’, according to Ambit" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The NPS was initially notified for Central government employees joining service on or after January 1, 2004 and subsequently adopted by almost all State Governments for its employees. The NPS was extended to all citizens of India on a voluntary basis from May 2009 and to corporates in December 2011 and to Non-Resident Indians in October 2015. "There has been a spark... Almost more than 33,000-34000 people have joined during these first three weeks of April. The 'Total Assets Under Management' has also seen a record rise of Rs 12,000 crore," PFRDA's Chairman Supratim Bandyopadhyay told IANS. According to Bandyopadhyay, the corporate sector has shown a keen interest to get their employees enrolled into the NPS scheme. Similarly retail customers of the scheme have also grown. "We have seen a healthy response from the corporate customers. There are at least seven (companies) in the pipeline. They have either already got their board approval or in the process of getting the approval to subscribe," he said. Currently the PFRDA administered system has seven fund managers. "There has been a massive value addition in the stock prices during this time as we are able to invest in really good quality stocks at very reasonable prices," he said. On the impact of Covid-19, he said: "Till now we have not seen any redemption pressure. In fact, there has been negligible redemption from both the scheme." "In APY, we have made provisions that no automatic deduction from the accounts of subscribers happen for three months up to June." While the APY is a pension scheme focused on the unorganised sector workers, the NPS is a voluntary, defined contribution retirement savings scheme. Besides the NPS, some mutual funds and insurance companies also offer pension plans, which are not under the jurisdiction of PFRDA. Apart from this, the normal retirement plan options include EPFO, while retirement gratuity is offered by employers to their workers and employees. As of March 31, 2020, the combined total AUM of NPS and APY stood at Rs 4.17 lakh crore. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/irctc-share-price-has-jumped-30-in-april-so-far-despite-the-lockdown-thats-halted-trains-ticketing-and-even-rail-neer-sales/articleshow/75425845.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">IRCTC share price has jumped 30% in April so far despite the lockdown that’s halted trains, ticketing, and even Rail Neer sales</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/a-personal-finance-expert-answers-the-most-troubling-questions-about-franklin-templeton-mutual-funds/articleshow/75348506.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">A personal finance expert answers the most troubling questions about Franklin Templeton mutual funds</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/titans-sales-to-remain-muted-for-the-next-2-years-as-an-impact-of-coronavirus-lockdown/articleshow/75404925.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Without weddings and fewer Indians in a celebratory mood, Titan’s sales to remain muted for the next 2 years</a>

India's small savers parked over a $1.5 billion in pension schemes spooked by the stock market carnage in April

(Eds: Adding details) New Delhi, Mar 31 () The government on Tuesday slashed interest rates on small savings schemes, including NSC and PPF, by up to 1.4 percentage points for the first quarter of 2020-21, in line with moderation in bank deposit rates. Interest rates for small savings schemes are notified on a quarterly basis. "The rates of interest on various small savings schemes for the first quarter of the financial year 2020-21 starting April 1, 2020, and ending on June 30, 2020, have been revised," the finance ministry said in a notification. With the reduction, term deposits of 1-3 years will now earn an interest rate of 5.5 per cent as against 6.9 per cent, down 1.4 percentage points, the notification said. However, the interest rate on the five-year term deposit has been reduced to 6.7 per cent from current rate of 7.7 per cent, it said adding that interest rate on these are paid quarterly. The cut in the interest rate on a 5-year recurring deposit is 1.4 percentage points. The new rate for this saving instrument will be 5.8 per cent. The interest rate for the five-year Senior Citizens Savings Scheme has been lowered by 1.2 percentage points to 7.4 per cent, from the existing 8.6 per cent. The interest on the senior citizens scheme is also paid quarterly. However, interest on savings deposits has been retained at 4 per cent annually. The girl child savings scheme Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana account will earn a lower rate of 7.6 per cent as against 8.4 per cent during the first quarter of the next financial year 2020-21. The interest rate moderation for Public Provident Fund (PPF) and National Savings Certificate (NSC) for the next quarter is 0.8 percentage points and 1.1 percentage points, respectively, it said. The rates will now stand at 7.1 per cent for PPF and 6.8 per cent for NSC. The Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) will give a lower yield of 6.9 per cent with enhanced maturity period of 124 months as against 7.6 per cent and 113 months maturity at present. While announcing the quarterly setting of interest rates in 2016, the finance ministry had said the rates of small savings schemes would be linked to government bond yields. Last month, Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty had hinted at revision in small savings rates for the next quarter, in line with market rate for speedier transmission of monetary policy rate. Stating that the Shyamala Gopinath Committee report has been accepted, but operation of the linkage was still in the works, he had said "wait for this quarter interest rates. That will give you a fairly good indication." Bankers have been complaining that high small savings rates prohibits them to cut their deposit rates immediately to check flight of savings. DP HRS

Govt cuts interest rate on small savings schemes for June quarter

New Delhi, Mar 18 () The government is considering rate moderation for small savings schemes in the upcoming quarter, a development that could lead to speedier transmission of monetary policy rate cuts, sources said. During the current quarter, the government refrained from cutting interest rates on small savings schemes, such as Public Provident Fund (PPF) and National Savings Certificate (NSC), despite moderating bank deposit rates. Bankers have been complaining that high rates on small savings schemes prohibit them from cutting deposit rates. Currently, there is a difference of nearly 100 basis points between deposit rate of banks and small savings rate for one-year maturity. Earlier this week, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will take a call on an interest rate cut and all options were on the table to counter the coronavirus blow. Last month, the governor in an interview with said, "We have said it in MPC resolution that there is a case for reducing the small savings rates and aligning it more with the formula-based rate fixation. We have referred to it in the MPC resolution." The MPC in its February Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement said that while there is a need for adjustment in interest rates on small saving schemes, the external benchmark system introduced from October 1 last year has strengthened the monetary transmission. The finance ministry has been nudging public sector banks to pass the whole repo rate cuts to retail loans for pushing consumption. Banks have resisted it fearing their margin will take a hit in case of 100 per cent transmission. Rates on small savings schemes are revised on quarterly basis. On December 31, 2019, the government decided to keep interest rates for small savings schemes like PPF and NSC unchanged at 7.9 per cent for the fourth quarter of the current financial year, while the rate for the Kisan Vikas Patra maturing in 113 months was kept at 7.6 per cent. The interest rate for 5-year Senior Citizens Savings Scheme was retained at 8.6 per cent, while that for savings deposits was kept unchanged at 4 per cent a year. The interest on the senior citizens' scheme is paid quarterly. However, the government had said that first quarter of the next financial year, the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana will offer 8.4 per cent rate. DP HRS

Govt may cut rate on small savings schemes in next quarter

New Delhi, Dec 31 () The government on Tuesday kept the interest rates on small savings schemes, including NSC and PPF, unchanged for the fourth quarter of 2019-20 despite moderating bank deposit rates.
Public Provident Fund (PPF) and National Savings Certificate (NSC) will continue to carry an annual interest rate of 7.9 per cent, while Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) will give a yield of 7.6 per cent and mature in 113 months.
Interest rates for small savings schemes are notified on a quarterly basis.
"The rates of interest on various small savings schemes for the fourth quarter of the financial year 2019-20 starting January 1, 2020, and ending on March 31, 2020, shall remain unchanged from those notified for the third quarter of the financial year 2019-20," the finance ministry said in a notification.
 The interest rate for the five-year Senior Citizens Savings Scheme has been retained at 8.6 per cent. The interest on the senior citizens' scheme is paid quarterly. Interest on savings deposits has been retained at 4 per cent annually.
The girl child savings scheme Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana account will offer 8.4 per cent rate during the first quarter of the next fiscal.
Term deposits of 1-5 years will fetch interest rate in the range of 6.9-7.7 per cent, to be paid quarterly, while the five-year recurring deposit is pegged at 7.2 per cent.
 While announcing the quarterly setting of interest rates in 2016, the finance ministry had said that rates of small savings schemes would be linked to government bond yields.
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) earlier this month had also kept interest rates static on inflationary concerns. DP MR
MR

Small savings schemes: Govt keeps interest rates unchanged for Jan-Mar qrt

New Delhi, Mar 31 () The government on Tuesday slashed interest rates on small savings schemes, including National Savings Certificate and Public Provident Fund, by up to 1.4 per cent for the first quarter of 2020-21, in line with moderation in bank deposit rates. Interest rates for small savings schemes are notified on a quarterly basis. With the reduction, term deposits of 1-3 years will now fetch an interest rate of 5.5 per cent from the existing 6.9 per cent, down 1.4 per cent, according to a notification by the finance ministry. Interest rates are paid quarterly, while the five-year term deposit will earn 6.7 per cent from the current rate of 7.7 per cent. DP HRS

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SEBI asks mutual fund industry to proactively conduct stress test

PTI

Bank deposits losing attractiveness as govt savings schemes see strong growth

IANS