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<keyword id="19951168" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="RBI-governor-Shaktikanta-Das" source="keywords">RBI governor Shaktikanta Das</keyword> was awarded an A+ grade, the highest of the lot, for the second time in a row by the <keyword id="22855254" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Global-Finance-Magazine" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Global Finance Magazine" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Global Finance Magazine">Global Finance Magazine</keyword>'s <keyword id="22862849" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Banker-Report-Card-2024" source="keywords">Central Banker Report Card 2024</keyword>. While the full list will be available in October, Das was ranked the highest, along with Denmark's Christian Kettel Thomsen and Switzerland's Thomas Jordan. Fed chairman Jerome Powell scored an A- on the list. Before Das, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had also made to this list in 2015, securing A grade. Taking to X, PM <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> and <keyword id="19982618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anand-Mahindra" source="keywords">Anand Mahindra</keyword>, who heads Mahindra and Mahindra, congratulated Das, with the billionaire calling him "a <keyword id="21663281" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold-medalist" source="keywords">gold medalist</keyword> in central bank Olympics". <div type="twitter" handle="narendramodi" handlename="narendramodi" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1826100085672857771"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="anandmahindra" handlename="anandmahindra" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1825919281957159052"></div> Brazil's Roberto Campos Neto, Chile's Rosanna Costa, Sri Lanka's Nandalal Weerasinghe and Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Hong received a A grade, while EU's Christine Lagarde, Cambodia's Chea Serey and Sweden's Erik Thedéen were amongst those receiving the A-grade. Since 1994, Global Finance has been grading the central bank governors of nearly 100 countries. They are rated at a scale of A+ (excellent) to F (failure) depending on their success across specific parameters such as inflation control, economic growth goals, currency stability and interest rate management. <h2>Who is Shaktikanta Das? </h2>With a seasoned bureaucratic legacy of 35 years, Das is an IAS officer from the 1980 Tamil Nadu cadre. He graduated from St. Stephens College, Delhi with a degree in history, and was appointed as the 25th governor of the apex bank five years ago, on December 12th, 2018. Prior to assuming this position, Das had also served as secretary in the Department of Revenue and also, Economic Affairs under the <keyword id="19908390" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Finance" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ministry of Finance" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Ministry of Finance">Ministry of Finance</keyword>. He also served as the DM (district magistrate) for Dindigul and Kanchipuram. Having worked with 4 different finance ministers (Pranab Mukherjee, Arun Jaitley, P Chidambaram and Nirmala Sitharaman), Das had previously also been a member, 15th Finance Commission, along with being a G20 Sherpa in 2017. Das had been instrumental in preparation of India's last 8 union budgets, along with serving as India's alternate governor at various fora, like World Bank, Asian Development Bank, New Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and more. Das has several economic laurels to his name. From drafting the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code to executing tax devolution under GST for states and demonetisation, , Shaktikanta Das has played a crucial role in shaping India's overall economic health

Gold medalist in central bank Olympics-All you need to know about RBI governor Shaktikanta Das

The <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> party has levied fresh allegations against <keyword id="20914154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="SEBI-Chairperson" source="keywords">SEBI Chairperson</keyword> <keyword id="19922107" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhabi-Puri-Buch" source="keywords">Madhabi Puri Buch</keyword>, calling her a perfect case of the office for profit. This refers to a position that brings some financial gain, or advantage to the office holder, which in this case was Buch's position as a whole-time member of <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SEBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SEBI">SEBI</keyword>, and then post 2022, as the regulatory body's chairperson. In a press conference in New Delhi on Monday, Pawan Khera, Chairman, Media and Publicity Department, Congress, charged Buch of receiving regular income from private lender <keyword id="19900482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ICICI Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="ICICI Bank">ICICI Bank</keyword> and <keyword id="47860" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Prudential" source="Orion">ICICI Prudential</keyword>, India's second largest asset management company, all while being the whole-time member and later Chairperson of the capital markets regulatory body. "She (SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch) between 2017 and 2024 was taking regular income of Rs 16 crore 80 lakhs from ICICI Bank," alleged Pawan Khera, at the press briefing. The congress spokesperson also alleged that Buch received a total of Rs 16.80 crore between 2017-18 to 2023-24, from ICICI Bank, ICICI Prudential, <keyword id="20043663" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ESOPs" source="keywords">ESOPs</keyword>, and <keyword id="19948097" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TDS" source="keywords">TDS</keyword> on ESOPs. According to the Congress' allegations, in 2017-18 the SEBI chief allegedly received Rs 2.06 crore from ICICI Bank as salary and Rs 7 lakh from ICICI Prudential. In 2018-19, she received Rs 4.71 crore from ICICI Bank, Rs 2.17 lakh from ICICI Prudential. In 2019-20, Rs 1.21 crore from ICICI Bank and Rs 2.17 lakh from ICICI Prudential. In 2020-21, she was alleged of having received Rs 4.64 crore from ICICI Bank and Rs 2.17 lakh ICICI Prudential. In 2021-22, Congress asserted that the salary stopped from ICICI Bank but she continued to receive Rs 2.17 lakh from ICICI Prudential, also same year she received ESOP and TDS on ESOP from ICICI Bank. In 2022-23, she was alleged to have received Rs 4.44 lakh from ICICI Prudential, in addition to ESOP and TDS on ESOP, In 2023-24, she was alleged to have received Rs 2.17 from ICICI Prudential. The Congress further alleges that during this period, Buch also drew a salary from SEBI as a whole-time member and later as the Chairperson. Khera further added that several probes on ICICI Bank were being adjudicated during this period when Madhabi Puri Buch was receiving income from the group. He also cited unnamed reports to claim that the SEBI chief has relaxed norms for the ICICI Bank. "The person sitting at the top of the regulator is taking salaries from another entity," Khera alleged, adding it was a perfect case of "office for profit". "So we want to know why you were taking your salary from ICICI despite being a full-time member of SEBI?," Khera asked what service she as the SEBI Chairperson provided the bank when she was part of SEBI. "This is a direct violation of Section 54 of SEBI. Therefore, if Madhabi Puri Buch has any shame, she should resign from her post," Khera added. The SEBI Chief is yet to react to the charges made by the Congress in Monday's news conference. Madhabi Puri Buch was a whole-time member of SEBI from April 5, 2017 to October 4, 2021. Then on March 2, 2022, Madhabi Puri Buch became the Chairperson of SEBI. Recently, US-based short seller Hindenburg Research made allegations against her accusing her of conflict of interest. Last month, Hindenburg Research alleged that SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch had stakes in "both the obscure offshore entities used in the Admoney siphoning scandal." Hindenburg Research said it has made the new allegations based on documents provided by a whistleblower and investigations carried out by other entities. Soon after, the SEBI Chairperson and her husband, in their personal capacity, issued a detailed statement rejecting the allegations. In the joint statement released to the media they said, "In the context of allegations made in the Hindenburg Report dated August 10, 2024, against us, we would like to state that we strongly deny the baseless allegations and insinuations made in the report. The same are devoid of any truth. Our life and finances are an open book. All disclosures as required have already been furnished to SEBI over the years. We have no hesitation in disclosing any and all financial documents, including those that relate to the period when we were strictly private citizens, to any and every authority that may seek them. Further, in the interest of complete transparency, we would be issuing a detailed statement in due course." "It is unfortunate that Hindenburg Research against whom SEBI has taken an Enforcement action and issued a show cause notice has chosen to attempt character assassination in response to the same," the statement from Madhabi Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch read.

Congress alleges SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch of office for profit

<ul><li>The <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reserve-Bank-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reserve Bank of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reserve Bank of India">Reserve Bank of India</keyword>’s <keyword id="20104157" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monetary-policy" source="keywords">monetary policy</keyword> meeting is set to begin today.</li><li>The central bank will announce the outcome of the <keyword id="22684891" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MPC-meeting" source="keywords">MPC meeting</keyword> on October 9.</li><li><keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords">RBI</keyword> has kept the <keyword id="20094323" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="repo-rate" source="keywords">repo rate</keyword> unchanged for the last nine consecutive meetings.</li></ul>The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is set to begin its three-day monetary policy meeting on Monday and will run from October 7 to October 9. All eyes are on the outcome, as the central bank has kept the repo rate unchanged for the last nine consecutive meetings. The repo rate, currently at 6.50%, has remained steady since the RBI adopted a cautious stance to balance inflation control and economic growth. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), headed by RBI Governor <keyword id="19913110" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shaktikanta-Das" source="keywords">Shaktikanta Das</keyword>, is expected to weigh key factors like inflationary trends, global economic uncertainties, and domestic growth prospects. Inflation continues to be a challenge, particularly in food and fuel prices, which saw a surge earlier this year. As per the data from the Ministry of Statistics &amp; Programme Implementation, though the All India Consumer Price inflation in August was 3.65%, which is under the RBI target band the food inflation stands at 5.65% and it remains above the RBI's medium-term target of 4%. Despite these inflationary pressures, the RBI has opted for a status quo on the repo rate, primarily to support economic recovery post-pandemic. However, there are rising concerns that external factors, like the rising global crude oil prices and tensions in West Asia, may compel the RBI to reconsider its current stance. Earlier this month the central government appointed three new members to the monetary policy committee. The MPC comprises three members from the RBI and three external members appointed by the Central Government. The newly reconstituted committee consists of the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India as the Chairperson, ex officio; the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, in charge of monetary policy--Member, ex officio, and one officer of the Reserve Bank of India, nominated by the Central Board -- Member, ex officio. The new external members included in the MPC are Professor Ram Singh, Director, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Saugata Bhattacharya, economist; and Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Director and Chief Executive, Institute for Studies in Industrial Development. Market participants and analysts are closely monitoring this meeting for any forward guidance on future rate actions. Many believe the central bank will continue its wait-and-watch approach, but a surprise rate hike cannot be entirely ruled out. On September 18, the <keyword id="19901377" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Federal-Reserve" source="keywords">US Federal Reserve</keyword> announced a steep 50 basis points interest cut in its review meeting. US Fed announced the rate cuts after holding interest rates steady for eight straight meetings. The outcome of the MPC meeting will be announced on October 9 and will set the tone for future monetary policies amid the changing global economic landscape. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will commence its three-day monetary policy meeting on Monday, October 7th, and continue until October 9th. The result of this meeting is eagerly anticipated, as the central bank has maintained a steady repo rate for the past nine consecutive meetings. The repo rate has remained at 6.50% since the RBI adopted a cautious approach to balance inflation control and economic growth. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), led by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, will consider various factors, including inflationary trends, global economic uncertainties, and domestic growth prospects. Inflation remains a challenge, particularly in food and fuel prices, which surged earlier this year. According to data from the Ministry of Statistics &amp; Programme Implementation, All India Consumer Price inflation in August was 3.65%, within the RBI's target band, however, food inflation stands at 5.65%, exceeding the RBI's medium-term target of 4%. Despite inflationary pressures, the RBI has opted to maintain the repo rate to support economic recovery post-pandemic. Nonetheless, rising concerns about external factors, such as increasing global crude oil prices due to tensions in West Asia, may prompt the RBI to reassess its current stance. Earlier this month, the central government appointed three new members to the monetary policy committee. The MPC consists of three members from the RBI and three external members appointed by the Central Government. It is worth noting that on September 18, the US Federal Reserve announced a substantial 50 basis points interest rate cut in its review meeting, reversing its previous stance of holding rates steady for eight consecutive meetings. With inputs from ANI. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/september-auto-sales-automakers-report-a-decline-mahindra-and-mahindra-overtakes-tata-motors/articleshow/113925972.cms">September Auto sales – Automakers report a decline, Mahindra and Mahindra overtakes Tata Motors</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ola-electric-continues-to-lose-market-share-as-bajaj-auto-and-tvs-motor-gain/articleshow/113900252.cms">Ola Electric continues to lose market share as Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor gain</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-is-using-ai-powered-technology-to-block-spam-calls-and-messages/articleshow/113691942.cms">Airtel is using AI-powered technology to block spam calls and messages</a>

RBI's monetary policy committee meeting begins today, announcement on October 9

The <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reserve-Bank-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reserve Bank of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reserve Bank of India">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (<keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords">RBI</keyword>) on Monday said 97.96 % of the <keyword id="6429211" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rs-2" source="Orion">Rs 2</keyword>,000 denomination <keyword id="20481528" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="banknotes" source="keywords">banknotes</keyword> have returned to the banking system, and only Rs 7,261 crore worth of the withdrawn notes are still with the public. On May 19, 2023, the RBI announced the withdrawal of Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes from circulation. The total value of Rs 2,000 banknotes in circulation, which was Rs 3.56 lakh crore at the close of business on May 19, 2023, when the withdrawal of Rs 2,000 banknotes was announced, has declined to Rs 7,261 crore at the close of business on August 30, 2024, the RBI said. "Thus, 97.96 % of the Rs 2,000 banknotes in circulation as on May 19, 2023, has since been returned," it said in a statement. The facility for deposit and/or exchange of the Rs 2,000 banknotes was available at all bank branches in the country till October 7, 2023. The facility for the exchange of the Rs 2,000 banknotes has been available at the 19 issue offices of the <keyword id="19922074" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank" source="keywords">Reserve Bank</keyword> since May 19, 2023. From October 9, 2023, RBI issue offices are also accepting Rs 2000 banknotes from individuals and entities for deposit into their bank accounts. Further, members of the public are sending Rs 2,000 banknotes through India Post from any post office within the country to any of the RBI issue offices for credit to their bank accounts. The 19 RBI offices depositing/exchanging the banknotes are in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Belapur, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Patna and Thiruvananthapuram. Rs 2000 banknotes were introduced in November 2016, following the demonetisation of the then-prevailing Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 banknotes. However, even after their discontinuation, Rs 2,000 notes continue to remain legal tender. Per the apex bank's last update, which came out on August 1st, 2024, Rs 2,000 banknotes had declined to Rs 7409 crore at the close of business on July 31, 2024. Thus, by last month, 97.92% of the Rs 2,000 banknotes which were in circulation as on May 19, 2023, had been returned.

Rs 2,000 notes: 97.96% returned; Rs 7,261 crore worth notes still with public

Domestic firms will <keyword id="6356112" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lease" source="Orion">lease</keyword> an estimated 60-65 million square feet of <keyword id="181150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="office-space" source="Orion">office space</keyword> between 2024 and 2025, according to <keyword id="20060150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cbre" source="keywords">CBRE</keyword> South Asia's report, '<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> Inc's Ascension - The Rise of Domestic Firms as an Office Demand Driver'. Domestic companies have been responsible for nearly 47 per cent of office leasing activity from 2022 to H1 2024, marking a departure from the traditional dominance of global corporations, particularly American firms. During 2022-2023, domestic firms experienced a 60 per cent surge in office space absorption compared to the pre-pandemic period of 2018-2019. Key occupier groups have secured significant spaces in prime locations across major cities, with <keyword id="19913115" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delhi-ncr" source="keywords">Delhi-NCR</keyword> leading, followed by <keyword id="6354321" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bengaluru" source="Orion">Bengaluru</keyword> and Mumbai. E-commerce and life sciences companies have driven occupancy in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, respectively, while Mumbai has captured a substantial 43 per cent share of domestic <keyword id="19910880" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bfsi" source="keywords">BFSI</keyword> leasing, with strong contributions from Delhi-NCR and Chennai. The report attributes the robust growth of India's office market to several factors, including government initiatives like Make in India and the <keyword id="19952889" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="production-linked-incentive" source="keywords">Production Linked Incentive</keyword> (PLI) Scheme. These programs, along with increased domestic manufacturing, employment generation, and a well-capitalized banking sector, have created a supportive environment for business expansion. Other contributing factors include low corporate leverage ratios and improved access to capital, which have enhanced the investment capacity of Indian companies. India's talent pool, with approximately 2.5 million STEM graduates and a thriving start-up ecosystem featuring over 100 unicorns, has also been a major driver of growth. With over 38 sector skill councils, the government's focus on bridging the skill gap is preparing domestic firms for future demands, further bolstering the office leasing sector. Flexible space operators, technology, and BFSI sectors have emerged as the primary drivers of office leasing, collectively accounting for two-thirds of all domestic activity. The RCA sector, which includes legal, taxation, HR, and media services, is also playing a significant role in boosting domestic leasing. Additionally, Indian engineering and manufacturing firms, which currently represent 7-8 per cent of domestic office leasing, are expected to expand into <keyword id="20270212" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tier-ii" source="keywords">Tier-II</keyword> and Tier-III cities, which are emerging as manufacturing hubs. Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO, India, Southeast Asia, Middle East &amp; Africa, CBRE, said, "India's rapidly expanding start-up ecosystem and talent abundance are major drivers of this demand. As India's major urban centers continue to grow and diversify, the demand for premium office spaces will shape the future of the commercial real estate market, setting new standards for innovation and excellence. He added, "India's top nine cities are poised to see an impressive addition of ~185 million sq. ft. of premium office space by 2026. This dramatic increase in office space is a testament to several key factors driving the transformation of the commercial real estate landscape". Ram Chandnani, Managing Director, Advisory and Transaction Services, CBRE India, said, "Advances in technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), are poised to further transform the office sector. While AI may cause job displacement in some areas, it will also create new opportunities and necessitate comprehensive workforce reskilling. The surge in workforce needs, driven by digitalization, evolving workplace strategies, and enhanced business confidence, has substantially boosted leasing activity."

Domestic firms to lease 60-65 million sq ft office space by 2025: CBRE report

Dear reader, As another week draws to a close, the financial world is abuzz with excitement, with markets hitting all-time highs and raising questions for investors on how to best navigate this promising terrain. We explored some strategies for <keyword id="20223034" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mutual-fund" source="keywords">mutual fund</keyword> investors looking to capitalise on India’s robust growth, despite some experts warning of overvalued conditions. But it was not all about numbers; the <keyword id="20665553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-work" source="keywords">remote work</keyword> debate also heat up again this week. A former <keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> employee had even spilled the beans on creative tactics used by workers to skirt the company's recent office mandate. Meanwhile, in a tech-savvy twist, Bengaluru's traffic police have deployed AI-powered cameras to ensure that rule-breakers aren't slipping through the cracks, whether or not an officer is present. This innovative move raises the stakes for those who might think twice about cutting a red light or using their phones while driving. In a more personal journey, a 41-year-old bank worker reveals how simple dietary changes and a straightforward workout technique transformed his physique, proving that it’s never too late to make positive lifestyle changes. And for music lovers, the excitement surrounding <keyword id="20399945" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Coldplay" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Coldplay" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Coldplay">Coldplay</keyword>'s upcoming performance in India is palpable! However, with scalpers jacking up prices to exorbitant levels, we highlight how it may actually be cheaper to catch the band live in Abu Dhabi instead of facing the steep markups in Mumbai. Join us as we unpack these intriguing stories and more, ensuring you stay ahead of the curve in today's rapidly changing landscape. <h2>Top stories from the week</h2> With markets hitting all-time highs, how should you position yourself as a mutual fund investor? Despite experts currently pegging the market to be in over-brought category, with elevated valuations, India will continue to be amongst the world's fastest growing economies in the medium term. Per <keyword id="23344116" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="goldman-sach" source="keywords">Goldman Sach</keyword>'s India strategy, companies operating in the auto, chemicals, real estate, FMCG and other consumer durables may observe a large surge in their profits, with consumer durables registering the highest growth in this cycle. So, how can investors make the most of this uptrend? We decode that for you. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/article/with-markets-hitting-all-time-highs-how-should-you-position-yourself-as-an-mutual-fund-investor/articleshow/113662022.cms?upcache=2&amp;utm_source=BI_newsletter&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=weekly_digest&amp;ncode=eac724db06a1b423589790353cd35d8482c05a95522ed6abfc285ccd372de143c1b9eb738a682068e6154cea1ecc535b90f24d3e6a144cc072a4cef9bdd7e86aa61f0a704e77dfb4465e87c057ec6b95&amp;nl_id=6638a138c5fe91bbf47baa33" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> Rename home Wi-Fi, leave badge at office: <keyword id="23344115" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ex-amazon" source="keywords">Ex-Amazon</keyword> employee reveals tricks used by employees to not work from office Amazon's recent decision to end remote work and require employees to return to the officesparked controversy. A former AWS engineer shared tactics employees used to dodge the mandate, including badging in briefly, renaming home Wi-Fi networks, and using colleagues to clock in. These tricks highlight ongoing debates about remote work's future. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/rename-home-wifi-leave-badge-at-office-ex-amazon-employee-reveals-tricks-used-by-employees-to-not-work-from-office/articleshow/113619411.cms?upcache=2&amp;utm_source=BI_newsletter&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=weekly_digest&amp;ncode=eac724db06a1b423589790353cd35d8482c05a95522ed6abfc285ccd372de143c1b9eb738a682068e6154cea1ecc535b90f24d3e6a144cc072a4cef9bdd7e86aa61f0a704e77dfb4465e87c057ec6b95&amp;nl_id=6638a138c5fe91bbf47baa33" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> Hopping signals or using phones when cops aren’t there? You’re still going to get instant-fined, thanks to Bengaluru’s new AI cameras If you've ever found yourself sheepishly glancing around after cutting a red light or using your phone while driving, only to relax because "no cops in sight," think again! In Bengaluru, the traffic police have gone tech-savvy, and they're now leveraging AI to keep an eye on you – whether or not there’s an officer standing by. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hopping-signals-or-using-phones-when-cops-arent-there-youre-still-going-to-get-instant-fined-thanks-to-bengalurus-new-ai-cameras/articleshow/113733172.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> A 41-year-old transformed his body with 2 diet changes and 1 simple workout technique A bank worker in his 40s got more defined muscle with simple tweaks to his routine. He burned fat by paying attention to portion sizes and setting a daily protein goal. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/a-41-year-old-transformed-his-body-with-2-diet-changes-and-1-simple-workout-technique/articleshow/113532951.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> It is cheaper to watch Coldplay perform in Abu Dhabi than to pay scalpers for Mumbai tickets Grammy-winning pop band Coldplay is all set to perform in India in January 2025 and the tickets went on sale recently. While excited fans rushed to book the tickets, most fans unfortunately couldn’t get their hands on them despite the band adding an extra show due to overwhelming demand. Not all tickets were booked by fans as a lot of tickets showed up on re-selling platforms and social media, with scalpers charging a bomb for these tickets. With tickets costing as much as ₹3.65 lakh on re-selling platforms such as Viagogo, there’s another option for Coldplay fans to see their favourite band perform without burning a hole in their pocket. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/it-is-cheaper-to-watch-coldplay-perform-in-abu-dhabi-than-to-pay-scalpers-for-mumbai-tickets/articleshow/113665893.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> <h2>Top Web stories </h2> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/food/webstories/saffron-to-caviar-9-of-the-worlds-most-expensive-food-items/slidelist/113671583.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Saffron to Caviar: 9 of the world's most expensive food items</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/webstories/work-smart-stay-sane-9-tips-to-combat-stress-and-burnout/slidelist/113671839.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Work smart, stay sane: 9 tips to combat stress and burnout</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/india/webstories/10-serene-coastal-villages-in-india-to-visit-this-october/slidelist/113687424.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">10 serene coastal villages in India to visit this October</a>

Weekend wrap: Amazon employee reveals tricks to avoid working from office, markets hit all-time highs

<ul><li>Retail inflation eased to a three-month in January mainly on account of lower food prices.</li><li>Twelve of the 22 states witnessed higher than average inflation, especially in large states like Maharashtra, UP, Gujarat, Karnataka.</li><li><keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>'s industrial production grew 3.8% in December 2023, according to official data. </li></ul>Retail inflation eased to a three-month low of 5.1% in January mainly on account of lower food prices, according to official data released on Monday. Inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was at 5.69% in December 2023 and 6.52% in January 2024. In August 2023, inflation touched a high of 6.83%. According to the data released by the <keyword id="20070866" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-statistical-office" source="keywords">National Statistical Office</keyword> (<keyword id="20067517" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nso" source="keywords">NSO</keyword>), retail inflation in the food basket was at 8.3% in January 2024, down from 9.53% in the preceding month. “Inflation came in higher for December than our expectations at 5.1% against 4.7%, though lower than that of November which was 5.7%. Food products continue to exert upward pressure on inflation with cereals, vegetables, fruits, pulses, sugar and spices all witnessing high increases. There has been soothing of inflation in the core goods and services which is a relief from the point of view of monetary policy,” said <keyword id="20102121" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="madan-sabnavis" source="keywords">Madan Sabnavis</keyword>, chief economist at Bank of Baroda. Twelve of the 22 states witnessed higher than average inflation. It indicates that inflation is still high in large states like Maharashtra, UP, Gujarat, Karnataka, opine experts. The <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india" source="keywords">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> has been tasked by the government to ensure retail inflation remains at 4%. “With RBI stating risk of food inflation translating into generalised inflation, we expect RBI to continue cautious stance. However, softening of core inflation should provide confidence to trajectory of inflation moving as expected. We think RBI would rather continue with stability priority and continue maintaining 4% inflation target as sacrosanct, and hence we do not see premature easing from RBI,” said Akhil Mittal, senior fund manager-fixed income, Tata Mutual Fund. Most experts believe that uncertain food prices will keep the central bank cautious. "CPI inflation came in slightly softer than our expectations led by moderation in food prices. Positively though, core inflation softened in line with our expectations. However, uncertainties in food inflation outlook should keep RBI cautious in the near term, with much of action by the RBI expected on the liquidity front," said Upasna Bhardwaj, chief economist, Kotak Mahindra Bank. Industrial production grows 3.8% in December 2023 India's industrial production grew 3.8% in December 2023, according to official data released on Monday. Factory output measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) had witnessed a growth of 5.1 per cent in December 2022. "India's Index of Industrial Production grows by 3.8% in December 2023," an official statement said. The data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed that the manufacturing sector's output grew 3.9% in December 2023, up from 3.6% in the year-ago month. In December last year, the mining production rose 5.1% and power output increased 1.2%. IIP grew 6.1% during the April-December 2023 period compared to a 5.5% expansion in the year-ago period. “Growth has been pulled down by electricity growth which was just 1.2% reflecting lower levels of demand. Eleven of the 23 manufacturing categories witnessed negative growth with the significant one again being electronic items. Textiles too continue to be in the negative zone due to lower export demand,” says Sabnavis. (With inputs from PTI)

Retail inflation eases to 3-month low of 5.1% in January, IIP grows 3.8% in December

The Reserve Bank's FI, or <keyword id="20377974" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="financial-inclusion" source="keywords">financial inclusion</keyword> index, which captures the extent of financial inclusion across the country, rose to 64.2 in March 2024, marking growth across all parameters. The index captures information on various aspects of financial inclusion in a single value ranging between 0 and 100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates full financial inclusion. "The value of the index for March 2024 stands at 64.2 vis-a-vis 60.1 in March 2023, with growth witnessed across all sub-indices," the Reserve Bank of India (<keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords">RBI</keyword>) said in a statement today. During FY23, the FI Index stood at 60.1. Improvement in <keyword id="18794777" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FI-Index" source="Orion">FI-Index</keyword> is mainly contributed by usage dimension, which further reflects deepening of financial inclusion, it added. The FI-Index comprises three broad parameters -access, which has a 35% weightage, usage, which has a 45% weight and quality, which has a 20% weight. Each of these parameters further consist of various dimensions, which are computed based on a total of 97 indicators. Breaking these parameters ahead, access is made up of 26 indicators, which capture the number of banking outlets NBFCs, and post offices, total number of <keyword id="25450" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="savings" source="Orion">savings</keyword> accounts (including small savings), <keyword id="22348444" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electronic-payment-infrastructure" source="Orion">electronic payment infrastructure</keyword> and more. Usage comprises 52 indicators, which aims to capture the demand side, and is essentially a barometer for understanding how actively financial infrastructure is being utilized in our country by way of savings, <keyword id="6355120" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="investment" source="Orion">investment</keyword>, <keyword id="35450" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurance" source="Orion">insurance</keyword>, availing of credit and remittance facilities, etc. And lastly, quality, which consists of 19 indicators, takes into account the efficacy of existing grievance redressal mechanisms and awareness efforts undertaken by stakeholders and more. In August 2021, the central bank said FI-Index has been conceptualized as a comprehensive index, incorporating details of banking, investments, insurance, postal, as well as the pension sector, in consultation with government and respective sectoral regulators. The index is responsive to ease of access, availability and usage of services, and quality of services. According to RBI, a unique feature of the index is the quality parameter which captures the quality aspect of financial inclusion as reflected by financial literacy, consumer protection and inequalities and deficiencies in services. <h2> India added 4.7 crore jobs in 2023-24, says RBI</h2>In another significant data release during the day, the apex bank of the country noted that India added nearly 4.7 crore jobs during 2023-24, taking the total number of employed people to 64.33 crore, which are spread over 27 sectors covering the entire economy. The number of employed people was 59.67 crore at the end of March 2023, as per the RBI's update on 'Measuring Productivity at the Industry Level-The India KLEMS [Capital (K), Labour (L), Energy (E), Material (M) and Services (S)] Database'. The bank said the annual growth in employment during 2023-24 was 6% compared to 3.2% in the year-ago period. In the last five years, <keyword id="22348445" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-India-KLEMS" source="Orion">the India KLEMS</keyword> database revealed that total employment increased from 53.44 crore in 2019-20 to 64.33 crore during the previous fiscal. The data for financial 2022-23 is a provisional estimate of productivity for the total economy. The 'agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing' employed 25.3 crore individuals, up from 24.82 crore in 2021-22, the fiscal 2022-23 data suggested. Construction, trade, and transport and storage were among the leading employment provider segments in 2022-23. Notably, for the purpose of this database, 27 industries are clubbed together to form 6 major sectors, namely <ul><li>Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry and Fishing</li><li>Mining and Quarrying</li><li>Manufacturing</li><li>Electricity, Gas and Water supply</li><li>Construction</li><li>Services</li></ul>

Rise seen in financial inclusion index, jobs in the country, notes RBI

In April, the <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reserve-Bank-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reserve Bank of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reserve Bank of India">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (<keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords">RBI</keyword>) governor Shaktikanta Das referred to <keyword id="19895000" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inflation" source="keywords">inflation</keyword> as the ‘elephant in the room’. He said, “The elephant has now gone out for a walk and appears to be returning to the forest. We would like the elephant to return to the forest and remain there on a durable basis… Elephant moves slowly, and last mile inflation tends to be sticky.” On Friday, the Indian government data showed that the year-on-year inflation rate based on the Consumer Price Index (<keyword id="20468215" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CPI" source="keywords">CPI</keyword>) for June 2024 stood at 5.08 per cent — rising from 4.75% last month. This was the first time the headline inflation had risen since December 2023! Looks like the elephant decided to stop and look back on its way to the forest. The question remains, what’s next — will it return to the forest or return to the room to haunt us again? <h2>Food price inflation at a record high</h2> The major driver for the higher inflation figures this month has been the rising <keyword id="19960157" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="food-prices" source="keywords">food prices</keyword> across India. In fact, food price inflation almost doubled year-on-year in June, rising to 8.36 per cent last month compared to 4.63 per cent in June 2023. Inflation in the food basket was 9.36 per cent in June, up from 8.69 per cent in May, according to the data of the National Statistical Office (NSO). Government data showed that <keyword id="513422" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-inflation" source="Orion">retail inflation</keyword> for all food segments, including cereal, meat, eggs, milk, oils, fruits, vegetables, pulses, sugar, spices, prepared snacks, and sweets, increased month-on-month. This was the main cause for retail inflation hardening in June, diverging from the previous months' moderation. While the inflation rate based on the all-India CPI for June 2024 stood at 5.08%, rural and urban inflation rates also spiked to 5.66 per cent and 4.39 per cent, respectively. “Barring the food basket, inflation is indicating signs of bottoming out broadly across the non-food categories, also seen in the inflation in the core categories averaging at 3.5% in the last six months. A stable monsoon will play an important role in stabilising food prices and inflation levels over the next few months,” said Vivek Rathi, National Director Research, Knight Frank India. In May, annual retail inflation was at a 12-month low of 4.75%, slightly down from April's 4.83%. In December last year, retail inflation stood at 5.7 % and had been moderating until June. On the other hand, the US CPI rose only 3% on an annual basis in June versus expectations of 3.2%. Month-over-month, the US CPI declined 0.1%, on expectations for a 0.1% rise. <h2>There goes the chance of an early rate cut?</h2> While European central banks started to cut interest rates last month, hopes of such policy moves seem to have been derailed by these inflation figures. Indian central bank, RBI, has remained cautiously focused on inflation as the growth prospects remained robust. It has been waiting for the final phase of disinflation to materialise before considering rate cuts. The situation, however, does seem rather peculiar — as long as inflation does not align with the central bank's 4% target, the interest rates may remain rather high. However, the current economic environment is not gloomy at all, characterized by a robust GDP growth rate, estimated at 8.2% for 2023-24. Hence, the RBI adopts a wait-and-see approach. And the wait is likely to continue a little while longer. This year, food prices have become a significant issue for policymakers in India, and the RBI governor pinned his hopes on a good monsoon season to alleviate the food price inflation concerns. So far, the monsoon has stood up to our expectations, yet the food prices have remained stubbornly high, mainly due to extended heat wave conditions in June. "The CPI inflation came marginally higher than our expectations. While the <keyword id="67286" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="food-inflation" source="Orion">food inflation</keyword> risks will continue to dominate in the near term, we expect better sowing patterns and spatial distribution of rains to eventually ease the price pressures beyond these volatile months. Having said that, the central bank will be in no hurry to ease <keyword id="20104157" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monetary-policy" source="keywords">monetary policy</keyword> given the headroom from robust growth in the backdrop of near-term inflation risks," said Upasna Bhardwaj, Chief Economist at Kotak Mahindra Bank. India's retail inflation remains within the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) comfort range of 2-6% but exceeds the ideal 4% scenario. While inflation is a global concern, India has so far managed its inflation trajectory relatively well. Since May 2022, the RBI has raised the repo rate by 250 basis points cumulatively to combat inflation. However, over the last eight policy cycles, the central bank has kept the rates consistent at 6.5%. The next monetary policy meeting of the RBI is scheduled for early August. And with the higher-than-expected inflation data, the central bank is likely to keep the rate unchanged next month as well for the ninth consecutive month. However, hopes are still alive for a rate cut towards the end of the year. "We are not ruling out a stance change in October 2024 and a 25 bps rate cut each in December 2024 and February 2025, followed by an extended pause, if the food inflation outlook turns decidedly favourable on the back of a normal magnitude and favourable distribution of rainfall in the rest of the monsoon season, and there are no other shocks, either global or domestic," said Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist at ICRA. (With inputs from ANI and PTI) <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="110784179" title="Monetary Policy Committee keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.5%, confirms RBI governor Shaktikanta Das" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"><payload><![CDATA[seealso]]></payload></div> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="110788776" title="RBI retains inflation projection for FY25 at 4.5%" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"><payload><![CDATA[seealso]]></payload></div>

Inflation spikes in June 2024 due to high food prices; Likely to affect RBI’s decision on interest rate

In March 2023, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser anointed Anand Selva, as the bank's chief operating officer. His mandate: oversee a deeply unsexy yet crucial initiative to regain compliance with regulators. At the time, she praised his "long track record of delivering results."So far, Selva's tenure has been rocky.In July, two regulators <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citi-jane-fraser-regulatory-citigroup-transformation-2024-7">fined Citi $135.6 million</a> for failing to make enough progress in fixing its data-management issues. The bank had agreed in 2020 to work on this problem and others, including poor risk controls, after <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/citigroup-slammed-400-mln-fine-longstanding-deficiencies-regulation-occ-fed-2020-10-1029660295">paying $400 million</a> in fines to the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The OCC said in July that the bank had made "meaningful progress overall" but that the agency wanted to ensure Citi allocated enough resources to address the "persistent weaknesses" regarding data.These new fines are despite Citi dedicating massive resources to a firmwide initiative to overhaul the bank's technology. This program, called the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citi-transformation-citigroup-regulatory-fine-anand-selvakesari-2024-7">"Transformation"</a> and overseen by Selva, has about 13,000 employees. Citi spent $7.4 billion on the endeavor from 2021 through 2023. This year's budget has been increased by $250 million, to more than $3 billion.The pressure is on, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren urging the OCC to "impose growth restrictions" on Citi, arguing that it has grown "too big to manage." The regulator and Citi declined to comment."We've always said that progress wouldn't be linear," Fraser said after the latest fines, "and we have no doubt that we will be successful in getting our firm where it needs to be in terms of our Transformation."For Selva, leading the Transformation is unlike any test he has faced in his three-decade career at Citi. Selva, who goes by the shortened version of his last name, Selvakesari, joined Citi as an assistant operations manager in Chennai, India, in 1991. He rose through the ranks in Asia before taking over the US consumer bank in 2019. When Fraser was made CEO in 2021, she chose Selva, who's now 57, to replace her as the global head of consumer banking.In his current role, his mandate is to make the bank safer, not to turn a profit. To do so, he has to solve for Citi's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-real-reasons-behind-citi-mike-corbat-early-retirement-2020-9">decades of underinvestment</a> in its infrastructure, which affects every business line of the bank.Business Insider talked to 14 current and former Citi employees who have worked under Selva to get a picture of the challenge facing him and why he was put in charge of the bank's No. 1 priority. All but two spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal or the sensitivity of regulatory matters. Three senior executives pointed to his experience navigating regulation and working with technology from running Citi's consumer bank. Gonzalo Luchetti, Selva's successor as the head of the US consumer business, told BI that serving 70 million customers required handling tremendous operational risk."If we mess it up, usually you don't mess it up for one; you mess it up for hundreds of thousands, if not millions," he said. "You have to be super good at process orientation and making sure that there's high discipline and rigor."Luchetti also emphasized Selva's longevity at Citi and experience across regions."He knows the fabric of the firm very well," Luchetti said. "The Transformation is about really repiping the machine. He's touched a lot of the machine himself."But touching the machine isn't the same as fixing it. Eight employees told BI that they were surprised that Selva was made the head of the Transformation given that he had never held a leadership role in technology or compliance. They described Citi's culture as a cliquey environment that rewards managing up over results, noting that the COO promotion followed dismal performance for the wealth unit he oversaw."The biggest job was given to a guy who with 1 ½ years in wealth wasn't able to do anything," a former managing director said.Selva has also come under scrutiny for a lawsuit filed against him and the bank by an ex-Transformation executive in May. Kathleen Martin, a former interim data chair, alleged that Selva pressured her to hide information from the OCC that would make Citi "look bad" and that she was fired in September 2023 after multiple refusals. Citi denied the accusations and filed a counterclaim in late August, alleging that Martin was fired for underperformance. Citi has recently made leadership changes to Selva's unit. The bank tapped its new tech head, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citi-data-tim-ryan-anand-selva-memo-transformation-regulators-2024-9">Tim Ryan</a>, to lead the data effort alongside Selva and take over management of the 800-employee data team. The work on data, along with risks and controls, is paramount to the Transformation.Splitting the burden may expedite the massive task, which requires coordinating work from employees across the entire bank. Citi declined to specify a timeline, citing the confidential nature of regulatory matters. A managing director in the Transformation estimated that the work required would take about two decades.Mike Mayo, a Wells Fargo analyst, said that until Citi meets the requirements of the OCC and the Federal Reserve, the bank is in "regulatory purgatory.""Citi has thrown over 10,000 people and $3 billion and more at this problem," Mayo told BI in July. "They just have to get it done."Selva does have a long track record at Citi. Born in Madurai, a large city in southern India, he studied engineering and played basketball at the Coimbatore Institute of Technology. He earned his master's in business administration at Madurai Kamaraj University before joining Citi in 1991.Selva made his name at Citi by shaping its consumer-bank businesses across Asia. He led retail banking in China and India before taking over the Asia Pacific market in 2015. His approach was digital-first, eschewing branches for banking apps. Despite closing 60% of bank branches in Asia from 2016 through 2018, Selva grew deposits by 10%.<div type="image" title="Citi's Anand Selva speaking at a panel, seated and wearing a pinstripe suit and a red tie." height="3307" width="4960" msid="114093573" hostid="261" sizebytes="2310830"></div>"He's very tech and digital-oriented," Luchetti said. "We've been to China together to look at startups and firms that were disrupting the world. He was always very connected with learning more about technology, had that curiosity, and then the execution chops to get it done here."In 2019, Selva moved from Singapore to New York, where he now lives with his family, to run the US consumer bank. He assumed the global consumer-banking business from Fraser in 2021. Selva leaned on credit-card and lending offerings, launching products like Citi Custom Cash which allowed customers to pick their reward categories, and Flex Pay, a buy-now, pay-later service. Under Selva, Citi was the No. 2 issuer of credit cards in the US, and deposits grew by more than a third, to about $220 billion.In 2021, Citi started divesting itself of more than a dozen consumer-bank markets across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Selva was an important player on both sides of the table, according to Adora Tidalgo, the head of operational risk management at Citi. She said he helped find Asian acquirers that maximized value for Citi while keeping the businesses running smoothly with low attrition."That skill of balancing how much you want to bring in terms of revenue and the credit loss you want to take is really a skill that very much needs to be honed in the consumer space," she said. "That balancing, to me, I have seen Anand over the year been very successful in doing that."There have been some bumps in the road. As part of Fraser's reorganization of the bank in 2021, Selva gained oversight of a newly formed wealth unit and its new leader, Jim O'Donnell. Six current and former managing directors told BI that Selva's approach focused more on scale and digital offerings than high-touch client service. For instance, he didn't approve loans that failed to meet a certain threshold of return, even if it meant losing an important client, two former managing directors said."The way that every private banker on earth thinks about relationships is you need to invest in relationships, and then as you start to do more business with clients, you start getting more and more valuable opportunities with them," one of the former managing directors said. "You have to look at the relationship. You can't just look at every single transaction."Employees argued that Selva's playbook may have worked to build scale in Asia but not to satisfy well-heeled — and much more sought-after — US clients."I think Anand's decisions were comparing everything to what he knew from his time in Asia, and they are completely different markets," another former managing director said. "In Asia, Citi has a very recognizable brand, and people actually want to bank with Citi. You don't have to sell it that hard."<div type="image" title="Citi CEO Jane Fraser testifying at Congress" height="3828" width="5846" msid="114093582" hostid="261" sizebytes="314760"></div>The wealth business' revenue dropped by 6% year over year at the end of 2022. Fraser called the division's performance "disappointing." O'Donnell's reign over wealth was cut short in January 2023, and it was later placed under <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/andy-sieg-citi-wealth-management-ceo-2024-6">Andy Sieg</a>, the former head of Merrill Wealth Management. With Citi on a campaign to divest itself of 14 international consumer-bank markets, Selva's remit shrank.His appointment as COO thrust him into the spotlight. Tidalgo told BI that he was no stranger to the task of dealing with regulators."When you are the head of a country, you are the face of Citi to the regulators. Good, bad, or indifferent, you have to face them," she said. "That's part of the job."Citi's Transformation and its challenges predate Selva's appointment as COO. It existed as a firmwide initiative before the October 2020 fines but was kicked into overdrive after Citi entered consent orders with the OCC and the Federal Reserve.It can be viewed as two parts. The most visible is the strategy to simplify and modernize the bank, such as divesting Asian consumer businesses, removing five layers of management, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citigroup-reorganization-layoffs-management-overhaul-reorganization-jane-fraser-stock-price-2023-9">reorganizing</a> so that the five business lines report directly to Fraser.The second part is meant to address the 2020 consent orders. The initiative is separated into seven programs, including finance, compliance, and risk and controls. While some 13,000 employees are dedicated to the Transformation, much of this work is carried out by employees across the bank. Selva sits at the center, coordinating these efforts. He's in a tough position, as much of the Transformation's work is executed by employees in other divisions."The challenge with the Transformation role is you are accountable yet not responsible," the managing director in the Transformation said. "The role is really coordinating and getting others to do what they need to do, which is very different from running a business where the entire team follows your lead, you own it, you have the ability to actually get them to do this stuff."When everyone is accountable, effectively no one is, a former senior vice president in the Transformation said. Matters got stuck in bureaucracy, bouncing from one department to another and being debated in committee for months.A senior executive in the Transformation acknowledged that the programs often rely on each other's work. For example, a delay in data work can lead to one for a finance project."When we are asked sometimes why it is challenging to execute on the Transformation, one of the challenges is the interconnectivity of those seven works," she said.The senior executive said the Transformation's successes had been overlooked, partly because the bank is limited in what it can say on regulatory matters. For instance, Citi has retired or replaced a quarter of its applications, halfway to its overall goal. The bank declined to specify the number of existing or terminated applications, but as of July, it had retired nearly 300 applications this year. The senior executive also touted the bank's streamlining its risk-management workflow.But the Transformation has earned a middling grade from Citi itself. The bank evaluates the initiative's success for the purposes of a bonus program applicable to about 200 senior employees, including Selva. In 2022, an internal committee gave it a score of 94%, citing targets it met, such as submitting remediation plans to regulators.For 2023, the score sank to 80%, calculated by measuring the timeliness of executing scheduled work, the percentage of work deemed complete by the bank's internal auditors, and a "qualitative consideration of Citi's cultural change" derived from the bank's employee surveys.<div type="image" title="Headshot of Citi's new tech head Tim Ryan, smiling and wearing a black suit jacket with a light blue shirt" height="739" width="985" msid="114093578" hostid="261" sizebytes="32120"></div>Bringing in Ryan, the bank's head of technology and business enablement, to help the bank catch up makes sense. The recruiter Phil Waxelbaum argued that a more traditional candidate to help lead the Transformation would be a seasoned, high-ranking person from a regulatory agency. But someone with a nonbanking background such as consulting or technology can work, too, according to recruiter Jeffrey Warren. Ryan joined Citi in June after seven years leading the US business of PricewaterhouseCoopers."In situations like this when you are looking to drive transformation, you need someone who can work at the intersection of people, processes, and technology," said Warren, managing director at Russell Reynolds Associates. "That includes working from within and likely driving some change with new people who have experience in new technologies or new ways of doing things."Ryan is now sharing data, a significant component of the Transformation, with Selva. Another PwC alum, Citi's head of enterprise risk management, Ashutosh Nawani, will take over the chief data office from one of Selva's lieutenants, Japan Mehta, and report to Ryan. Mehta will move to another role that the bank declined to specify.Employees told BI that they thought bringing in Ryan and Nawani would help."Sure, there might be some reservation that more consultants are coming in to run Citi, but there is a positive vibe of changing senior leadership," the former senior vice president in the Transformation said. "Legacy Citi culture is what got us into this spot in the first place."While the July fines did not meaningfully move Citi's stock, they have placed the bank and the Transformation under greater scrutiny. The OCC has ordered Citi to provide a resource-review plan each quarter to ensure the bank is providing enough resources for the effort. The Securities and Exchange Commission has also required the bank to address the Transformation's progress in future filings.The outstanding issues have also impeded Citi from expanding in China. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-23/citigroup-s-china-expansion-plan-put-on-hold-by-us-regulators">Bloomberg</a>, the bank is still waiting on a clearance letter from the Federal Reserve to set up a securities office. The bank declined to comment on the process but said it was "fully committed to supporting clients" in China.<div type="image" title="Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at a hearing on Capitol Hill on January 11, 2024." height="1333" width="2000" msid="114093583" hostid="261" sizebytes="96482"></div>Regulators placing an asset cap on Citi, as Senator Warren has requested, isn't out of the realm of possibility, said Timothy Coffey, an analyst with Janney Montgomery Scott."At what point do the regulators just get fed up with Citi's inability to adequately resolve these issues or stick to the timeline that they've laid out?" he said. "That's an open-ended question."But the consent orders and the lack of progress are distractions in themselves. When Fraser took over Citi nearly four years ago, she said the Transformation was her No. 1 priority and asked for patience. Now her requests for time are wearing thin. Regardless of who leads the Transformation, Fraser is still accountable."This stays out here in terms of headline risk, and I think it puts a cap on the valuation that Citi can achieve," said Stephen Biggar, an Argus Research analyst. "It's an overhang on the stock. It's an overhang on the reputation of Fraser."Do you work for Citi? Have a tip or story to share? Reach out to Hayley Cuccinello at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:hcuccinello@businessinsider.com">hcuccinello@businessinsider.com</a> or 917 740 5340, which works for calls, text, and the encrypted messaging app Signal.

Meet the executive tasked with Citi's hardest challenge: getting the bank's house in order

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sarvesh Rajagopal moved back to India in 2024 after a decade in the Middle East and Europe.</li><li>He left due to career stagnation and Europe's economic challenges, including the war in Ukraine.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sarvesh Rajagopal, who lived in the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, and Germany before moving back to India. It has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified his employment history.I joined McKinsey right after graduating from my masters in India.I spent the next three years with the company in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-to-us-from-india-big-tech-changed-me-2024-7">India</a>, then moved to the company's office in Dubai for two years, and then to Amsterdam. Getting a chance to live and work overseas was a dream.A little while after moving to Amsterdam, I decided that I had had enough consulting. The constant travel was also getting tiring. I left McKinsey and worked for the Dutch bank ING as a corporate strategist for over a year before moving to the logistics company Wayfair in 2019. I was one of the first employees in the Berlin office, tasked with building the company's international business, which I still think was the most challenging but fulfilling period of my career.<h2 id="893dd95a-7f9c-4453-bde6-beb32c14f608">Life in Europe</h2>Things were going well from a lifestyle point of view, too.I enjoyed being done with work by 5 or 6 p.m. and having the rest of the day to myself. Public transport was a big plus — I enjoyed never owning or needing a car to get around to meet colleagues or friends for dinner or a beer.One of the best parts of Europe was that if we had a long weekend, I could go to a nearby country by train in a couple of hours.One of the only drawbacks is that it's not the best place to earn and build wealth because of high taxes.<div type="image" title="Group photo of various colleagues at office event in Berlin" height="1200" width="1600" msid="113377534" hostid="261" sizebytes="247660"></div><h2 id="e8d45754-5383-4984-99de-02128eba0b9f">Slow growth in Europe</h2>The itch to return to India started around three years ago.I'd been watching India's growth since I left and felt like I had missed the boom by leaving in 2014. Many of my friends back home have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-tech-job-launch-startup-now-make-400000-2024-4">built startups</a> or venture capital careers. I wanted to be part of India's growth story.I also felt like there was no career growth for me in Europe. In India, I had a big network from India's top tech and management schools and because of my time at McKinsey.I also wanted to be close to family, especially since my parents are getting older.My inflection point was realizing in mid-2023 that my career had stagnated because I was at a senior level and was finding it difficult to grow. The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-women-train-blue-collar-jobs-workforce-gap-war-electrician-2024-8">war in Ukraine</a> and other macroeconomic factors like inflation also affected my decision.I worked with a professional coach before making a firm decision. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/took-sabbatical-returned-work-better-employeee-2024-9">I traveled around Latin America</a>, and being in a new environment really sealed the deal for me.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-job-at-meta-bali-trip-moved-into-childhood-home-2024-8">I quit my job</a> and finally moved back to India in May.<h2 id="93bdcf9f-12d3-4eba-9b17-bc4210b5a753">Adjusting back</h2>After <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-and-uk-life-biggest-differences-after-moving-home-space-2024-7">a decade of living away</a>, there are things I'm having to get used to again.I'm still adapting to the pollution, the traffic, and the sheer number of people. The number of cars and two-wheelers on the road has exploded, which makes driving and parking a lot more stressful.But some things have also become much more convenient since I left 10 years ago.I remember having to call a restaurant if I ever wanted to eat in, but India now has food and grocery delivery services that promise to deliver any food or household items in under 10 minutes.It's a lot easier to find and afford domestic support, and I have a cook. For my friends with newborn children, live-in nannies are available. These feel like huge luxuries compared to Europe, where my immigrant friends struggled with childcare — their parents were happy to help but could only stay in Germany for 90 days at a time.I'm also able to afford an all-inclusive apartment complex, where I have easy access to a pool, a gym, and a supermarket.I'm volunteering as a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-vc-wants-see-5-traits-new-founders-fundraising-antler-2024-8">mentor for startups</a> at an incubator at my alma mater and have noticed a big mindset shift among people in their early 20s. When I graduated with my engineering degree, my classmates and I thought our only career options were to join a company, study abroad for a master's, or pursue an MBA at the Indian Institute of Management.But the students now are a lot more willing to take risks and dive into entrepreneurship.I'm currently on a career break. I want to familiarize myself with India again and then hope to build a venture of my own in the next few years.

I moved from India to Europe for work and was living my dream. 10 years later, I walked away from it all.

New Delhi, The <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> on Monday roped in banks and post offices to spread voter awareness as part of its efforts to increase voting percentage in the upcoming <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> polls. The poll panel has often expressed concern over urban and youth apathy with many registered voters not turning up at the polling stations to cast ballot in the previous elections. Over 30 crore of the 91 crore electors did not cast their ballot in the previous parliamentary polls. The Election Commission (EC) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two prominent organisations -- the Indian Banks' Association (<keyword id="19941316" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iba" source="keywords">IBA</keyword>) and the Department of Posts (<keyword id="20733048" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dop" source="keywords">DoP</keyword>) -- to amplify its voter outreach and awareness efforts ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The initiative, the poll panel said, is in continuation of its efforts to enhance electoral awareness in the country. The EC had recently signed an MoU with the Ministry of Education to formally integrate electoral literacy into the educational curriculum of the schools and colleges. The latest initiative has been taken based on insights and knowledge gained by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) <keyword id="20110344" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajiv-kumar" source="keywords">Rajiv Kumar</keyword> from his past roles and experience working in the financial sector, particularly in the Indian banking sector and India Post Payments Banks, the officials pointed out. As part of the MoU, the IBA and the DoP with its members and affiliated institutions will extend support in promoting voter education through their extensive network on a pro bono without charge basis, employing various interventions to empower the citizens with knowledge about their electoral rights, processes and steps for registration and voting. The members and affiliated institutions will now display voter education messages prominently on their websites, directing visitors to learn more about the electoral process. Voter education content will be disseminated through various promotional channels such as social media and customer outreach platforms of member institutions, ensuring widespread awareness among stakeholders and the public, the EC said. Voter education messages will also be displayed in the form of posters, flex and hoardings at office premises at major locations, reaching the customers at key touchpoints. All member institutions under the IBA and the DoP will establish 'voter awareness fora' to engage the employees and customers in discussions and initiatives related to voter education. The Department of Posts will affix a special cancellation stamp (bearing voter education messages) on the postal articles. "Despite successfully managing and conducting elections by the Election Commission over the years in a fair and peaceful way along with a significant increase in participation of the electors, there is also a concern that around 30 crore electors, out of 91 crore, did not cast their votes in general election to Lok Sabha 2019. The voting percentage was 67.4 per cent, which the Commission has taken as a challenge to improve upon," the EC said. The Indian Banks' Association now has a strong network of 247 members across the country. Public sector banks are in lead with 90,000+ branches and 1.36 lakh ATMs followed by 42,000+ branches of private sector banks with 79,000+ ATMs. Regional rural banks contribute over 22,400 branches, while small finance and payment banks operate around 7,000 branches and more than 3,000 ATMs. Foreign banks maintain 840 branches and 1,158 ATMs, and local area banks have 81 branches. "The cumulative number of the branches are over 1.63 lakh with more than 2.19 lakh ATMs across the country," the poll authority pointed out.

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