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Most of us think of India as a young country. And as home to one-fifth of the world's young population and with an average age of 29, you're right. But did you know India's elderly population is set to double from its present 153 million to a staggering 347 million, in just 30 years? Moreover, by the end of this century, the population of <keyword id="19894991" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="senior-citizens" source="keywords">senior citizens</keyword> in India will surpass the population of those aged under 14, as per a report by the United Nations Population Fund and the International Institute for Population Sciences. As such, with <keyword id="19955368" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Budget-2024" source="keywords">budget 2024</keyword> looming on the horizon, what is it that this burgeoning section of our population wants? We take a look : <h2>Wish 1: Raise deduction threshold for <keyword id="22285655" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mediclaim-premium" source="keywords">mediclaim premium</keyword></h2>At present, senior citizens (aged 60 and above) and super senior citizens (aged 80 and above) can claim a deduction of up to Rs 50,000 on health insurance premiums they pay during the year. For those aged below 60, the annual deduction limit is of Rs 25,000. But, as Tarun Mathur, CBO, Policybazaar.com notes, "There’s a need for an increase in the tax deduction limit for health insurance premiums, to raise the same to Rs 50,000 for individuals, their spouses, and dependent children, and to Rs 1 lakh for senior citizen parents". With insurance regulator <keyword id="6361421" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IRDA" source="Orion">IRDA</keyword> removing the age cap (which was previously 65 years) for buying new insurance policies, health insurance for senior citizens becomes far more accessible. Given that only 20% of India's population aged 60 have any kind of health insurance, a comprehensive insurance coverage with low tax liabilities becomes a necessity for our senior citizens. At present, the government is mulling extending the <keyword id="22285657" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ayushman-Bharat-Pradhan-Yojana" source="Orion">Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Yojana</keyword> to provide crucial, free healthcare support for India's senior citizens aged above 70. But only time, and July 22nd will tell. <h2>Wish 2: Offer similar tax benefits to pension products as NPS </h2>NPS, or <keyword id="475509" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Pension-System" source="Orion">National Pension System</keyword> is a lucrative retirement planning scheme. And it comes with many tax benefits. For instance, if you withdraw up to 60% of your accumulated pension as lumpsum once you turn 60, your withdrawal is tax free. Similarly, if any amount you receive from NPS is reinvested in the annuity plan, it remains tax exempt. However, income from annuities is taxed as per your regular income tax slab. And any early withdrawals that you make (before 60 years) will attract taxes. A standard deduction of Rs 50,000, or amount of annuity income (whichever is lower) can be claimed. But under regular annuities or pension products, senior citizens pay a 10% tax on total taxable income over Rs. 3 lakhs , Rs 20,000 + 20% over amount exceeding Rs 5 lakh, and Rs 1.2 lakh+ 30% on amount exceeding Rs 10 lakh. As Mathur notes, "Pension products like annuity plans should be given the same tax benefits as NPS, since the current taxation does not encourage investment in retirement planning. It’s also necessary to expand Section 80C deductions and add a dedicated category for term insurance because the existing limit of Rs. 1,50,000 is insufficient". Even retirement planner Sanjeev Dawar notes that income from annuities is a primary source of income for retirees. "As such, tax relief is expected since returns, although assured for life, are relatively low. Moreover, they remain fixed and have no sensitivity to inflation". Additionally, Dawar also advocates for special financial considerations for eligible individuals who are compelled to stay in old-age homes in their twilight years. It is also needed that travel concessions, that have been withdrawn, are restarted". <h2>Wish 3: Lowering lock-in periods for elderly </h2>Many schemes like national savings certificate (NSC), unit-linked insurance plans (ULIP) and senior citizen savings scheme (SCSS) are subject to tax deductions, provided they are redeemed after their specific <keyword id="20792448" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lock-in-period" source="keywords">lock-in period</keyword>. For instance, tax-saver FDs, ULIPs and NSC have a lock-in period of 5 years, while equity-linked savings scheme (ELSS) have a lock-in period of 3 years. It would help senior citizens if this lock-in period is reduced, so that they have some liquidity and cash handy during medical or other such emergencies. Additionally, withdrawals should be allowed within lock-in period sans hefty penalties, as is the case right now. <h2>Wish 4: Lowering GST on health insurance premiums </h2>Currently, GST on health insurance premium is payable at 18%, which can translate into a hefty levy, especially since senior citizens end up paying significantly higher premiums to get insurance coverage. For a premium of Rs 30,000, the GST could go as high as Rs 5,400. As per Prasun Sikdar, MD &amp; CEO, Manipal Cigna Health Insurance, "lowering the GST burden on the health insurance premiums will be a huge respite for missing middle and senior citizens to get access to quality healthcare they need and help to significantly boost insurance penetration across India by driving affordability.” <h2> Wish 5: Reduce tax on <keyword id="21695681" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="passive-income" source="keywords">passive income</keyword> sources for aged</h2>For most senior citizens, rental income from house, pension and other such passive sources turn into a major income avenue, once they retire from active employment. As such, these should be taxed at a lower slab, and not considered as regular salary. Or else, higher exemption limits should be introduced to allow them to save more. At present, the basic exemption limit for senior citizens between 60-80 years is Rs 3 lakh, while the exemption limit for citizens above 80 years is Rs 5 lakhs. The limits should be revised, keeping in mind how expensive medical care is in current times.

Budget 2024: Here's what India's elderlies want

Are you an avid credit card user? Are you up to speed with all the changes that have come into effect starting today, which is all set to impact your credit card usage, and your pocket. Here's a quick snapshot of all the changes that you should be well aware of: <h2><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> </h2>Starting today, ICICI bank has done away with fees for many services, which include request for a charge slip, which was earlier chargeable at Rs 100/slip and cash and cheque pick up, which also carried a fee of Rs 100 earlier. Earlier, for outstation cheque processing and duplicate bank statement (for three months), a fee of Rs 100 was payable. Now, all those charges have been waived. However, going ahead, you'll have to dish out Rs 200 instead of Rs 100, if you wish to get your credit card replaced. <h2><keyword id="19952948" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Axis-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Axis Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Axis Bank">Axis Bank</keyword></h2>If you hold a <keyword id="19941660" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Citibank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Citibank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Citibank">Citibank</keyword> credit card, this is for you. The migration of all Citibank <keyword id="19953671" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="credit-cards" source="keywords">credit cards</keyword> to Axis bank will be complete by 15th July, 2024. Post that, you will receive new credit cards from Axis bank .However, until then, your existing Citibank cards will continue to work just fine. All your unredeemed points will be converted into EDGE miles. After migration, they will have an expiration period of 3 years. Starting today, RBIs new rules mandate that all credit card transactions in the country be processed through <keyword id="20779381" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharat-Bill-Payment-System" source="keywords">Bharat Bill Payment System</keyword> (BBPS). This means that if your bank has not come on board with BBPS, you will not be able to make payment through their credit card on other third-party platforms. Out of 34 banks that can issue credit cards, 12 banks have come onboard the BBPS. These include SBI, <keyword id="19938728" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kotak-mahindra" source="keywords">Kotak Mahindra</keyword>, IndusInd, Federal, HDFC, ICICI and IDFC bank. Indian Overseas bank and <keyword id="45660" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yes-bank" source="Orion">YES Bank</keyword> are expected to go live soon. <h2>SBI Bank</h2>Starting July 15th, if you hold one of the 22 specified SBI credit cards, you will no longer accrue any reward points while making certain transactions, particularly if they are related to government services. These include Air India SBI Platinum Card, Air India SBI Signature Card, Central SBI Select+ Card, Chennai Metro SBI Card, Etihad Guest SBI Card, Fabindia SBI Card SELECT, IRCTC SBI Card, Mumbai Metro SBI Card and more. <h2>YES Bank </h2>If you hold a YES Bank credit card, the criteria for you to qualify for complimentary lounge access has changed. Starting today, you will have to spend at least Rs 35,000 from your credit card in the previous quarter, in order to be able to get a complimentary access to domestic airport lounges in the next quarter. Earlier, this threshold was set at Rs 10,000. This will impact YES Marquee, YES SELECT, YES Reserv, YES First Preferred, YES Bank ELITE, YES BYOC, and YES Wellness Plus cards. <h2>HDFC Bank</h2>Starting August 1st, if you make rent, or education related payments via platforms like Cred and Paytm, you will have to pay a fee of upto 1% of the transaction, which will be a maximum of Rs 3,000. However, if you make the payment directly through your school or college's website, you will be able to save on this charge. Similarly, on all fuel expenses of over Rs 15,000, a 1% fee will be applied, which can be a maximum of Rs 3,000.

What has changed for your credit cards, starting today?

<ul><li>More than 74.05 billion transactions worth ₹126 lakh crore were processed through <keyword id="6358921" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="upi" source="Orion">UPI</keyword> in 2022. </li><li>The increase in the usage of QR codes has led to a rise in UPI transactions, with the number of transactions via QR codes reaching 237 million in December 2022. </li><li>Debit card transactions have shown a consistent decline throughout 2022, likely due to the increasing popularity of UPI transactions.</li></ul>Indians are increasingly choosing to pay digitally with transactions via debit, credit, prepaid cards and UPI amounting to ₹149.5 lakh crore in value and 88 billion in volume in 2022, as per a Worldline report. A lion’s share of these transactions occurred via UPI (Unified Payments Interface) – accounting for ₹126 lakh crore, over 74.05 billion transactions in 2022. UPI transactions grew 91% in volume and rose 76% in value over the year before. “I am amazed every day to see the incredible progress we have made in the <keyword id="6358577" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-payments" source="Orion">digital payments</keyword> ecosystem over the past few years. The adoption of multiple payment solutions is a boon in our journey to realise the dream of a less-cash India,” said Ramesh Narasimhan, CEO, Worldline India. The growth in UPI transactions was aided by growth in the ecosystem. The number of transactions via QR codes reached 237 million in December 2022 as compared to 152 million in January 2022. Other payment options,like FASTag, <keyword id="6718634" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bharat-bill-pay" source="Orion">Bharat Bill Pay</keyword> and Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS) also picked up in 2022, said the report named ‘India Digital Payments Annual Report'. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Debit down, credit up" comment="subhead" text="Debit down, credit up">Debit down, credit up</cmsannotation> The number of outstanding debit cards increased by a mere 0.2% to 939.4 million in 2022, as compared to the year before. “Debit card transactions have shown a consistent decline throughout the year, likely due to the increasing popularity of UPI transactions,” the report said. On the other hand, banks have increased the number of credit cards by 18% indicating an increased appetite for higher-ticket transactions. “The volume and value of transactions done on credit cards has seen a steady uptick through the year. Credit card transactions in 2023 could benefit majorly as credit cards are now eligible for doing UPI transactions,” the report said. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Small &amp; big transactions via UPI" comment="subhead" text="Small &amp; big transactions via UPI">Small &amp; big transactions via UPI</cmsannotation> At the end of 2022, 54% of UPI transactions volume was P2M (person-to- merchant transactions) whereas in terms of value it was 23%. By December 2022, the average ticket size (ATS) for UPI person-to-person (P2P) transactions was ₹2,753, while the ATS for UPI person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions was ₹687. “This signals the deep entrenchments of UPI P2M transactions; it is being used for large as well as very small transactions, the latter being the most difficult to move away from cash,” the report said. <keyword id="6357886" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="phonepe" source="Orion">PhonePe</keyword>, Google Pay, <keyword id="14300323" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="paytm-payments-bank-app" source="Orion">Paytm Payments Bank App</keyword>, Amazon Pay, and Axis Bank were the top 5 UPI apps in 2022, based on both transaction volume and value. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="FASTag, Bharat Bill Pay &amp; AePS payments on the rise" comment="subhead" text="FASTag, Bharat Bill Pay &amp; AePS payments on the rise">FASTag, Bharat Bill Pay &amp; AePS payments on the rise</cmsannotation> By the end of 2022, National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) processed a total of 3.25 billion transactions worth ₹50,911 crore, representing a 31% increase in volume and a 37% increase in value over 2021. As of December 2022, a total of 36 banks were live with NETC FASTag. In 2022, the Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit (BBPCU) processed a total of 985.7 million transactions with a total value of ₹1.70 lakh crore. This represents a growth rate of 75% in volume and 83% in value compared to the year 2021. Also in 2022, the AePS recorded a significant volume of over 2.63 billion transactions with a total value of ₹3.42 lakh crore. This represents a growth rate of approximately 24% in volume and 20% in value compared to the year 2021. AePS is a bank-led model that enables online interoperable financial inclusion transactions at point of sale (microATM) through the business correspondent of any bank using Aadhaar authentication.

With transactions worth ₹126 lakh crore, UPI rules digital payments in 2022: Worldline report

<ul><li>The top <keyword id="6358921" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="upi" source="Orion">UPI</keyword> apps in terms of volume were <keyword id="6357886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="phonepe" source="Orion">PhonePe</keyword>, <keyword id="2750705" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="google-pay" source="Orion">Google Pay</keyword> and <keyword id="6357120" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="paytm" source="Orion">Paytm</keyword>. </li><li>The number of transactions through mobile wallets was 1.52 billion in Q2 2022. </li><li>The total number of credit and debit cards in circulation reach one billion. </li><li>Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala recorded the highest transactions at physical merchant stores. </li></ul>UPI is India’s most preferred online payment platform clocking over 17.4 billion transactions in volume and ₹30.4 trillion in terms of value in April-June 2022, according to the ‘India Digital Payments Report’ for Q2 2022 by <keyword id="2195010" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="worldline" source="Orion">Worldline</keyword> India, a global digital payments solution company. In Q2, 20.57 billion transactions in volume and ₹36.08 trillion in terms of value was processed through debit and credit cards, prepaid payment instruments like mobile wallets and prepaid cards, and UPI which includes P2M (person to merchant) and P2P (person to person) transactions, the report said. Payments through credit and debit cards accounted for 8% in volume and 14% in value, the report added. “2022 is another momentous year for the payments space in India. We are successfully sailing through the aftermath of Covid-19, the total cards in circulation has breached 1 billion mark, UPI is tracking over 6 billion transactions per month, about 53 million FASTags have been issued, and over 20,000 billers are live on Bharat BillPay ecosystem,” Ramesh Narasimhan, chief executive officer-India, Worldline, said. The top five states that recorded the highest transactions at physical merchant stores were Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The top five cities were Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and <keyword id="2094" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pune" source="Orion">Pune</keyword>. How does India pay? UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions volume and value have seen an increase of about 118% and over 98% respectively in Q2 2022 as compared to the same quarter last year. The top UPI apps in terms of volume were PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm. “What could be a game-changer for UPI transactions will be linking credit cards onto the platform – it is currently only Rupay but could increase going forward – and this could further supercharge UPI transactions, especially in terms of P2M average ticket sizes,” Worldline said. The average ticket size (ATS) for UPI P2P transactions was ₹2,425 and for UPI P2M transactions it was ₹820 as of June 2022, the report said. The top remitter banks during the quarter were <keyword id="13222" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sbi" source="Orion">SBI</keyword>, HDFC Bank, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank and ICICI Bank. The top beneficiary banks were Paytm Payments Bank, Yes Bank, SBI, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank. The transaction volume passing through Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit (BBPCU) during the quarter stood at 238.31 million while the transaction value was ₹403.02 billion. It registered a growth rate of 99% and 108% in volume and value respectively as compared with Q2 2021. The total number of credit and debit cards in circulation reach 1 billion Alongside UPI, adoption of credit cards is growing at a healthy pace, revealed Worldline. The total number of credit and debit cards in circulation has reached 1 billion in Q2 2022 especially with festivities around the corner. “While the number of credit cards increased by 25% from ₹62.81 million in June 2021 to 78.7 million in June 2022, debit cards increased by 2% from ₹906 million to ₹921.75 million during the same period,” Worldline said. As of June 2022, the top credit-card issuing banks were HDFC Bank, SBI, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and RBL Bank while the top debit-card issuing banks were SBI, BOB, Union Bank, <keyword id="62034" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="punjab-national-bank" source="Orion">Punjab National Bank</keyword> and Canara Bank. Credit cards volume and value stood at 688.65 million and ₹3.28 trillion respectively. “Even though credit card volume at POS and e-commerce are nearly equal, the value of e-commerce transactions is higher as compared with the value of transactions at POS. This is in line with the general trend of transactions of high-ticket items moving from the physical to the digital space,” Worldline said. In terms of value, consumers transacted ₹1,226.29 billion at POS terminals and ₹2,053.66 billion at e-commerce through credit cards in the second quarter. In Q2 2022, debit card transactions volume and value stood at 973.12 million and ₹1.91 trillion respectively. Prepaid cards transaction volume and value was 412.29 million and ₹206.36 billion respectively. When it comes to mobile payments, the number of transactions through mobile wallets was 1.52 billion and the value was ₹574.64 billion. Transactions through wallets are growing steadily recording a 38% increase in volume and 27% in value when compared to Q2 2021, revealed Worldline data. National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) processed about 829 million transactions worth ₹129 billion. As of March 2022, about 52.9 million NETC FASTags have been issued since the inception of the NETC program. Aadhaar-Enabled Payment Service transactions recorded a substantial volume of over 679 million transactions, registering about 38% growth over Q2 2021. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/railways-increased-the-speed-of-500-mail-express-trains-by-10-70-minutes/articleshow/94641676.cms">Railways increased the speed of 500 mail express trains by 10-70 minutes</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/15-ott-releases-to-watch-this-festive-season-starring-madhuri-dixit-hasan-minhaj-and-more/articleshow/94640843.cms">15 OTT releases to watch this festive season starring Madhuri Dixit, Hasan Minhaj and more</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-5g-prices-may-be-affordable-for-now-but-expected-to-increase-after-wider-rollout/articleshow/94636173.cms">Reliance Jio and Airtel 5G prices may be affordable for now but expected to increase after wider rollout</a>

UPI is India’s favourite payment mode with transactions worth ₹30.4 trillion in April-June, says report

<ul><li>As the equity cult travels deeper into India, many women are becoming advisors and distributors of financial products.</li><li>Many women who started with nothing today manage AUMs of ₹100 crore and earn trail income of ₹5 lakh a month.</li><li>Large financial intermediaries like <keyword id="6160673" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nj-wealth" source="Orion">NJ Wealth</keyword> are onboarding more women as distributors as they don’t quit easily and build up the business diligently. </li></ul>An eight figure salary is almost everyone’s dream, be it newly minted B-school graduates or engineers. But how many Indians – even at senior levels – ever come close to an annual income of ₹50 lakh? That’s what Jigna Alpesh Shah thought before she enrolled as a mutual fund distributor back in 2006. Today she manages assets of more than ₹100 crore in Anand, better known as the milk capital of India. She is a housewife between 6 am and 10 am and a wealth manager after that. Her vocation allows her to wear whichever hat she chooses to wear during the course of the day – which can be that of a mother, housewife or career woman. As the equity cult travels deeper into India, many women like Jigna have found their calling as advisors and distributors of financial products. Like the services industry, <keyword id="155162" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mutual-fund-distributors" source="Orion">mutual fund distributors</keyword> like NJ Wealth have also learned that the failure rate of women is very low compared to men as they are persistent and patient. In addition, they don’t easily indulge in misselling just to meet targets. As distributors of financial products, women can choose their workdays rather than adhere to a 9 am to 6 pm grind. Importantly, distribution is a lucrative vocation as a high performing distributor can easily earn trail income of ₹60 lakh p.a. This is big because merely 3.2 mn Indians are above the ₹5 lakh income bracket and they collectively account for 76% of income tax receipts of the government. In a country where the average annual income of a senior professional in India ranges between ₹18-25 lakh and a senior resident doctor’s annual income is between ₹50 and ₹60 lakh, an eight figure salary is surely a pipe dream for most. But if you are ambitious, as a mutual fund distributor you can easily earn a trail income of ₹50 lakh or more, provided you are willing to work hard for the first five years. It is perhaps for these compelling reasons that many more women are joining the equity cult, not just as investors but as advisors. Explains Misbah Baxamusa,CEO of NJ Wealth, “We at NJ Wealth found that women need flexibility in their careers and it is hard for them to hold regular jobs. Being a mutual fund distributor can give them the flexibility they need to get started and in addition to that there is minimal investment needed. We believe that the concept of saving and commitment comes naturally to them. Compared to their male counterparts, women don’t quit easily, once they enroll with us. They stick through the process and build up the business. We have several women today who are managing AUMs of over ₹100 crore.” Today, women account for 15-20% of NJ Wealth’s total distributors. NJ Wealth is focused on enrolling more women as it is a win win for both sides. Compared to industry ratio, it has a much higher ratio of <keyword id="19662661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="women-distributors" source="Orion">women distributors</keyword> but Baxamusa feels that a lot more can join the gravy train. <div type="image" title="Jigna Shah" msid="105950515" hostid="261"></div> Jigna Shah was a housewife when she moved to Anand in 2002 with her husband. Though she is a BSc graduate, she started dabbling in financial products as an insurance agent. She enrolled with NJ in 2006 and now manages an AUM of ₹103 crore and is the highest AUM holder at NJ Wealth’s Anand branch (Gujarat). She says: “I have seen the journey of mutual fund investments and how it gained momentum after 2008-09. It took me over 10 years to take my AUM to ₹100 crore, but now I am looking forward to doubling my AUM in the next five years.” What has also helped her growth is the better understanding now that Indians have on building wealth through investments in financial assets unlike the past. Goal based investing has really caught on, she says. <div type="image" title="dipti" msid="105607260" hostid="261"></div> Sourcing customers was a little harder ten years ago, but with social media gaining traction that has also become easy. Sixty-nine year old Dipti Pourana has been distributing financial products for years now, but she says her business hit the fast track after she enrolled with NJ Wealth as her customers refused to invert unless she was their distributor. The technology platform of NJ is immensely user-friendly that makes the lives of distributors very easy. Pourana became the breadwinner after her husband died. Today she manages an AUM of over ₹200 crore. She says: “Client acquisition has also changed over the years. Earlier we used to physically meet people and pay visits to them, but now we source customers through social media as well. Thanks to this business, I was able to raise my family after my husband’s demise. At the beginning of your career as a mutual fund distributor, life can be hard but over the years, the magic of trail commission will kick in.” <div type="image" title="aranpreet" msid="105717868" hostid="261"></div> The story of Aranpreet Kaur is no different from Pourana. Kaur lost her husband during Covid and since then she has been in the driving seat of their wealth advisory business in Chandigarh. She along with her husband started their investment and financial services company in 2015. Kaur thinks that women make very good financial planners and advisors as they are adept at managing homes. She says: “The reason why women can be more successful in this business is because they understand the problem and suggest solutions to clients, unlike men who are more focused on selling.” Kaur’s pet project is to provide financial literacy to young students, who she still teaches in college. She has taken her college lecturer’s role to the next level by conducting classes on investments and savings. She says: “I am a lecturer at SD College but I am very passionate about investing. While I still teach, I also conduct seminars and programmes on investing with students because it is important. I even help my staff at home and office to invest in mutual funds so that they can save for their children’s education.” NJ Wealth is not only making their investors rich by deploying their hard earned money into financial instruments but are also making their distributors wealthy. NJ has a plug-and-play platform that mutual fund distributors can onboard and get started with seamlessly. They enroll mutual fund distributors on their own platform and provide them with a plethora of services that helps them scale the business. Distributors are encouraged to carry out both physical and digital activities to take the equity cult deeper into India. Of the total number of ARNs (AMFI registration number) who enroll to distribute funds to consumers, the majority of them are onboarded by NJ Wealth. There are four crore mutual fund investors in the country today but many more distributors to bridge the gap between demand and supply as more Indians take to the equity cult.

Women distributors rake in the moolah as investors across Bharat say Mutual Funds Sahi Hai

<ul><li>India has tax-treaties with several countries to eliminate double taxation for the taxpayers.</li><li>Selecting the appropriate tax return form (ITR 2 or ITR 3) based on the sources of income is important.</li><li>Employees should be careful to report income if any stock options are provided to them in a foreign country. </li></ul>When filing your taxes, you need to report income earned anywhere in the world, not just in India. The rules pertaining to foreign income could be different, hence it is important to be aware of them. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Mandatory to report" comment="subhead" text="Mandatory to report">Mandatory to report</cmsannotation> The Income-tax Act, 1961 does not provide a specific definition for the term 'foreign income.' Generally, foreign income refers to the earnings or profits derived from sources outside of India. It includes income that does not accrue or arise in India, or is not deemed to accrue or arise in India. In other words, any income generated from a source located outside India would be considered foreign income for tax purposes. “Firstly those who have income earned from foreign sources (sources outside India) and are resident in India must mandatorily file an <keyword id="104359" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="income-tax-return" source="Orion">income tax return</keyword>, and report such income. This applies even when their total taxable income is below the minimum exemption limit,” says Archit Gupta, CEO, Clear, a fintech company. Foreign income schedules are available in the Income Tax Return (ITR), those must be duly filled and reported in. The following information must be provided : country of origin, country code, institution paying, opening and closing balances, amounts credited etc. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Types of foreign income" comment="subhead" text="Types of foreign income">Types of foreign income</cmsannotation> Different types of foreign income have different tax treatment. We take a look. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Income from shares (outside India)" comment="subhead" text="Income from shares (outside India)">Income from shares (outside India)</cmsannotation> If the shares are held as capital assets, the gains or profits arising from their transfer are treated as capital gains. “If the capital gains are arising out of the shares held outside India, the individual taxpayer who is an ROR in India would be taxable as per the rates in the Indian tax laws,” says Akhil Chandna, Partner, <keyword id="10410446" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="grant-thornton-bharat" source="Orion">Grant Thornton Bharat</keyword>, a professional services firm. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Type of Shares </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Holding Period </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Category </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rate of Tax </td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2" style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Listed or unlisted shares of company outside India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Less than 24 months </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Short Term </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Applicable Slab rates </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">More than 24 months </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Long Term </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">20% (with indexation) </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Source: Grant Thornton Bharat Taxation is different for dividend income, which would vary from country to country. For example, in the US, dividends are subject to a flat tax rate of 25%, with the company deducting the taxes before distributing the remaining amount to the investor. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Income from ESOP received outside India" comment="subhead" text="Income from ESOP received outside India">Income from ESOP received outside India</cmsannotation> Income from ESOPs received outside India is taxable in India to the extent the same is provided to the individual for rendering services in India. “If a person is qualifying as an ROR in India, he is subject to tax on his global income. Accordingly, the said income would be taxable for him in India subject to the availability of Foreign Tax Credit (FTC),” says Chandna. Employees should be careful to report income if any stock options are provided to them in a foreign country. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Income from any property outside India" comment="subhead" text="Income from any property outside India">Income from any property outside India</cmsannotation> Any income generated from a property located outside India, such as rental income, or capital gains from selling the property, is taxable in India if the individual qualifies to be a ROR in India as per the Indian tax laws. “The rental income is taxed at applicable slab rates as “Income from House Property” whereas the capital gains are offered to tax at 20% as long term capital gains in case the holding period is more than 36 months, and at applicable tax rates as short term capital gains if the holding period is less than 36 months,” says Chandana. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How to avoid double taxation" comment="subhead" text="How to avoid double taxation">How to avoid double taxation</cmsannotation> Ideally, you should not pay taxes on the same income twice. India has established tax treaties with numerous countries to address the issue of double taxation for taxpayers. These treaties outline specific mechanisms to determine the tax obligations of individuals who earn income in both India and another country. They also allocate the taxing rights for each country concerning the respective sources of income. By utilising the provisions outlined in these treaties, taxpayers can effectively eliminate the burden of being taxed twice on the same income. “When you are a resident of one country but have earned an income from another country; naturally you want to avoid paying tax twice on the same income in both the countries. To avoid paying double tax, one has to refer to the DTAA (Double Tax Avoidance Agreement) between the two countries,” says Gupta. Also, where any source of income is subject to tax in both India and the other country, the tax treaty provides for claiming foreign tax credit in the country of residence. “This allows taxpayers to eliminate double taxation by offsetting the tax liability in India with taxes paid outside India,” says Chandana. For example taxes on capital gains paid for US shares can be used to offset income tax payable in India. “When you are a resident of one country but have earned an income from another country; naturally you want to avoid paying tax twice on the same income in both the countries. To avoid paying double tax, one has to refer to the DTAA (Double Tax Avoidance Agreement) between the two countries,” says Gupta. India has signed tax-treaties with several countries to eliminate double taxation for the taxpayers. “These treaties provide mechanisms to determine the tax liability of individuals who have income in both India and the other country and accordingly determine the taxing rights for each of the countries with respect to such source of income. By applying the provisions of said treaties, taxpayers can eliminate double taxation. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What to keep in mind" comment="subhead" text="What to keep in mind">What to keep in mind</cmsannotation> To report income earned outside India accurately, consider the following points: 1.Select the appropriate tax return form (ITR 2 or ITR 3) based on the sources of income. 2.Understand the taxability of foreign income based on Indian tax laws, and relevant DTAAs. 3.Report taxable income under the correct head while exempt income is mentioned in the 'Exempt Income Schedule' of the tax return. 4.Convert overseas income to Indian Rupees using the prescribed exchange rates mentioned in Rule 115 of the Income-tax Rules, 1962. 5.Resident and Ordinary Resident (ROR) individuals are required to disclose foreign assets, or accounts under the 'Foreign Asset Reporting' Schedule, including bank accounts, properties, and financial interests such as shares, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), etc. It's important to consult with a tax professional and refer to the specific provisions of Indian tax laws and relevant DTAAs to ensure accurate reporting of income earned outside India.

Have income from foreign source? Keep this in mind while filing taxes

<ul><li>In case of listed companies where the market value of the share is lower than the predetermined price in <keyword id="120103" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="esop" source="Orion">ESOP</keyword>, the employee should not exercise the option.</li><li>It is crucial to consider the company's financial health and growth prospects when assessing the worth of ESOPs.</li><li>You can sell a portion of the shares obtained through exercising your ESOPs right away to cover the costs associated with exercising, including any taxes owed.</li></ul>A few days ago, Infosys offered 5.11 lakh shares to its employees under Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). ESOPs are extensively employed by corporations worldwide to incentivize employees to become stakeholders in the company. By offering employees the opportunity to own equity in the company, ESOPs aim to align their performance and dedication with the organization's success. In recent years, ESOPs have gained significant popularity, particularly among startups, as an effective tool for attracting and retaining top talent. Startups leverage ESOPs to not only reward employees but also to create a sense of ownership and motivation, driving their commitment and contribution to the company's growth.We take a look at what you need to keep in mind when exercising your stock options. “Under ESOP, employers grant options to its employees which are exercisable against company’s shares at future date, on fulfillment of defined vesting conditions. For this purpose, the employee pays the exercise price (set as zero or less than fair market value (FMV)) at the time of exercise of shares in future. Therefore, no upfront costs are associated with ESOPs at the time of grant,” says Akhil Chandna, Partner, Tax, <keyword id="10410446" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="grant-thornton-bharat" source="Orion">Grant Thornton Bharat</keyword>, a professional services firm. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Understanding exercise options" comment="subhead" text="Understanding exercise options">Understanding exercise options</cmsannotation> “Most reputed companies have a vesting period of four years, with 25% of the ESOPs becoming eligible for exercise each year after the initial one-year cliff. This means that after the first year, employees can exercise 25% of their ESOPs and subsequently exercise 25% over the following three years on a monthly pro-rata basis,” says Ajinkya Kulkarni, Co-Founder, and CEO, <keyword id="12504599" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="wint-wealth" source="Orion">Wint Wealth</keyword>, an online investment platform focussed on fixed income products. There are two common types of approaches when it comes to exercise prices. The first approach sets the exercise price as the face value of the shares. Thus it is significantly cheaper for employees to purchase the shares. The second approach involves the employee paying the market value of the shares at the time of exercising the option, where the exercise price would be higher. Employee-friendly companies may offer an exercise period of up to 10 years after the employee leaves the organization, providing greater liquidity opportunities for employees. “A sufficient exercise window is crucial since the notional gains from exercising an option are immediately taxable for employees, even though the actual wealth is realized upon liquidation of the shares,” says Kulkarni. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What to keep in mind when exercising options" comment="subhead" text="What to keep in mind when exercising options">What to keep in mind when exercising options</cmsannotation> When exercising an option see if there is a condition that the option will lapse if you do not exercise. “Then you should exercise. But if there is an option that it will be carried forward, there is no need to exercise immediately,” says <keyword id="5754055" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bm-singh" source="Orion">BM Singh</keyword>, ESOP Expert &amp; Managing Partner, BMSA Consultancy. The actual value of ESOPs in a company is closely tied to its future performance and market valuations. Even if ESOPs hold a significant monetary value on paper, if the company's performance is poor, their true benefits may be limited. It is crucial to consider the company's financial health and growth prospects when assessing the worth of ESOPs. Ultimately, ESOPs are most advantageous when granted by companies with strong performance and promising future prospects.Therefore, employees should conduct thorough background research before accepting an offer that includes a substantial ESOP component. Chandna says that in the case of listed companies where the market value of the share is lower than the predetermined price in ESOP, the employee should not exercise the option. For unlisted companies, the employee should also research the company’s buyback track record during the vesting period and whether the company will raise capital through a funding round etc, to know the exit possibilities. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Tax implications at the time of exercise" comment="subhead" text="Tax implications at the time of exercise">Tax implications at the time of exercise</cmsannotation> Taxability of ESOPs first occurs at the time of exercising the options, where the perquisite value of the ESOPs is deemed taxable under the category of 'salary' in the hands of the employees. When employees exercise their ESOPs, the difference between the fair market value of the shares at the time of exercise and the exercise price is treated as a taxable perquisite. This value is added to the employee's salary and subject to applicable income tax regulations. “Please note that the taxable value of perquisite would be computed basis the date of exercise of options /units, however, the same would be taxable in the year in which shares are actually allotted/ transferred to the employees,” says Chandna. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Name of employee </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">A </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Grant date of ESOP </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1 April 2023 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Vesting date of ESOP </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1 April 2024, 1 April 2025 (50% at each date) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Exercise date of ESOP/date of allotment of shares </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1 April 2026 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FMV as on Exercise date i.e. 1 April 2026 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,000 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Exercise price </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#ffffff;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹100 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> In the above illustration, the taxability would arise in the hands of Mr. A on exercise date i.e. 1 April 2026 (FY 2026-27). The taxable value would be ₹900 (i.e. ₹1000 as reduced by ₹00) on 1 share. Source: <keyword id="131240" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="grant-thornton" source="Orion">Grant Thornton</keyword> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How to minimize out of pocket expenses when exercising ESOPs" comment="subhead" text="How to minimize out of pocket expenses when exercising ESOPs">How to minimize out of pocket expenses when exercising ESOPs</cmsannotation> “To minimize the duration between tax obligations on notional gains and the actual gains, it is advisable to exercise ESOPs closer to liquidity events,” says Kulkarni. You can sell a portion of the shares obtained through exercising your ESOPs right away. The proceeds from the sale can be used to cover the costs associated with exercising, including any taxes owed. This strategy effectively lowers your out-of-pocket expenses by utilizing the funds generated from selling the shares. “Let us say that you are entitled to exercise 50 shares. If you get a chance to sell 10 shares in the secondary market, then you can sell the shares and cover the expenses from the proceeds,” says Singh. By creating a budget and developing a financial plan, you can ensure that you have the necessary funds for exercising ESOPs while minimizing your out-of-pocket expenses. Through careful financial management, such as setting aside money in advance or reallocating your financial resources, you can mitigate the impact on your personal expenses when it comes time to exercise your ESOPs.

What you need to know when you exercise your stock option plan

<ul><li><keyword id="6354743" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-India">Amazon India</keyword> partnered with <keyword id="245140" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharat-Gas">Bharat Gas</keyword> to offer gas bill payment feature.</li><li>Through this partnership, customers also get 50% cashback for all cylinders booked through <keyword id="4009819" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Pay">Amazon Pay</keyword> until 30th November 2019. </li><li>Utility bill payments has long been a feature that almost every other digital payment wallet offers. </li></ul>For long now, paying gas bills and booking a new cylinder had been a hassle for Indian consumers. But now <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> India and Bharat Gas partnered to help Indians pay their gas bills online. Through this partnership, customers also get 50% cashback for all cylinders booked through Amazon Pay until 30th November 2019. “Our mission at Amazon Pay is to reduce friction from day-to-day payments. Often, customers prefer cash payments for their everyday essentials, due to lack of awareness or inconvenient digital payment interface. Our partnership with Bharat Gas will simplify the payment experience and benefit millions of Indian households,” said Mahendra Nerurkar, Director, Amazon Pay. But Amazon Pay is not the first to offer this service. Utility bill payments has long been a feature that almost every other digital payment wallet has. Digital payments leader Paytm introduced the feature over a year back and also helps users book HP cylinders. Several other payment platforms followed suit and consumers got the chance to pay via BHIM or through Google Pay, PhonePe etc.

Amazon India offers an option to pay gas bills online, but it might be too late

The Central government on Monday received a huge <keyword id="56600" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dividend" source="Orion">dividend</keyword> tranche of ₹5,001 crore from the Maharatna company <keyword id="6354737" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ONGC" source="Orion">ONGC</keyword>. This was informed by the Secretary of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), <keyword id="3969017" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tuhin-kanta-pandey" source="Orion">Tuhin Kanta Pandey</keyword>. On November 11, the government received about Rs 690 crore from <keyword id="6594329" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bharat-petroleum-corporation-limited" source="Orion">Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited</keyword> (<keyword id="44555" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bpcl" source="Orion">BPCL</keyword>) as a dividend tranche. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings to its shareholders and is determined by the company's board of directors. Dividends are often distributed quarterly and may be paid out as cash or in the form of reinvestment in additional stock. Common shareholders of dividend-paying companies are eligible to receive a distribution as long as they own the stock before the ex-dividend date. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/nifty50-hit-new-all-time-highs-bharat-petroleum-reliance-industries-surge-metal-stock-drag/articleshow/95822928.cms">Sensex, Nifty50 hit fresh all-time highs – Bharat Petroleum, Reliance Industries surge</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/ten-major-trade-unions-boycott-pre-budget-meeting-with-fm/articleshow/95825047.cms">Ten major trade unions boycott pre-budget meeting with FM</a>

Centre receives ₹5,001 crore as dividend from ONGC

New Delhi, Oil sector public sector undertakings (PSUs) may have to bear a <keyword id="9705803" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="larger-share">larger share</keyword> of <keyword id="10488841" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="additional-dividend-payment">additional dividend payment</keyword> to the government this year with almost all companies falling behind on their capex plan for the current fiscal. As of November, the capex of PSU oil companies put together stands at ₹46,303 crore, less than 50% of the annual target of ₹98,522 crore. The government has asked companies to complete at least 75% of capex till the end of December quarter. But this looks highly unlikely now pushing the case for higher dividend payout. In meetings with PSUs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had stressed on the need for PSUs to step up <keyword id="6355120" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="investment">investment</keyword> during the time of the pandemic to boost overall sentiments and kickstart investment climate in the country. She had specifically urged companies to complete at least 75% of capex target by December-end and more than 100% by March. "It is a double whammy for PSUs now. They have to cough up more either through investments or through payment of additional dividends. It should also be seen that the companies are finding it difficult to meet capex targets given financial and project implementation constraints. Covid has severely dented demand and slowed project implementation. Consequently, there is already a strain on their resources that would get heightened as additional dividend would have to be paid," said a top official of a PSU, asking not to be named. While almost all PSUs are facing delays and difficulties in stepping up the gas and increasing investments, the situation among companies in the oil and gas sector looks worse. Slow demand conditions in early part of the year resulted in slowing of several capex plans. Though the situation has improved from November onwards, still its a long way to go for normalcy to return in the sector. For the government, oil sector PSUs are also set to make big inventory gains due to firming up of crude prices, and hence they are being looked at for higher interim dividend or special dividend and a few may also be considered for share buyback depending on market conditions. Among the oil and gas PSUs, the worse performer in terms of capex spend is the country's largest oil and gas explorer ONGC and largest public sector refiner <keyword id="6356834" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-oil-corporation">Indian Oil Corporation</keyword>. According to oil ministry's <keyword id="819806" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Petroleum-Planning-and-Analysis">Petroleum Planning and Analysis</keyword> Cell (PPAC), while ONGC had completed just ₹14,959 crore worth of capex upto November out of FY21 investment target of ₹32,502 crore, IOC's capex upto November is ₹12,104 crore against annual target of ₹26,233 crore. Similarly, HPCL has completed capex of ₹5,658 crore (upto November) against target of ₹11,500 crore; Gail India - ₹2,614 crore against annual target of ₹5,412 crore; Oil India - ₹2,136 crore vs ₹3,877 crore target; MRPL - ₹631 crore vs ₹1,150 crore, OVL - ₹3,765 crore vs ₹7,235 crore. Among the worst performer on capex is privatisation-bound <keyword id="155363" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharat-Petroleum-Corporation-Ltd">Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd</keyword> (BPCL) which has spent just ₹3,716 crore against target of ₹9,000 crore. Officials sources said that PSUs with stock prices higher than the book value and who have sufficient cash funds may also be asked to shell higher dividend in FY21. A call will be taken after the third quarter results of companies are declared late January or early February next year. With the central government being the largest shareholders in PSUs, higher dividend would largely help it to fill its coffers at a time when revenue is constrained due to a overall fall in economic activity during the pandemic while expenditure has risen sharply. Dividend from non-financial PSUs have been budgeted at ₹65,747 crore in FY21. Any increase in this will give a boost to non-tax revenue of the government and help its bridge the rising fiscal deficit that as per initial estimate is now pegged close to 8% of GDP. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her predecessors, including the late Arun Jaitley and P. Chidambaram, had maintained the policy of advising non-financial state-owned companies that if they are not utilising their cash reserves for capex needs, they should give it to the Centre through dividends or share buybacks. As per the guidelines issued by disinvestment department DIPAM, every CPSE is required to pay a minimum annual dividend of 30% of PAT or 5% of the net-worth, whichever is higher. Apart from oil sector, several PSUs in power and mining space have completed just about 40% annual capex by November due to constrained business environment. 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Revenue constrained government may push oil PSUs short on FY21 capex to pay higher dividend

<keyword id="2750705" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google-Pay">Google Pay</keyword> in collaboration with Visa and banking partners on Monday rolled out tokenisation across its platform, enabling users to safely transact with their cards and use Tap-to-pay feature on near-field communication (NFC)-enabled point of sale (POS) terminals and online merchants. The feature is now available to users of Axis and SBI Card, with Kotak and more banks expected to follow suit very soon. With tokenisation, Google Pay <keyword id="6355645" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Android">Android</keyword> users can use their debit or credit card to make payments through a secure digital token attached to their phone without having to physically share their credit or debit card details. "We are hopeful that the tokenisation feature will further encourage users to transact securely and safely in the current times, and expand merchant transactions both online and offline," said Sajith Sivanandan, Business Head: Google Pay and NBU-India. The feature also works with online merchants, delivering more native and seamless OTP experiences without any redirects to 3D Secure sites. With tokenisation, Google Pay will enable NFC-capable Android devices to make contactless payments at over 2.5 million Visa merchant locations. It will allow users to scan and pay at more than 1.5 million Bharat QR enabled merchants and the customers can pay bills and recharges from within their Google Pay app using their card. "Visa recently crossed over 1 billion token credentials globally and with Google Pay live in India, we expect these numbers to rise significantly. We are excited to partner with Google to further accelerate digital payment innovations in times to come for the Indian market and beyond," said TR Ramachandran, Group Country Manager, Visa, India &amp; South Asia. To enable the tap and pay feature using the smartphone phone, users will have to do a one-time set up by entering their card details and follow it by entering the OTP they get from the bank to add their card to the Google Pay app. After the registration, the feature can be used to make payments at NFC-enabled terminals, the company said. "We are already live for Axis and SBI Card holders with Visa payments network and are working closely with Kotak and other banking partners to further expand the adoption of card-based payments with tokenisation in India," Sivanandan added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/top-ten-phishing-examples-and-tricks-used-by-companies-to-test-their-employees-cybersecurity-smarts/slidelist/78228072.cms">Top ten phishing tricks that companies are using to test their employees’ cybersecurity smarts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/markets/news/indian-tech-companies-hcl-tech-wipro-infosys-tcs-share-price-are-green-today/articleshow/78228700.cms">It’s not just the DWS deal, Morgan Stanley's outlook has painted HCL Tech green⁠ — along with TCS, Infosys and Wipro</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-hits-back-at-paytm-reiterates-that-repeated-policy-violations-will-lead-to-stricter-actions/articleshow/78229677.cms">Google hits back at Paytm ⁠— reiterates that ‘repeated policy violations’ will lead to stricter actions</a>

Google Pay partners with Visa bringing tap-to-pay for Indian users

<ul><li>56% of Bharat use UPI and 49% use mobile wallets multiple times a week.</li><li>27% of Bharat use paid video streaming services v/s 29% India.</li><li>1 in 5 Bharat users invests in cryptocurrency.</li><li>39% of Bharat uses <keyword id="6354632" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-media" source="Orion">social media</keyword> as their primary news consumption platform and prefers it over both print and TV combined.</li></ul><keyword id="3358959" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sharechat" source="Orion">ShareChat</keyword> has released a report titled ‘Bharat - The Neo India’ in association with GroupM that studies the social media behavior, content preferences, spending choices of Bharat1 and India2 users. The report classifies users that prefer Indic language on social media as Bharat users and India users as the ones that prefer using English, across all the regions of India. Bharat users are spread across the country with nearly 40% present in metros and 53% in non-metros. The findings in the report are based on a primary survey by YouGov, conducted among 3,432 social media users across 17 Indian states and with inputs from Kantar on Indic language urban active internet users. The survey finds that Bharat users are as affluent and digitally savvy as India users. Bharat users are at par with India users when it comes to participating in online financial activities. In terms of choice of payment mode, Bharat users are adept at using UPI for online transactions and have a lead over India users in terms of net-banking and debit cards transactions online. Among Bharat users, 56% use UPI and 49% use mobile wallets multiple times a week. Breaking away from traditional means, Bharat users are investing in stocks, mutual funds, e-gold and even cryptocurrency. Bharat users are more engaged on social media as compared to India users. 29% of Bharat users post content daily at least once as compared to 22% of India users. Bharat chooses to stay updated via social media as 39% of Bharat uses it as their primary source of news consumption. Like India, the majority of Bharat users prefer streaming free videos over watching TV. Daily, 50% of Bharat users stream free video online and about 47% watch TV. Social media also emerged as one of the primary influences for making buying decisions for Bharat users. Bharat is increasingly shopping online with 46% buying gadgets online in 2021, followed by other categories like travel bookings, food, clothing and accessories, beauty and skincare are also popular. Unveiling the report, <keyword id="290700" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ajit-varghese" source="Orion">Ajit Varghese</keyword>, Chief Commercial Officer of ShareChat, said, “Bharat users are taking social media by storm. It is interesting to note that the Language first users are at par with English language first users when it comes to digital presence, use of online transaction methods, and shopping habits. Bharat users also outrank when it comes to consuming news, food and beverages, health and fitness, and travel related categories online. Observing similar trends on our platforms, we at ShareChat are excited to be at the forefront of engaging with this audience that is spread across the country.” Commenting on the report, <keyword id="232445" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="prasanth-kumar" source="Orion">Prasanth Kumar</keyword>, CEO – GroupM South Asia said, “From the media planning aspect, Bharat is unique in many ways. This is mostly because all the cities that make Bharat are Indic language-heavy, fragmented and display their own sets of <keyword id="139079" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="consumer-behaviour" source="Orion">consumer behaviour</keyword> traits. This diversity in our country brings in its own challenges and opportunities. Brands and media planners looking to reach target audiences across the country should focus on a customized approach for this segment. With this report, we have put together planning guidelines that will give marketers a direction and a starting framework on how to plan and reach the Bharat user effectively.” Bharat v/s India - Other key findings: <ul><li>Bharat users are showing a propensity to pay for online content with 27% already using paid video streaming services daily</li><li>37% of Bharat users are listening to music, 36% are shopping, and 24% are ordering food online</li><li>In certain categories, Bharat users in specific regions drive higher engagement <ul><li>South: Gaming (39%), Food &amp; Drinks (32%) and Travel (22%)</li><li>West: Travel (22%)</li><li>North: Health and Fitness (29%)</li></ul></li><li>In terms of voice search, Bharat users are leading with 26%, as compared to 15% of Indian users.</li><li>21% of Bharat posts content 4-5 times a week compared to 17% of India</li><li>As per Kantar, there are over 341 million overall urban active internet users and 167 million urban active Indic internet users. The study suggests that urban active Indic internet users over-indexed on NCCS A (New Consumer Classification System) and higher education compared to overall urban active internet users</li><li>33% of the urban active Indic internet users are from NCCS A as compared to 30% among overall urban active internet users</li><li>39% of urban active Indic internet users consists of graduates/postgraduates as compared to 35% among overall urban active internet users</li></ul>

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