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<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Russian central bank raised its key interest rate to 21% on Friday.</li><li>Inflation in Russia hit 8.6% year-on-year in September, well above the central bank's 4% target.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-population-decline-worker-shortage-growth-outlook-ukraine-war-2024-8">Russia's central bank</a> raised its key interest rate to a record high on Friday as inflationary pressure continues in the country.The Bank of Russia raised the benchmark rate by 200 basis points to 21%, saying inflation was "running considerably above" its July forecast.Inflation hit 8.6% year-on-year in Russia in September, versus a 4% target."Inflation expectations continue to increase," the bank said in a statement, adding: "Growth in domestic demand is significantly outstripping the capabilities to expand the supply of goods and services.""Further tightening of monetary policy is required to ensure the return of inflation to the target and reduce inflation expectations," it said.The Kremlin has long been battling high inflation and warnings of an overheating economy.Economic growth has been driven by huge defense spending on the invasion of Ukraine, which staved off fears of a recession but also kicked up inflation.Moscow has said defense spending will keep going up.Russia can probably go <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-outlook-defense-budget-spending-ukraine-war-putin-sanctions-2024-10">for years years before it has to confront its overspending</a>, Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center fellow, wrote in the Financial Times earlier this month."This is an unpleasant truth for policymakers in Europe and the US," Prokopenko said.

Russia's central bank hikes interest rate to 21% to fight stubborn inflation      

Star India is set to produce a new web series spotlighting the <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reserve-Bank-of-India" source="keywords">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (<keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rbi" source="keywords">RBI</keyword>) and its critical role in shaping India’s economy over the past 90 years. The RBI, established in 1935, celebrated its 90th anniversary this April, and the upcoming series will aim to deepen public understanding of the central bank’s operations and achievements. Several prominent media companies — Star India Private Limited, Viacom 18, Zee Entertainment Network Limited, and Discovery Communications India — competed for the project. Following a request for proposal (RFP) by the RBI in July, Star India secured the contract, valued at Rs 6.5 crore, after progressing through final evaluations alongside Viacom 18. The RBI's vision for the series, as outlined in the RFP, includes five episodes of about 25-30 minutes each. This format will allow for an engaging, in-depth look into the RBI’s journey, from its establishment in pre-independence India to its modern-day functions. The episodes will delve into the RBI's mission and vision, major achievements, and ongoing developments, aiming to make the central bank’s functions more relatable and accessible to the general public. With expert interviews, high-quality visuals, and storytelling, the series is designed to demystify complex financial topics for a broad audience. By presenting the RBI's key initiatives, collaborations, and challenges in an engaging way, Star India hopes to foster greater transparency and trust in the central bank. The series will be available on both national television and OTT platforms, expanding its reach and impact. The RBI views this web series as a valuable tool to promote financial literacy. By making the central bank's work understandable and interesting, the series could serve as a bridge between the RBI and the public, contributing to a more financially aware society. (With inputs from agencies)

Curious to know what the Reserve Bank does? Star India will soon produce a web series narrating the RBI's 90-year journey

<keyword id="19991358" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-markets" source="keywords">Indian markets</keyword> are navigating choppy waters as global economic shifts, from rate cuts to evolving political climates, create new pressure points across the financial landscape, according to a recent report by ANI attributed originally to the Union Bank of India. The domestic stock and bond markets showed signs of strain, with <keyword id="19910363" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bond-yields" source="keywords">bond yields</keyword> witnessing slight adjustments. India’s 10-year government bond yield dipped to 6.82%, a decrease from the previous session, reflecting cautious investor sentiment as the markets react to shifting global indicators. Meanwhile, the 5-year bond yield remained steady at 6.76%, a signal of lingering hesitation amid economic unpredictability. In the currency market, the rupee faced a notable decline, ending the day at ₹84.3725 against the US dollar, slipping from its prior close of ₹84.2800. Market analysts point to significant capital outflows as a key factor, with investors moving funds to perceived safer assets overseas. This migration has weighed heavily on the rupee, underlining the currency’s vulnerability in an environment of global economic flux. India’s stock market bore the brunt of this volatility, with key indices falling over 1%, effectively erasing the gains of a previous rally. This abrupt drop reportedly reflects renewed investor anxiety, largely triggered by the recent <keyword id="20189882" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-presidential-election" source="keywords">US presidential election</keyword> results. Experts suggest that the election has introduced a fresh layer of uncertainty, not only for the US economy but for global markets, impacting everything from policy decisions to investor sentiment. Analysts are also keeping a close eye on upcoming decisions by central banks, which will likely shape the path forward for the Indian equities market. Commodities showed contrasting trends, with Brent crude prices falling on lower demand expectations, as economic indicators point toward cautious spending globally. Gold, on the other hand, experienced a modest rise as investors sought refuge in safe-haven assets, highlighting a shift towards risk aversion among market participants. Globally, major central banks made coordinated efforts to sustain economic growth, with the Bank of England (BoE) announcing a 25 basis-point cut, lowering its benchmark rate to 4.75%. The BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) largely backed this move to counter inflation, which has been declining, albeit gradually. Across the Atlantic, the US Federal Reserve mirrored this action with its own 25 basis-point cut, a sign of confidence in the ongoing economic recovery. Both rate cuts, though modest, signal a global trend towards caution as economies work to balance growth with stability. In Asia, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) maintained its supportive stance. Governor Pan Gongsheng sought to reassure foreign investors by reaffirming the PBoC’s commitment to growth-oriented policies. Pan emphasized enhanced communication and pledged to open China’s financial services sector further, aiming to attract more international participants. Europe, meanwhile, faced mixed economic signals. Germany reported a steep 2.5% drop in industrial production in September, signalling a slowdown in manufacturing, while the Eurozone saw a mild 0.5% rise in retail sales, reflecting cautious consumer optimism in the region. Adding another layer to the global economic landscape, the European Union’s Climate Change Service warned that 2024 could be the hottest year on record, underscoring urgent climate challenges just as the UN COP29 climate summit approaches. The summit, set to take place in Azerbaijan, aims to rally increased funding for climate action, though tempered expectations linger in light of recent US political shifts. On the domestic front, Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam spoke about India’s potential role in pivotal global trade agreements, specifically the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). These partnerships, Subrahmanyam suggested, could bolster India’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, which currently accounts for 40% of India’s exports, offering a strategic advantage for Indian trade in an interconnected world. As the Indian markets digest these developments, experts believe continued volatility could be the theme for the coming months. (with ANI inputs)

Indian markets under pressure as global rate cuts stir uncertainty, new report says

<keyword id="19913110" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shaktikanta-Das" source="keywords">Shaktikanta Das</keyword>, the Governor of <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> (RBI), on October 26, received award for A+ grade in <keyword id="23702898" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Bank-Report-Cards" source="keywords">Central Bank Report Cards</keyword> 2024, for the second consecutive year. The award, presented by <keyword id="22224722" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Global-Finance" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Global Finance" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Global Finance">Global Finance</keyword> in <keyword id="21459434" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Washington-D-C-" source="keywords">Washington D.C.</keyword>, USA, recognised RBI Governor's excellent performance and effective leadership in steering India's apex bank through complex economic challenges. In a social media post on X, RBI posted, "Governor @DasShaktikanta received the award for A+ grade in Central Bank Report Cards 2024, for the second consecutive year. Presented by Global Finance at an event held today in Washington DC, USA." The Central Bank Report Cards, published annually by Global Finance since 1994, grade the central bank governors of nearly 100 key countries, territories, and districts, as well as the European Union, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, the Bank of Central African States and the Central Bank of West African States. Grades are based on an "A+" to "F" scale for success in areas such as inflation control, economic growth goals, currency stability and interest rate management. "A" represents an excellent performance, down through "F" for outright failure. Along with Das, Denmark's Christian Kettel Thomsen and Switzerland's Thomas Jordan were also accorded an A+ grade. Brazil's Roberto Campos Neto, Chile's Rosanna Costa, Harvesh Kumar Seegolam of Mauritius, Morocco's Abdellatif Jouahri, South Africa's Lesetja Kganyago and Sri Lanka's Nadalal Weerasinghe were amongst those who received the <keyword id="22446364" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="A-grade" source="keywords">A grade</keyword>. European Union's Christine Lagarde was given an A- grade. "After a difficult 2023, when geopolitical pressures gathered with tight monetary conditions to create a near-stagflationary environment in the eurozone, the central bank has managed to inch much closer to its 2% target with successive consumer price index (CPI) readings under 3% since February of this year, down to 2.4% in August", Global Finance noted on Lagarde's tenure. <keyword id="19951097" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Fed" source="keywords">US Fed</keyword> Chairman Jerome Hayden Powell received an A- grade. Per the Global Finance website, "The Fed has debated in excruciating, and at times confusing, detail throughout this year when and whether to cut its benchmark rate from a 23-year high of 5.5%, a level held since July 2023. This September, the Fed finally turned the monetary ship toward a policy of easing, with a 50-basis point cut, which was at the higher end of forecasts." "Prior to the rate cut, economists agreed that confusion in the markets was a case of bad communication by the Fed, but Powell’s overall handling of policy has been praised. It is difficult to find much fault with the Fed’s approach to policymaking over the past year. The Fed has appropriately changed its tone in response", it continued. However, it also noted that more-substantial easing in the following months will be crucial to avoid a policy mistake and to secure Powell’s legacy. Powell's term as second-time chair of the Fed Reserve ends on May 15, 2026.

Shaktikanta Das receives award for A+ grade in Central Bank Report Cards 2024 in USA

Foster is the chief data officer of the US Central Command. Centcom, which heads US military operations in the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia, has been testing out AI and computer-vision applications for the Department of Defense and adding tech talent to support its missions. Foster, part of Business Insider's 2024 AI Power List, previously helped develop big data and AI applications at several technology companies with US defense contracts, including CrowdAI and Maxar Technologies. He's also served as an intelligence officer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and as an officer in the Air Force.See Business Insider's full <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://businessinsider.com/ai-power-list-2024">AI Power List</a>

Michael Foster, US Central Command chief data officer, uses AI to make an impact on defense

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The exec leading Cubist's centralized high-frequency trading unit is leaving the firm.</li><li>Vibhav Bukkapatanam joined last year as the head of a new high-frequency trading initiative.</li></ul>Cubist Systematic Strategies has been investing tens of millions into a centralized trading operation. One of its marquee hires, the lead of its high-frequency trading initiative, is now leaving the firm, according to people familiar with the matter.Vibhav Bukkapatanam joined Cubist, the systematic trading division of multimanager hedge fund Point72, last year as head of high frequency but is leaving after less than a year on the job, according to people familiar with the matter, who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the company's internal affairs.A Cubist representative declined to comment. Bukkapatanam did not respond to requests for comment.Bukkapatanam was a key hire and involved in recruiting other senior personnel for Cubist's central trading group, the people said. He has a background in FX futures, working at Radix, 3Red, and most recently Citadel Securities, where he was a quant researcher in high-speed, machine-learning-driven trading strategies, according to his LinkedIn and personal website. While he only officially joined Cubist last year, he was recruited in 2021 and was subject to a two-year noncompete clause.While Cubist — and Point72 — are known for deploying capital to independent PMs and investing teams, President <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/point72-quant-denis-dancanet-chess-helped-career-wall-street-tech-2022-6">Denis Dancanet</a> has in recent years been building out an internal, centralized unit to trade across a variety of strategies, from HFT-style market making to crypto. He has spent tens of millions luring personnel from top-tier firms, including Citadel, Jump Trading, Squarepoint, and Tower Research.It's not uncommon for multistrategy hedge funds to have centralized teams or center books, which potentially offer higher-margin returns as they typically don't employ the "eat-what-you-kill" payouts given to individual portfolio managers. These efforts can create tension with individual pods, which may view such efforts as competition for resources.While center books usually aggregate data and signals from a fund's broader trades, Cubist's central team is more like a traditional quant-trading fund within the firm, coming "up with its own strategies and trades independently from the other pods and the rest of the firm," according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://point72.com/blog/denis-dancanet-on-cubist/">a 2023 blog post</a> from Dancanet, who joined the firm in 2020."The difference compared to the pod model is that it's much more collaborative and there's open communication between the various teams across strategies."

The head of Cubist's centralized high-speed trading unit is out after less than a year

On Wednesday, the US <keyword id="19904332" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Federal-Reserve" source="keywords">Federal Reserve</keyword> slashed the <keyword id="19950650" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="interest-rates" source="keywords">interest rates</keyword> by a mammoth 50-basis points. In response, markets across the world, including the Nifty and Sensex, scaled record highs. While Nifty was up by around 280 points, breaching the 25,000 mark, Sensex was up by almost 1,000 points. Globally, S&amp;P was up by 1.70%, while Hang Seng inched up by 1.06% But did you know that along with the Fed, many other <keyword id="19946830" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="central-banks" source="keywords">central banks</keyword> across the world also made changes to their interest rates this week? This includes <keyword id="19935367" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brazil" source="keywords">Brazil</keyword>, Indonesia, Japan, <keyword id="19953502" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Turkey" source="keywords">Turkey</keyword> and England. We take a closer look: <h2>Brazil</h2> Latin America's largest economy, which has set a 3% inflation target for itself, is currently witnessing 4.25% inflation. The apex bank unanimously decided to raise its Selic rate, or benchmark interest by 25 basis points for the first time in 2 years, taking it to 10.75%. The decision making committee, also known as the Copom, also signalled towards three more rate hikes of 25 bps each by the end of this year, closing the year with the Selic at 11.25%. Bolstered by a solid labour market, with unemployment in the country dipping to 6.9% in May, the lowest since 2014, Brazil is also witnessing a surge in employment growth, which grew 2.9% on a YoY basis, and a rise in average monthly earnings, which jumped up 5.6% from the year ago period. Such strong labour markets, combined with higher consumer spending, stokes fears of inflation. This is why such tightening measures i.e. raising the borrowing costs become necessary. <h2>Japan</h2> The country held steady it's short term interest rate at 0.25%, treading largely along expected lines. You'd think the only way up for Japanese interest rates from hereon is up, but the country has, for decades, also held a negative interest rate, something it did away with only in March this year. This was done to fire up consumption and increase borrowing, which seems to be yielding fruits now. Governor Kazuo Ueda also hinted at raising interest rates, if spending and consumption stay in line with the central bank’s target of 2% inflation. <h2> Indonesia</h2> The country announced a quarter basis point (25 bps) rate cut for the first time in 3 years, a surprise move given that most experts anticipated the country to hold steady on to its interest rate of 6.25%. Bringing down the interest rate to 6%, governor Perry Warjiyo expects this to boost the Rupiah, the country's currency and also accelerate foreign inflows into the economy. Given that the country's inflation projections for 2024 and 2025 remain within the targeted 2.5%, experts anticipate more rate cuts in the remaining part of the year. <h2> Turkey</h2> The country's central bank kept the interest rate steady at 50% for the 6th consecutive month in September. Turkey had last hiked it's interest rate by a massive 500 basis point in March this year, in a bid to tame inflationary pressures, which are now down from 75% in May to 52% last month. The central bank estimates that inflation will be down to 42% by end of 2024, dipping further lower to 17.5% by 2025 end. Analysts expect the country to make its first rate cut in November this year, as inflation in the country stabilises to some extent. <h2> England</h2> The good old British refrained from tinkering with their interest rates, leaving it unchanged at 5%, even as their American counterparts slashing interest rates and keeping the interest rate target range between 4.75% and 5%. This comes amidst the rapid rising pace of service prices, which make up for 80% of the British economy, and wage rise. The decision was largely expected, given that inflation, which holds steady at 2.2% as of August, remains above the apex bank’s target. Sevice inflation in the country jumped to 5.6% in August, which is keeping Bank of England on alert. Although, it is expected to revise rates in its next meeting in November.

Not just Fed, but central banks of these countries also tinkered with rate cuts this week

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Donald Trump commented on the Fed after Wednesday's interest rate cut.</li><li>As a president and a candidate, Trump has continued undermining the Fed's independence.</li></ul>Interest-rate cuts are finally here, and former President Donald Trump isn't happy about it.On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-cuts-interest-rates-how-much-september-fomc-powell-inflation-2024-9">announced an interest-rate cut of 50 basis points</a>, the first cut Americans have received in over four years. With the pace of inflation slowing and the job market cooling over the past few months, some experts and Democratic lawmakers have been urging Fed Chair Jerome Powell to cut rates sooner rather than later to give Americans relief from high prices.But Trump feels differently — he <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlvBFsWoXtw">said</a> during a New York campaign stop on Wednesday that the rate cut "shows the economy is very bad to cut it by that much, assuming they're not just playing politics.""The economy would be very bad, or they're playing politics, one or the other," Trump said. "But it was a big cut."He's argued in the past that the Fed would only cut rates close to the election to aid Democrats, which he reiterated leading up to the central bank's announcement."They'll do the rate cut and all the political stuff tomorrow," Trump said during a Tuesday town hall in Michigan, adding that if he wins the presidential election, "we're going to get interest rates down."Notably, the president has no influence over lowering interest rates — the Federal Reserve is politically independent and is supposed to make monetary policy decisions solely based on its dual mandate of keeping inflation low and employment high.That's something Trump wants to change — The Wall Street Journal reported in April that members of Trump's team were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-interest-rate-decisions-restructure-federal-reserve-jerome-powell-wsj-2024-4">creating plans to restructure the Fed</a> and allow Trump to have a say in interest-rate decisions. He later walked those comments back, saying in an August <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-19/trump-defends-fed-criticism-weighs-providing-aid-to-home-buyers">interview</a> with Bloomberg that he doesn't need to be "calling the shot, but it does mean that I should have a right to be able to talk about it like anybody else."Senior advisors to Trump told the Journal that those plans were not finalized.Trump has also previously accused the Fed of being political — he <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-interest-rate-cuts-powell-help-democrats-win-elections-inflation-2024-2">said</a> during a Fox interview in February that Powell is "going to do something to probably help the Democrats, I think, if he lowers interest rates."While Powell has not directly responded to Trump's comments, the Fed chair has repeatedly said that the Federal Reserve is an independent entity that makes decisions solely based on data and is not influenced by politics. "Our job is to support the economy on behalf of the American people, and if we get it right, this will benefit the American people significantly," Powell said during the Wednesday press conference. "It's something we all take very, very seriously. We don't put up any other filters. I think if you start doing that, I don't know where you stop."Trump sought to use his presidential power to appoint members to the Fed board who supported his unorthodox views of the central bank. Judy Shelton, a conservative economist who Trump nominated to the Board of Governors in 2019, had previously written that the Fed was "almost a rogue agency" that couldn't be trusted. Even fellow Republicans balked at her nomination, culminating in a 47-50 failed floor vote exacerbated by GOP absences related to COVID-19."In her past statements, Ms. Shelton has called for the Federal Reserve to be less independent of the political branches and has even questioned the need for a central bank," Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, said of her at the time. "This is not the right signal to send, particularly in the midst of the pandemic."Shelton was one of a series of Trump loyalists whose nominations ran aground. Former 2012 GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain and conservative commentator Stephen Moore both withdrew their respective nominations in the face of opposition. Trump was able to get former Kanas banking commissioner Michelle Bowman and economist Christopher Waller confirmed to the Fed Board.Trump has flip-flopped his views on his most important appointment to the Fed: Powell."He's strong, he's committed, he's smart," Trump said about Powell in 2017 when he nominated him to lead the Fed.In February, the former president said he would not reappoint Powell to lead the Fed. Earlier this summer, Trump told Bloomberg News that he would let Powell serve out his term. Trump's tepid support of Powell underlines just how mercurial he can be when it comes to the central bank."There are few more important positions than this, believe me, in our Government," Trump said in 2017 with Powell looking on.On that point, Trump hasn't wavered.

The Fed's interest-rate cut put Trump even more at odds with the central bank

Over the past few months, there’s been a lot of brouhaha about the lagging pace of bank deposits in India. Simply put, the rate at which Indians are depositing their hard-earned money in banks has been falling constantly, and some blame the increasing financialization of household savings in the country, or the rising preference of Indians towards mutual funds and shares. So, the hypothesis is that people are choosing to invest more in mutual funds and the Indian equity markets through direct investments, IPOs, or NFOs, the money flowing into Indian banks in the form of deposits is slowing down. But is that really the case? <h2>A crisis or a phase?</h2><keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rbi" source="keywords">RBI</keyword> data suggested that for the quarter ended June 2024, bank deposits grew at 11.7%. On the other hand, credit growth has outpaced this at 15%. This means that the outflow from banks as loans is far greater than the inflow into them in the form of deposits in Q1 of FY 2024-25. The situation largely saw cut-copy-paste in the first week of September as well, with loans registering a 13.3% YoY growth during the period, while deposits rose only 11.1%. This gap has only been widening for the last 3 years. Since deposits are how banks gather assets to further lend and earn interest income as a consequence, even a slight dip could set the alarm bells ringing for banks, and rightfully so. And truth be told, mutual funds are indeed taking on bank deposits in a big way. Per a report by <keyword id="20250971" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="franklin-templeton" source="keywords">Franklin Templeton</keyword>, in August 2024, the AUM (assets under management) of Indian mutual funds, or the total funds managed by them, stood at 31.3% of total bank deposits in the country, up from 24.20% during the year-ago period. As of August 2024, the AUM of mutual funds stood at Rs 66.17 lakh crore, an all-time high. But all said and done, is this really the reason why the rate of bank deposits is falling behind? SBI has dismissed this to be a “statistical myth”, and experts point out that since equity and fund houses also keep the cash in their respective bank accounts, there’s no cause for concern. So, is financialization really to be blamed for the trailing tempo of deposits? Or is something else happening behind the scenes? We take a closer look: <h2>First, are <keyword id="4000333" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="household-deposits" source="Orion">household deposits</keyword> really slowing down? And is that a cause of concern?</h2>Data from Motilal Oswal suggests the contrary. Deposits grew by around 10.4% between March 2020 and August 2024. Data from RBI also highlights that as of August 9, 2024, bank deposits witnessed a YoY growth of 10.8%. The loan-to-deposit ratio for the retail segment, which indicates what percentage of its total deposits the banks lend out as loans, has stayed at 77.5%, above the 77% mark for the tenth straight month. Also, we can’t forego the fact that the share of Indian <keyword id="20319599" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="households" source="keywords">households</keyword> in bank deposits has indeed slowed down. However, data from Axis AMC shows that the dip is marginal—from 63% in 2022 to 62% in 2023 and 61% in 2024. What has slowed down even more considerably is the share of government deposits in the aggregate bank deposits, which has dipped from 14% in 2018 to 9% in 2024. So, it's not just household deposits, you see. Moreover, as of March 2024, the collective CASA ratio (current and savings account deposits) of all commercial banks in India stood at 41.00%, down from 43.1% in March 2023 and 45.2% in March 2022, marking a nearly 5% point decline over the past year, while still staying over the 10-year average of 39.2%. This implies that Indian banks are relying more on higher-cost funds (savings accounts), which can limit their profitability. <h2>What is this financialisation of savings we are talking about?</h2>Then again, there is no doubt about the growing affinity of Indians towards mutual funds and stock markets. Recent data from CBDT (<keyword id="19942037" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="central-board-of-direct-taxes" source="keywords">Central Board of Direct Taxes</keyword>) highlights that India’s net direct tax collection surged by around 22%, driven exclusively by the significant uptick in the collection of <keyword id="20930760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="securities-transaction-tax" source="keywords">Securities Transaction Tax</keyword> (STT), which doubled to Rs 26,154 crore, from Rs 13,352 crore in the year-ago period. Why does this matter? STT is levied when you buy or sell equity shares on stock exchanges, sell equity mutual funds, and trade in futures and options in the equity segment. Such taxes, including the multiple other taxes in equity market investments, are considered as leakages as the money moves out of the economy into government coffers. Data from a ValueQuest report explains that over the last 20 years, the markets have handsomely rewarded the investors, generating over $900 billion in incremental value for them. This is the major driver behind the dramatic rise in investment flowing towards the equity markets. There’s further proof of this budding romance, if you check the demat pudding. The number of demat accounts, which are a primary requisite for participating in the stock markets, also burgeoned by 42.3 lakh in August 2024, taking India’s total tally of demat accounts beyond 17 crore. To put this in perspective, this is almost equivalent to the population of just 8 nations in the world, including China, the US, Brazil and more. Vivek Iyer, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat thinks it's rather important, as well. “Financialisation of household savings in India is an indication of deepening capital markets in the market, especially from a retail investor standpoint. Bank deposits with a modest rate of return are no longer the only option for savings for investors. Investors today have more avenues for wealth creation in the form of public capital markets, which have democratized wealth creation and provided equality of opportunity to retail investors”, he says. Yes, Indians are investing more and more in the markets, and in mutual funds. But is it a sin to look out for inflation-beating returns, which the stock markets offer, and vanilla bank deposits don't? After all, the allure of 12-13% annual returns offered by equities can certainly pale the stability offered by good old deposits, which generally do not go beyond 9% when it comes to annual returns. But all of this is not what is behind the slowdown. India is still a toddler in the school of savings financialization, with less than 10% of the population holding a demat account, and less than 5% of us saving in equities. That's a drop in the ocean of deposits, far inadequate to trigger a tsunami. <h2>Tell me why lagging deposits have nothing to do with Indians investing more in mutual funds!</h2>Says Shweta Rajani, Head - Mutual Funds, Anand Rathi Wealth Limited, “Households' equity holdings composition grew from 11.1% in FY 23 to 14.7% in FY 24. This trend reflects a growing awareness of investment options, empowering individuals to take control of their financial futures. Despite this transition towards equities, banks still hold a significant share of household financial savings—33.5% in FY24 compared to 34.9% in FY23”. Also, household savings and their subsequent financialization do not have much to do with deposit creation, which is entirely made by banks. What actually drives increased deposits is credit growth or increased lending. When interest rates are eased, people tend to borrow more and spend more, which circulates more money in the economy. For the past 4 years, RBI has been tightening the screws on interest rates, which raises the cost of borrowings, and makes it more expensive to take loans, putting a dampener on credit growth, but effectively curbing inflationary pressures. The last time RBI cut the repo rate by 40 basis points was back in May 2020, 4 years ago. The lag in deposit growth we’re witnessing is almost 3 years old. Coincidence much, or just good old economics at work? But with the <keyword id="19900043" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fed" source="keywords">Fed</keyword> recently setting a rate cut precedent by slashing 50 bps off its interest rate, RBI is expected to follow suit in the next <keyword id="19918491" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mpc" source="keywords">MPC</keyword> (Monetary Policy Committee) meeting, scheduled for November 2024. A rate cut would ease the aforementioned high cost of borrowing, and increase loan-taking for corporates and institutional investors, thereby stoking consumption in the economy. And then, deposit creation in banks is likely to return to its former glory. If not, then that would be a curious case to unravel! But that worry is for another day.

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