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A bill seeking to provide for four nominees by a bank account holder was introduced in the <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Lok Sabha" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Lok Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> on Friday to ensure better protection of depositors and enhance customer convenience. Introduced by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in the Lower House, the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, has a provision for simultaneous and successive nominations to bank accounts, lockers, etc. As per the provision of the bill, a bank account holder can nominate up to four persons. The bill also seeks to transfer of unclaimed dividends, shares, and interest or redemption of bonds to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF), allowing individuals to claim transfers or refunds from the fund, and thus safeguarding investors' interests. As the banking sector has evolved over the years, and with a view to improving bank governance and investor protection, it has become necessary to make certain amendments to five Acts, according to Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill. The Bill, which was approved by the <keyword id="19916620" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Cabinet" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Union Cabinet" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Union Cabinet">Union Cabinet</keyword> last week, proposes to amend the <keyword id="20824389" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reserve-Bank-of-India-Act" source="keywords">Reserve Bank of India Act</keyword>, 1934, the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, the State Bank of India Act, 1955, the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970, and the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1980. The proposed bill seeks to improve governance standards, provide consistency in reporting by banks to the Reserve Bank of India, ensure better protection for depositors and investors, improve audit quality in public sector banks, bring customer convenience in respect of nominations, and to provide for increase in the tenure of the directors in co-operative banks. Another proposed change relates to redefining 'substantial interest' for directorships, which could increase to Rs 2 crore instead of the current limit of Rs 5 lakh, which was fixed almost six decades ago. Congress member Manish Tewari opposed the introduction of the bill, saying the power to legislate with regard to cooperatives vests with state governments. RSP member N K Premachandran opposed amending five legislations through one bill, while TMC member Saugata Roy termed the bill "superfluous", saying the the amendments proposed in the bill could have been done through administrative decisions. Responding to opposition's remarks, <keyword id="19956758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Minister" source="keywords">Finance Minister</keyword> Nirmala Sitharaman said the various amendments done in Banking Regulations Act with respect to <keyword id="20814377" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cooperative-banks" source="keywords">cooperative banks</keyword> are not just one or two but several. "Simple understanding is we are not touching any aspect of the cooperatives other than that which claims under the name of banking...the sections which have been brought in for amendments, as also the court verdicts, have repeatedly reinforced the point that Banking Regulation Act and the Cooperative Banks do have this relationship and therefore it has to be taken through this route," she said. Otherwise, there is no attempt to undermine the cooperatives, particularly cooperatives dealing with everything other than banks, she said defending the Bill. The bill proposes to increase the tenure of directors (excluding the chairman and whole-time director) in cooperative banks from 8 years to 10 years, so as to align with the Constitution (Ninety-Seventh Amendment) Act, 2011. Once passed, the bill would allow a director of a Central Cooperative Bank to serve on the board of a State Cooperative Bank. The bill also seeks to give greater freedom to banks in deciding the remuneration to be paid to statutory auditors. It also seeks to redefine the reporting dates for banks for regulatory compliance to the 15th and last day of every month, instead of the second and fourth Fridays. "What's the rationale behind it? The current reporting Friday system has several limitations that impact the accuracy and effectiveness of the reporting of data. "These limitations are incomplete coverage of monthly data, seasonal fluctuations in banking activity which lead to inconsistent reporting, and the need for adjustment every 11th year which introduces complications and inconsistencies. That is why, in order to address the issue, it is proposed to amend the legislation," she said. The announcement about amendments to the Banking Regulation Act was made by the Finance Minister in the 2023-24 Budget speech. "To improve bank governance and enhance <keyword id="22728161" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="investors-protection" source="keywords">investors' protection</keyword>, certain amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, the Banking Companies Act and the Reserve Bank of India Act are proposed," she had said.

Bill to provide up to four nominees to a bank account introduced in Lok Sabha

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

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

If you have a younger sibling, chances are that you’ve turned down their request for some money by saying you aren’t carrying your wallet or are simply not carrying enough cash. Well, here is some bad news—you might not be able to give this excuse in the near future. <keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="RBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="RBI">RBI</keyword> has recently introduced <keyword id="22728221" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delegate-payments" source="keywords">delegate payments</keyword>. And this means that your <keyword id="22728220" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UPI-account" source="keywords">UPI account</keyword> can now be used by others to make payments. <h2><keyword id="19900911" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="upi" source="keywords">UPI</keyword> payments from a single account</h2> As mentioned already,<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/rbi-mpc-meet-cheque-clearing-time-reduced-upi-limit-increased-for-tax-payment/articleshow/112366099.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank"> a single UPI account </a>can now be used by other users to make payments from the same account. RBI introduced the feature, called delegated payments, during the August monetary policy review. The feature allows a primary user to authorise another individual, such as a family member or employee, to make transactions from their bank account. The primary user sets limits on these transactions, giving them control while enabling others to manage finances within predefined boundaries. RBI Governor <keyword id="19913110" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shaktikanta-das" source="keywords">Shaktikanta Das</keyword> highlighted the potential of this feature to expand <keyword id="19994585" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-payment" source="keywords">digital payment</keyword> usage across diverse segments of society. "Delegated Payments will enhance financial inclusivity, especially in rural areas where banking access is limited," Das said as per a TOI report. Mohit Bedi, Co-Founder and CBO of Kiwi, a third-party payments application, told ET that this feature could transform how UPI is used by families. "The RBI is essentially making parents the approving authority for transactions, which means UPI can now be used by minors with parental oversight," Bedi said. <h2>Only permissible through <keyword id="20708705" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="savings-accounts" source="keywords">savings accounts</keyword></h2> But can all types of accounts make payments using this new feature? Not really. It is important to note that these delegated transactions will only be permissible through savings accounts, excluding credit lines or credit cards, as industry experts confirm. This focus on savings accounts underscores a commitment to secure and manageable transactions. In addition to delegated payments, the RBI also raised the limit for tax payments via UPI. Previously capped at Rs. 1 lakh per transaction, the new limit is of Rs 5 lakh. With this increase, taxpayers can avoid the cumbersome NEFT process, which requires manual entry of account details, and benefit from the speed and convenience of UPI. On a related note, UPI transactions are immensely popular in India and people have started preferring them over cash payments. Right from a vegetable vendor to a small business owner, almost everyone has started accepting payments via UPI. In April this year, <keyword id="19912360" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Minister-Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> revealed that the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/upi-transactions-cross-rs-20-trillion-for-third-successive-month-in-july-2024/articleshow/112226370.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank"> Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has seen an unprecedented volume</a> of transactions in the fiscal year 2024. The platform recorded around 131 billion transactions, with a total value of Rs 200 trillion.

You can let your family members use your UPI account for payments, RBI introduces delegate payments

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 5 (ANI): <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india" source="keywords">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> Governor Shaktikanta Das will announce the outcome of the first <keyword id="6375120" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Monetary-Policy-Committee" source="Orion">Monetary Policy Committee</keyword> (MPC) meeting of the financial year 2024-2025 on Friday. The central banking authority of India has kept the <keyword id="43352" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="repo-rate" source="Orion">repo rate</keyword> unchanged for the last six consecutive MPC meetings and according to experts it is likely to maintain the status quo on interest rates this time too. The repo rate, is the interest rate at which banks draw funds from <keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="Orion">RBI</keyword> to overcome short-term liquidity mismatches. Monetary Policy Committee was constituted under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. MPC is a six-member committee comprising three members from RBI including Governor Shaktikanta Das and three members appointed by the Central government. The two-day review meeting of the MPC that commenced on April 3 concludes today. The RBI had maintained the status quo on policy rates and stances in its last review, which was held in February 2024. The decision however was not unanimous and one member has recommended a rate cut of 25 basis points and policy change stand to neutral. Since the last policy, rating agencies have revised India's growth forecast upwards. <keyword id="7706673" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Minister-Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="Orion">Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword>, recently said that India will grow over 8 per cent in FY24. Inflation has dropped and has remained under the range of comfort zone. Consumer Price Index inflation was 5.1 per cent in February 2024, up from over 5.5 per cent in December 2023. The core CPI inflation, excluding food and beverages, was at a low of 3.5 per cent in February 2024. However, food inflation at above 7 per cent was a concern, but with a recent cut in the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG, it is likely to further fall in March and may come below 5 per cent. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) recent announcement of above-normal temperatures during April-June may be a concern regarding rise in prices of vegetable, fruits and other perishable items. Also prices of rice, pulses have shown an upward trend which may be a concern for the MPC while taking a decision. However, softening prices of non-food items will give some relief to the committee. Generally, normal monsoons follow above normal temperatures, presuming that the average CPI inflation is likely to be in the RBI's comfort zone of 4-6 per cent in FY25. According to official data, retail inflation in India eased a tad in February to 5.09 per cent from 5.10 per cent the prior month, due to the deceleration of prices in all categories except food. Experts believe that the RBI is unlikely to change its policy stance before the August 2024 MPC review and any rate cut is unlikely before that. The US Fed has also recently indicated that it is not in a hurry to cut rates. All these suggest that the RBI, too, is unlikely to go for a rate cut before the October 2024 policy. The next MPC meetings of the RBI have been scheduled this year for June, August, October, December and February 2025.

RBI Monetary Policy Meeting: Central Bank likely to keep rates steady

Imagine this. You have a younger sibling you’re mighty envious of. And why not? Unlike you, they seem to enjoy all the freedom and money in the world. They party like there’s no tomorrow, and here you are, stuck in a boring, ultra-disciplined but responsible routine that feels completely devoid of any independence, and mostly, funds. But of late, things are changing. This sibling is in massive trouble and just cannot escape the parent’s wrath anymore. Long story short, the party is over, and it is time to go back home. The rising defaults on this sibling’s part have now begun pulling the entire house down, thereby attracting the regulator’s ire. <h2>The Wild West of microfinance and unsecured loans</h2>It's hard to ignore the issues with microfinance and unsecured loans in India. Many saw them as a small gamble and ignored the rising defaults much like the younger siblings’ tantrums, and now they find themselves in hot waters. The skyrocketing instances of non-payments aren't a micro-issue anymore and are threatening the stability of the entire banking system. In the quarter ended September 30, 2024, 5 of India’s 8 largest private sector <keyword id="19934118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="banks" source="keywords">banks</keyword> reported a steep rise in their bad loan book, mostly thanks to microfinance loans. Some banks, in a bid to strengthen their fortress against these <keyword id="142154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bad-loans" source="Orion">bad loans</keyword>, have significantly upped their provisions. For instance, <keyword id="46717" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IndusInd-bank" source="Orion">IndusInd Bank</keyword> set aside Rs 525 crore during July and September 2024 to battle the menace of defaults on microfinance loans, which make up about 9% of its total loan book. See, banks rely heavily on their interest income, which they earn from advancing loans. Any loan where the borrower has not paid interest to the bank or defaulted for 90 days or more becomes bad, i.e., an <keyword id="79363" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="npa" source="Orion">NPA</keyword>, or non-performing asset for the bank. And who likes things going bad? Simply put, there has been a steep rise in three areas, much to the dislike of banks and MFIs (micro-finance institutions). But hey, it's mostly their doing! <ol><li>GNPA ratio (gross net performing assets): The quantum of non-performing assets a bank has in proportion to its total assets.</li><li>Provision: The amount banks set aside to take care of such NPAs.</li><li>Slippage ratio: The rate at which good girls go bad, or the speed at which good loans turn into NPAs</li></ol>But how are these plaguing the Indian banking sector? And what does the road ahead look like? We decode it for you. <h2> Microfinance: A not-so-micro-menace</h2>Microfinance loans were initially brought forth for low-income households and individuals, i.e. for those who might not generally have access to traditional ways of credit, like bank loans and more. They don’t require collateral or an asset to be pledged in lieu of the loan, making it a tad bit easier for borrowers. As of June 2024, the amount of outstanding loans in the microfinance industry stood at a staggering Rs 4,20,256 crore. Of this, NBFC-MFIs accounted for 40% and banks made for 33% of these. In 2022, <keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="Orion">RBI</keyword>, in a bid to inspire some competition in this space, did something radical-they did away with the ceiling on how much interest MFIs could charge their customers. Previously, MFIs could add up to 12% to their cost of acquiring funds to determine the final interest rate chargeable to the consumer. So, assuming that Bank A incurs a 5% cost to acquire funds for further loaning, A could charge up to 17% interest from the end consumer. So, interest rates were in the hands of MFIs, and boy, did they have a gala time with it. Instead of spurring some healthy competition, as RBI expected, MFIs and banks went rogue and all guns blazing, competing for the title of “Who will charge the highest interest?” Recently, RBI banned 4 microfinance institutions (MFIs), namely Asirvad Micro Finance Limited, Arohan Financial Services Limited, DMI Finance Private Limited, and Navi Finserv, from disbursing loans effective October 21, 2024. Why? Because they were charging 14% extra interest over their original cost of funds. To maintain their loan books (and pockets), banks and NBFCs resorted to shady practices like netting off loans, which RBI has now advised MFIs against. Here, lenders allow borrowers to settle a previous outstanding loan by issuing them a new loan! As crazy as it sounds, it helped banks to report less of their total assets as NPAs, since the new credit would cover pending installments of the borrower’s previous loan. Then there was the issue of borrowers overleveraging, i.e. taking multiple loans using different IDs from various lenders and then failing to honor any of them. The consequence? Banks and NBFCs end up with massive NPAs. Data from credit bureaus suggests that over the last quarter, there was a 17.2% rise in the number of borrowers who had 5 or more active loans at the same time. <h2>Growth &gt; Caution</h2>It's an age-old tale unfolding yet again in India’s banking sector- Icarus flew too close to the sun and eventually, fell to its death. Between April and June 2024, NBFCs microfinance portfolio jumped by 2.7%. If you see this in terms of loan sources, microfinance loans issued by banks grew by 11.2% in Q1FY25. But the same portfolio in NBFCs swelled by almost double-23.9%. While most of these loans had an average ticket size between Rs 30,000-50,000, there was a sharp spike in the number of loans that had a ticket size of Rs 80,000 or more. Data suggests that as of March 2024, more than 12% of all microfinance borrowers had over 4 or more active loans. In dating parlance, this is a classic case of borrowers going polyamorous, minus the honesty and transparency. Not the best of situations, you'd agree! <h2>Will banks and NBFCs stand up to this stress?</h2>If their results for Q2FY25 are to be believed, NBFCs are not handling the pressure all that well. Or even slightly well. Only a few banks like Bank of Baroda (BoB), ICICI, and Indian Bank were up for the battle, even witnessing a decline in their loan delinquencies. Some others, like IndusInd Bank, saw their stock dip by a massive 16.2% over the last 5 days. Its slippages in the previous quarter burgeoned from Rs 15.3 billion in Q1FY25 to Rs 17.9 billion in Q2. As a result, the bank pushed a staggeringly high amount of money to create an NPA cushion for itself. While its management has highlighted its preference for secured lending, that was hardly reflected in its actions during the quarter, where growth in unsecured personal loans remained exceptionally high at over 7% on a QoQ basis. Turns out, only 44% of customers in IndusInd Banks’ microfinance loan portfolio were exclusive to it. The rest 47% were, you guessed it right-polyamorous! 27% had borrowed from another lender as well, apart from IndusInd Bank, while 20% were those who had outstanding loans with two other lenders, apart from IndusInd Bank. IndusInd Bank’s credit card segment did not miss the NPA bus and accounted for 7-8% of its GNPAs. Canara Bank’s total slippages during the previous quarter jumped to Rs 11.1 billion, up by 24.7% QoQ, and making up for 3.6% of its total loans. As for Bandhan Bank, its <keyword id="763994" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gross-NPA" source="Orion">gross NPA</keyword> for Q2FY25 inched up on a QoQ basis, up from 4.23% in Q1, to 4.68% in the second quarter. <keyword id="62152" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IDFC-bank" source="Orion">IDFC Bank</keyword>’s heavy provisioning for its NPAs marred its profits significantly, causing its PAT (profit after tax) to dip by 73% on a YoY basis. Data from ICRA Analytics suggest that the AUM (asset under management) growth in microfinance loans and unsecured (personal and business) loans by the NBFCs will moderate to 10-12% and 19-21%, respectively, in FY2025 compared to 30% and 38%, in FY2024. Says A M Karthik, Senior Vice President &amp; Co-Group Head, Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA, “As bank funds constitute a larger share in the overall funding of NBFCs, a slower credit flow from banks to the NBFCs will compress their AUM growth. The NBFCs in unsecured and digital lending businesses shall face a higher squeeze in funding compared to others, and the unsecured lending space will continue to be a source of stress in the near term.” There has been uninhibited growth in unsecured loans, apart from just the microfinance segment. For instance, Axis Bank’s gross slippages jumped by Rs 4,443 crore, largely thanks to its unsecured business. The same is the case with Yes Bank, which saw 35–40% of its retail slippages emerging from the unsecured loan portfolio. Kotak Mahindra Bank was also quick to follow Yes Bank’s suit, with around 35%-40% of its slippages coming from credit cards. <h2>How is the road ahead?</h2>While RBI has just cracked its whip and served a warning at the moment, experts at Morgan Stanley believe that more changes (read regulatory lashes) are underway. Moreover, with both festive and wedding seasons underway in our country, unsecured lending might pick up momentum, much to the disdain of the calibrated approach banks have been taking towards it so far. But if the situation doesn't improve, RBI will not waste any time in becoming the typical tyrannical Bollywood headmaster who runs his dominion with an iron fist and takes things (and ceiling rates) into their own hands. However, that's a story for another day.

Is the lending party over? The dangerous tango of Indian banks with microfinance and unsecured loans

<keyword id="19956758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance-minister" source="keywords">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on Tuesday announced a <keyword id="20274081" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="credit-guarantee-scheme" source="keywords">credit guarantee scheme</keyword> for facilitating <keyword id="22087606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="term-loans" source="keywords">term loans</keyword> for <keyword id="19910977" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MSMEs" source="keywords">MSMEs</keyword> to purchase machinery and equipment without collateral or third-party guarantee. In her Budget speech in the Lok Sabha, she said the Budget provides special attention to micro, small &amp; medium enterprises (MSMEs) and manufacturing, particularly labour-intensive units. "We have formulated a package, covering financing, <keyword id="20961204" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="regulatory-changes" source="keywords">regulatory changes</keyword> and technology support for MSMEs to help them grow and also compete globally, as mentioned in the interim budget," she said. The credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs in manufacturing will operate on the pooling of credit risks of such entities. "A separately constituted self-financing guarantee fund will provide, to each applicant, guarantee cover up to Rs 100 crore, while the loan amount may be larger," the minister announced in the Budget. The borrower will have to provide an upfront guarantee fee and an annual guarantee fee on the reduced loan balance. She also announced a new mechanism for facilitating the continuation of bank credit to MSMEs during their stress period. Sitharaman said that while being in the 'special mention account' (SMA) stage for reasons beyond their control, MSMEs need credit to continue their business and avoid getting into the NPA stage. "Credit availability will be supported through a guarantee from a government-promoted fund," she added. In another move to help MSMEs, the minister announced a new assessment model for credit to the sector. She said public sector banks will build their in-house capability to assess MSMEs for credit, instead of relying on external assessment. "They will also take a lead in developing or getting developed a new credit assessment model, based on the scoring of digital footprints of MSMEs in the economy," she added. The new assessment model, she said, is expected to be a significant improvement over the traditional assessment of credit eligibility based only on asset or turnover criteria. It will also cover MSMEs without a formal accounting system. Mohammad Athar (Saif), partner and leader capital projects and infrastructure development, PwC India, said the credit guarantee scheme and <keyword id="22514802" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce-export-hubs" source="keywords">e-commerce export hubs</keyword> for MSMEs will enable demand creation and boost India's aspiration of achieving USD 1 trillion in exports by 2030, driven by MSMEs. Sitharaman also announced that to enable MSMEs and traditional artisans to sell their products in international markets, e-commerce export hubs will be set up in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. These hubs, under a seamless regulatory and logistic framework, will facilitate trade and export-related services under one roof. Vivek Jalan, Partner, Tax Connect, a multi-disciplinary firm, said, as requested by the trade and industry bodies and laid down by the Economic Survey, for MSME businesses, the compliance burden is also sought to be relaxed. Litigations will be reduced in the new <keyword id="22517694" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vivaad-Se-Vishwas-Scheme" source="keywords">Vivaad Se Vishwas Scheme</keyword>, he added. Rumki Majumdar, Economist, Deloitte India, said the credit guarantee schemes for MSMEs in the <keyword id="19955573" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="manufacturing-sector" source="keywords">manufacturing sector</keyword>, facilitating term loans for the purchase of machinery, and formulating packages to finance technology support to them will go a long way to providing access to finance and increasing investments, which have been key challenges in the sector.

FM announces credit guarantee scheme, other measures for MSMEs

India is poised to remain the fastest-growing major economy in 2024-25, Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran said in a press conference after the tabling of the <keyword id="20613906" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-survey" source="keywords">Economic Survey</keyword> in the Parliament on Monday. The Economic Survey tabled today projected India to grow at 6.5-7.0 per cent in 2024-25. Global institutions, including <keyword id="19896779" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IMF" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="IMF" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="IMF">IMF</keyword>, OECD, World Bank, S&amp;P, ADB, and Fitch, have projected India to grow in a range of 6.6-7.2 per cent. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its latest outlook, has raised India's growth projections for 2024 from 6.8 per cent earlier to 7 per cent, with the country maintaining the fastest-growing status in emerging markets and developing economies. According to official data of the Indian government, the country's GDP grew at an impressive 8.2 per cent during the financial year 2023-24. India's economy grew 7.2 per cent in 2022-23 and 8.7 per cent in 2021-22 respectively. Further, the CEA in his press conference projected that India's <keyword id="20089672" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="per-capita-income" source="keywords">per capita income</keyword> is expected to increase from around Rs 2 lakh in 2022-23 to Rs 14.9 lakh in 2046-47. Further, CEA said <keyword id="20751315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="household-savings" source="keywords">household savings</keyword> of Indians in physical assets have been increasing over the past three financial years through 2023-24. The CEA, addressing the press conference, said household savings in physical assets rose from 8 per cent in 2020-21 to 12.9 per cent in 2022-23. "Households are not in distress, they are investing in <keyword id="20792385" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="financial-assets" source="keywords">financial assets</keyword> that have done very well. Financial assets of households are not marked to market so households are doing quite well in the aggregate," he said. India needs both banks and capital markets to provide the required finances sourced from a sustained high level of household savings, according to the Survey. <keyword id="20385790" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Finance-Minister" source="keywords">Union Finance Minister</keyword> Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday tabled the economic survey in Parliament, a day ahead of the full Budget presentation for 2024-25. The Economic Survey document, prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance and formulated under the supervision of the chief economic adviser, gives insights into the state of the economy and various indicators of 2023-24 (April-March) and some outlook for the current year. The Economy Survey document also gave some idea about the tone and texture of the actual Budget for 2024-25, to be presented on Tuesday. (ANI)

India to remain fastest growing major economy in 2024-25, says CEA Nageswaran

The <keyword id="20613906" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Economic-Survey" source="keywords">Economic Survey</keyword> presented by <keyword id="20426375" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Finance-Minister-Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman">Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> has projected a <keyword id="19997196" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="growth-rate" source="keywords">growth rate</keyword> of 6.5 per cent and 7 per cent further solidifying <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>'s strong <keyword id="20018805" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="macroeconomic-fundamentals" source="keywords">macroeconomic fundamentals</keyword>, <keyword id="20060150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CBRE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="CBRE" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="CBRE">CBRE</keyword> Chairman and CEO-India, South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa, <keyword id="20177586" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anshuman-Magazine" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Anshuman Magazine" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Anshuman Magazine">Anshuman Magazine</keyword> said on Monday. The country's economic performance in FY'24 surpassed expectations, registering a robust growth rate of 8.2 per cent. "This momentum is noteworthy considering three out of the past four quarters exceeded the 8 per cent growth mark," he said in his reaction to the Economic Survey. <keyword id="19895000" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inflation" source="keywords">Inflation</keyword> is anticipated to moderate around 4.5 per cent and it reflects a 'well-balanced' economic environment, he said. "The survey acknowledges the <keyword id="20152263" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="real-estate-sector" source="keywords">real estate sector</keyword>, particularly the residential segment, as a significant driver of <keyword id="20018651" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="private-investment" source="keywords">private investment</keyword>. The survey emphasizes the importance of continued collaboration between central and state governments, along with the private sector, to sustain this momentum," Magazine said in a statement. India's post-pandemic recovery has been orderly and expansive and it is testament to the underlying resilience of the economy, he said. "Looking ahead to FY'25, several indicators such as robust private consumption, increased bank lending activity and improved corporate capital expenditure indicate towards a good year ahead," he added.

Economic Survey pegs growth at 6.5-7%; solidifying India's strong macroeconomic fundamentals: CBRE

<ul><li>Union <keyword id="19955368" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="budget-2024" source="keywords">Budget 2024</keyword> to be presented on July 23, 2024, at 11 am</li><li>Changes in the new <keyword id="19901478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="income-tax" source="keywords">income tax</keyword> regime possible in the budget </li><li>Budget is a detailed estimate of the government's revenue and expenses</li></ul>Next week, Nirmala Tai will present the 2024 <keyword id="19908389" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="union-budget" source="keywords">union budget</keyword>. While the internet is already abuzz with the endless expectations of different industries and sectors, what the common man wishes for, and more, are we aware of how the budget comes to life in the first place? What do some of its terms like expenditure and revenue budgets even mean? And what exactly is the finance bill? If you have all these questions running through your mind, here's a ready reckoner for you, answering all your questions 1. Why should I care about the budget? Most of all, because it holds the answer to how your money will be taxed in the coming financial year, or years. Yes, you can (and perhaps will) choose to gloss over most of it, like when Tai talks about its capital expenditure or allocations made to various ministries. But you should know if there are any major changes introduced in the existing income tax slabs, because that would mean an automatic increase or decrease in your taxes. If there are some deductions or exemption that have just been introduced and can help you reduce your taxable income, you'd certainly want to use it to your benefit, wont you? (Unless you're a stickler for paying high taxes)! But for that, you should first know how your hard-earned money is being taxed, and that is why, you should tune into the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/article/budget-2024-a-handy-guide-for-major-terms-around-the-upcoming-union-budget/articleshow/111688482.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">upcoming union budget</a>. 2. What will happen to Income taxes in this budget? Will they be cut? We wouldn't know anything for sure until July 23rd, but there is news that the new tax regime might be made more attractive for the salaried class by way of increasing the <keyword id="20429578" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="standard-deduction" source="keywords">standard deduction</keyword> threshold (which is currently Rs 50,000 for both old and new regime), or by raising the total deduction limit under the old regime from the present Rs 2,00,000. Akhil Chandna, Partner at Grant Thornton Bharat also believes enhancing the standard deduction limit will do a world of good to salaried Indians. "With the introduction of the standard deduction in 2018 and the last increase in 2019 from ₹ 40,000 to ₹ 50,000, it is essential to raise the threshold to ₹75,000 now to align with current living costs and inflation. Raising the standard deduction can help improve people's purchasing power, especially those with fixed incomes like pensions", he said. Krishan Mishra, CEO, FPSB India also wishes for the tax exemption limit under new regime be raised from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, since "it will be a crucial step to encourage savings and investments among the mid-income group and will provide much-needed relief to taxpayers". The government may make the new tax regime more lucrative by enhancing its basic exemption limit (up to which no income tax is payable) from Rs 3,00,000. But that's a lot of MIGHTS, that will have to wait the final bell till 23rd! 3. How is the Budget is prepared? It is a lengthy, long-drawn process, which starts with the finance ministry asking all departments, states, ministries and union territories to give them an estimate of how much money they'd potentially need during the year. In addition to this, they also have to present details of all their revenues and expenditures in the past year. Then begins a super duper long process of consultations and discussions and deliberations and consultations and dialog (you get the gist!), after which the allocations are made. Weeks before the budget presentation, the <keyword id="19956758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance-minister" source="keywords">finance minister</keyword> also meets representatives from various industries like agriculture, trade, manufacturing and more to know what they want. Based on that, the budget is fine tuned. 9-10 days before the budget is to be presented in the parliament, a halwa ceremony takes place, which commenced today, marks the start of budget printing. From this time on, the finance ministry staff goes super hush-hush and in lockdown, with no one allowed to leave the ministry premises till the budget is tabled in the parliament. 4. Why did India have 2 budgets this year? Because 2024 was an election year. That is why you saw an <keyword id="547606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Interim-budget" source="Orion">interim budget</keyword> in February, where the government presented a budget, the aim of which was just to fund its regular expenses and spending over the next 2-3 months, till elections. After the elections, it is the responsibility of the newly elected government to prepare a full-fledged budget. Think of this as borrowing from your friends just to fund your mid-month, small term, interim cash crunch. You pay them back as soon as you get your salary, and your budget is set again (at least for the time being!) 5. What are the various types of budget documents The union budget is a hefty set of documents! There's Annual Financial Statement, which lays out how much money it needs in revenue, and how much does it plan to spend that during the year. There's demands of grants, which tells us how these receipts and expenditures will be utilised by different ministries and departments, down to each scheme. There's the finance bill, which outlines any changes the government intends to make, in order to raise these proposed funds. This primarily includes change in tax structures. Then there is appropriation bill, which highlights how the government plans to withdraw money from the consolidated fund of India (where all of government's revenue from income tax, customs and excise and other sources flow in). Once approved, both finance and appropriation bill become acts. The extremely complex sounding "medium term fiscal policy cum fiscal policy strategy statement" has all your important macro- economic indicators like GDP, fiscal deficit, revenue deficit, primary deficit and more. But of course, you can skip through all this to just check out budget at a glance and highlights, which presents the key features and decisions made in the budget in a concise manner. <h4 style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Mulish, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify;"> </h4>6. What is a revenue and <keyword id="2745241" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="expenditure-budget" source="Orion">expenditure budget</keyword>? Think of this as a detailed breakdown of how the government plans to raise money for everything during the year by of tax or non-tax revenues, borrowings and more. The <keyword id="425836" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="revenue-budget" source="Orion">revenue budget</keyword> also outlines how much revenue the government had to forego to fund various tax incentives or subsidies. There's no chance you wont spend what you've earned! And so, how the government plans to spend its receipts are mentioned in the expenditure budget. It highlights what each ministry gets, how much money will be spent on a certain scheme and more. 7. What is a populist budget? No, its not another budget document, but just a fancy name for a budget that is prepared with the sole intention to appeal to the people by slashing down income taxes, increasing subsidies and spending more on social schemes. Such a budget might seem lucrative in the short run, but it do not contribute to the country's long-term economic development in any way. On the contrary, it only adds to the overall fiscal burden of the country. Its as if a character came in for a short cameo in your favorite series, won people's hearts, and then vanished into thin air, with no meaningful contribution to the story line. You'd feel short-changed, wont you? So, time to listen to Nirmala Tai and the budget's humdrums with some understanding and interest! Also read: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-how-will-budget-affect-indias-position-in-the-global-space-race/articleshow/111855546.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Budget 2024: How will budget affect India’s position in the global space race?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/article/despite-pandemic-and-growing-health-scares-indias-budget-share-for-healthcare-continues-to-decline/articleshow/111807009.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Despite pandemic and growing health scares, India’s budget share for healthcare continues to decline</a>

Union Budget 2024: A handy FAQ guide to decode the upcoming budget

<div type="image" title="The RBI has cracked the regulatory whip on NBFCs and banks, who&amp;#39;ve been pushing microfinance and unsecured loans aggressively to grow their loan books." agency="ANI" msid="114778648" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The RBI has cracked the regulatory whip on NBFCs and banks, who&amp;#39;ve been pushing microfinance and unsecured loans aggressively to grow their loan books.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Imagine this. You have a younger sibling you’re mighty envious of. And why not? Unlike you, they seem to enjoy all the freedom and money in the world. They party like there’s no tomorrow, and here you are, stuck in a boring, ultra-disciplined but responsible routine that feels completely devoid of any independence, and mostly, funds. But of late, things are changing. This sibling is in massive trouble and just cannot escape the parent’s wrath anymore. Long story short, the party is over, and it is time to go back home. The rising defaults on this sibling’s part have now begun pulling the entire house down, thereby attracting the regulator’s ire. <h2>The Wild West of <keyword id="113684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="microfinance" source="Orion">microfinance</keyword> and unsecured loans</h2>It's hard to ignore the issues with microfinance and unsecured loans in India. Many saw them as a small gamble and ignored the rising defaults much like the younger siblings’ tantrums, and now they find themselves in hot waters. The skyrocketing instances of non-payments aren't a micro-issue anymore and are threatening the stability of the entire banking system. In the quarter ended September 30, 2024, 5 of India’s 8 largest private sector <keyword id="19934118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="banks" source="keywords">banks</keyword> reported a steep rise in their bad loan book, mostly thanks to microfinance loans. Some banks, in a bid to strengthen their fortress against these <keyword id="142154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bad-loans" source="Orion">bad loans</keyword>, have significantly upped their provisions. For instance, IndusInd Bank set aside Rs 525 crore during July and September 2024 to battle the menace of defaults on microfinance loans, which make up about 9% of its total loan book. See, banks rely heavily on their interest income, which they earn from advancing loans. Any loan where the borrower has not paid interest to the bank or defaulted for 90 days or more becomes bad, i.e. an NPA, or non-performing asset for the bank. And who likes things going bad? Simply put, there has been a steep rise in three areas, much to the dislike of banks and MFIs (micro-finance institutions). But hey, it's mostly their doing! <ol><li>GNPA ratio (gross net performing assets): The quantum of non-performing assets a bank has in proportion to its total assets.</li><li>Provision: The amount banks set aside to take care of such NPAs.</li><li>Slippage ratio: The rate at which good girls go bad, or the speed at which good loans turn into NPAs</li></ol>But how are these plaguing the Indian banking sector? And what does the road ahead look like? We decode it for you. <h2> Microfinance: A not-so-micro-menace</h2>Microfinance loans were initially brought forth for low-income households and individuals i.e. for those who might not generally have access to traditional ways of credit, like bank loans and more. They don’t require collateral or an asset to be pledged in lieu of the loan, making it a tad bit easier for borrowers. As of June 2024, the amount of outstanding loans in the microfinance industry stood at a staggering Rs 4,20,256 crore. Of this, NBFC-MFIs accounted for 40% and banks made for 33% of these. In 2022, RBI, in a bid to inspire some competition in this space, did something radical-they did away with the ceiling on how much interest MFIs could charge their customers. Previously, MFIs could add up to 12% to their cost of acquiring funds to determine the final interest rate chargeable to the consumer. So, assuming that Bank A incurs a 5% cost to acquire funds for further loaning, A could charge up to 17% interest from the end consumer. So, interest rates were in the hands of MFIs, and boy, did they have a gala time with it. Instead of spurring some healthy competition, as RBI expected, MFIs and banks went rogue and all guns blazing, competing for the title of “Who will charge the highest interest?” Recently, RBI banned 4 microfinance institutions (MFIs), namely Asirvad Micro Finance Limited, Arohan Financial Services Limited, DMI Finance Private Limited, and <keyword id="20117932" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="navi-finserv" source="keywords">Navi Finserv</keyword> from disbursing loans effective October 21, 2024. Why? Because they were charging 14% extra interest over their original cost of funds. To maintain their loan books (and pockets), banks and NBFCs resorted to shady practices like netting off loans, which RBI has now advised MFIs against. Here, lenders allow borrowers to settle a previous outstanding loan by issuing them a new loan! As crazy as it sounds, it helped banks to report less of their total assets as NPAs, since the new credit would cover pending instalments of the borrower’s previous loan. Then there was the issue of borrowers overleveraging, i.e. taking multiple loans using different IDs from various lenders and then failing to honour any of them. The consequence? Banks and NBFCs end up with massive NPAs. Data from credit bureaus suggests that over the last quarter, there was a 17.2% rise in the number of borrowers who had 5 or more active loans at the same time. <h2>Growth &gt; Caution</h2>It's an age-old tale unfolding yet again in India’s banking sector- Icarus flew too close to the sun and eventually, fell to its death. Between April and June 2024, NBFCs microfinance portfolio jumped by 2.7%. If you see this in terms of loan sources, microfinance loans issued by banks grew by 11.2% in Q1FY25. But the same portfolio in NBFCs swelled by almost double-23.9%. While most of these loans had an average ticket size between Rs 30,000-50,000, there was a sharp spike in the number of loans that had a ticket size of Rs 80,000 or more. Data suggests that as of March 2024, more than 12% of all microfinance borrowers had over 4 or more active loans. In dating parlance, this is a classic case of borrowers going polyamorous, minus the honesty and transparency. Not the best of situations, you'd agree! <h2>Will banks and NBFCs stand up to this stress?</h2>If their results for Q2FY25 are to be believed, NBFCs are not handling the pressure all that well. Or even slightly well. Only a few banks like Bank of Baroda (BoB), ICICI, and Indian Bank were up for the battle, even witnessing a decline in their loan delinquencies. Some others, like IndusInd Bank, saw their stock dip by a massive 16.2% over the last 5 days. Its slippages in the previous quarter burgeoned from Rs 15.3 billion in Q1FY25 to Rs 17.9 billion in Q2. As a result, the bank pushed a staggeringly high amount of money to create an NPA cushion for itself. While its management has highlighted its preference for secured lending, that was hardly reflected in its actions during the quarter, where growth in unsecured personal loans remained exceptionally high at over 7% on a QoQ basis. Turns out, only 44% of customers in IndusInd Banks’ microfinance loan portfolio were exclusive to it. The rest 47% were, you guessed it right-polyamorous! 27% had borrowed from another lender as well, apart from IndusInd Bank, while 20% were those who had outstanding loans with two other lenders, apart from IndusInd Bank. IndusInd Bank’s credit card segment did not miss the NPA bus and accounted for 7-8% of its GNPAs. Canara Bank’s total slippages during the previous quarter jumped to Rs 11.1 billion, up by 24.7% QoQ, and making up for 3.6% of its total loans. As for Bandhan Bank, its gross NPA for Q2FY25 inched up on a QoQ basis, up from 4.23% in Q1, to 4.68% in the second quarter. IDFC Bank’s heavy provisioning for its NPAs marred its profits significantly, causing its PAT (profit after tax) to dip by 73% on a YoY basis. Data from ICRA Analytics suggest that the AUM (asset under management) growth in microfinance loans and unsecured (personal and business) loans by the NBFCs will moderate to 10-12% and 19-21%, respectively, in FY2025 compared to 30% and 38%, in FY2024. Says A M Karthik, Senior Vice President &amp; Co-Group Head, Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA, “As bank funds constitute a larger share in the overall funding of NBFCs, a slower credit flow from banks to the NBFCs will compress their AUM growth. The NBFCs in unsecured and digital lending businesses shall face a higher squeeze in funding compared to others, and the unsecured lending space will continue to be a source of stress in the near term.” There has been uninhibited growth in <keyword id="6051027" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unsecured-loan" source="Orion">unsecured loan</keyword>s, apart from just the microfinance segment. For instance, Axis Bank’s gross slippages jumped by Rs 4,443 crore, largely thanks to its unsecured business. The same is the case with Yes Bank, which saw 35–40% of its retail slippages emerging from the unsecured loan portfolio. <keyword id="6376194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kotak-mahindra" source="Orion">Kotak Mahindra</keyword> Bank was also quick to follow Yes Bank’s suit, with around 35%-40% of its slippages coming from credit cards. <h2>How is the road ahead?</h2>While RBI has just cracked its whip and served a warning at the moment, experts at Morgan Stanley believe that more changes (read regulatory lashes) are underway. Moreover, with both festive and wedding seasons underway in our country, unsecured lending might pick up momentum, much to the disdain of the calibrated approach banks have been taking towards it so far. But if the situation doesn't improve, RBI will not waste any time in becoming the typical tyrannical <keyword id="19897820" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bollywood" source="keywords">Bollywood</keyword> headmaster who runs his dominion with an iron fist. However, that's a story for another day. Do you have a topic in mind you'd want a simpler explanation for, or insights or personal experience to share on personal finance and more? Contact us at businessinsider@timesinternet.in.

Simply Put: Is the lending party over? The dangerous tango of Indian banks with microfinance and unsecured loans

<ul><li>India's real GDP grew at around 8.2% in real terms in Fy24: Economic Survey </li><li>Retail inflation dipped to 5.4% in FY24, notes Economic Survey</li><li>Unemployment dipped to 3.2% in FY24</li></ul><keyword id="19912360" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Minister-Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> is set to present the union budget on 23rd July, at 11 am. The budget session is scheduled to last between 22nd July and 12th August. This will be <keyword id="19956941" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FM-Sitharaman" source="keywords">FM Sitharaman</keyword>'s seventh consecutive budget presentation under the third term of <keyword id="20205025" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhartiya-Janata-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bhartiya Janata Party" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bhartiya Janata Party">Bhartiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP). All budget-related documents will be available at indiabudget.gov.in. You can watch the presentation live on Doordarshan, Sansad TV, and also on various official government YouTube channels. With this budget, Sitharaman will only precede former PM <keyword id="20342248" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Morarji-Desai" source="keywords">Morarji Desai</keyword>, who has presented the highest number of budget (10) till date, followed by <keyword id="22330828" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="P-Chidambaram" source="keywords">P. Chidambaram</keyword> with 9 budgets, and Pranab Mukherjee, who has 8 budgets to his credit. In her recent address in parliament, Sitharaman noted that significant social and economic decisions will be a highlight of this budget. Notably, she concluded <keyword id="901788" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pre-budget-consultations" source="Orion">pre-budget consultations</keyword>, which began on June 19th, on July 5th, where she met 20 invitees across 10 groups, including representatives from agriculture, skill development, finance and banking, energy, <keyword id="17408" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infrastructure" source="Orion">infrastructure</keyword> sector and more. <h2>Key expectations from Budget 2024</h2>Experts note that this budget will mainly focus on improving consumption, and boosting <keyword id="174143" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="infrastructure-development" source="Orion">infrastructure development</keyword>. Per reports, the government is also mulling raising the threshold of standard deduction under income tax regimes from the present Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Additionally, to boost healthcare accessibility for the underserved in the country, the government is also contemplating to double the annual coverage offered under the <keyword id="20097876" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ayushman-Bharat-health-insurance-scheme" source="keywords">Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme</keyword> from the present Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh over the next 3 years, along with also covering individuals aged over 70. Mr. Tashwinder Singh, CEO &amp; MD, Niyogin Fintech Limited, which offers credit to MSMEs, noted that upcoming regulatory changes should focus on simplifying compliance, taxation policies that encourage entrepreneurship, and incentivise innovations that drive R&amp;D investments. "We hope that the government takes measures to support the lending industry through access to capital and affordable interest rates, enabling entrepreneurs to realize their vision. Furthermore, we look forward to relaxed norms for NBFCs, allowing them to contribute more substantially to the economy. These measures will collectively propel India's economic growth, boost job creation, and position the Indian fintech industry as a strong contender in innovation and entrepreneurship", he continues. As for bolstering green infrastructure and clean energy production, Ms Aditi Balbir, Co-founder, EcoRatings notes that the 2024 union budget should prioritize investments in sustainable infrastructure projects and clean energy solutions, as 70% of greenhouse gas emissions stem from energy, industry, and buildings. "This will create a future-proof foundation for economic growth and help in achieving net-zero targets. Infrastructure is crucial in addressing climate change and meeting diverse societal needs. A transformative overhaul of our current and future infrastructure assets is essential. The budget should introduce financial incentives, such as lower interest rates on loans and dedicated grants, for companies committed to ESG compliance. This will create a clear link between sustainability efforts and economic benefits", she continued. <h2>Focus on Agri-credit, Real Estate in Budget 2024</h2>The government could also raise the target for agricultural loans disbursed during the year by up to 25%, setting the target at Rs 25 lakh crore. The government will also have to revamp the MSP (minimum support price) system in this space, focusing on challenges such as narrow coverage, dipping export competitiveness, discouraging private investment in this space and more. Another area that demands significant attention is real estate. Shubhi Jain, Principal Partner &amp; Head of CRM, Square Yards anticipates significant reforms in the upcoming budget under the new government. Securing industry status will unlock a plethora of legal and administrative benefits, along with much-needed tax incentives. "Also, while government’s focus on affordable housing under PMAY is commendable, recalibrating strategies in light of escalating construction costs is imperative for sustained inclusiveness and effectiveness. Moreover, enhanced tax reliefs and increased deductions on home loans, currently capped at INR 2 lakhs, are pivotal in stimulating demand and supporting prospective buyers", she says. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111946291" title="Union Budget 2024-25 key highlights: Assistance for Nalanda's development as a tourist center" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><h2>Short-term outlook positive, notes Economic Survey </h2>FM Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2023-24 in the parliament today, ahead of the budget. The survey noted that the Indian economy had managed to recover and expand in an orderly fashion post the pandemic, with the real GDP growing by 8.2% in FY24. Going ahead, prospects for continued strong growth in FY25 remain robust. India also managed to bring down its current account deficit (0.7% of GDP in FY24), while projecting a 7%+ growth rate in the medium term. On the employment front, the survey noted that AI might moderate India's services export growth by as much as 0.3 to 0.4 percentage points annually over the course of the next decade. As such, greater emphasis and focus is needed on areas like blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, cloud computing, big data analytics, augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D printing, and web and mobile development. The Indian labour market indicators have significantly improved over the past 6 years, with unemployment rates dipping to 3.2% in 2022-23. However, even as net payroll additions to EPFO have doubled over the last 5 years, signaling a healthy formal employment market, job creation and increasing women participation in workforce remain key areas of concern. For all updates and latest information related to the budget, don't forget to follow <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Budget Insider</a>! SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/union-budget-2024-live-updates-finance-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-key-announcements-23-july/liveblog/111942008.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Union Budget 2024 Live Updates: FM Sitharaman announces internships for 10 million youth in 500 top companies</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/loan-limit-under-mudra-scheme-to-be-doubled-to-20-lakh-sitharaman/articleshow/111950024.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Loan limit under MUDRA scheme to be doubled to ₹20 lakh: Sitharaman</a>

Union Budget 2024: When will it be presented, what time, where to watch and what are various sectors expecting?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>With bonus season coming, BI asked industry insiders what Wall Street's current status symbols are.</li><li>These 10 trends reflect a move away from loud displays of wealth to experiences and personalization.</li></ul>With bonus season just a quarter away — big banks like Goldman and JPMorgan typically communicate the numbers in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-goldman-jpmorgan-morgan-stanley-other-banks-will-announce-bonuses-2024-1">early January</a> — Wall Street rainmakers may soon be thinking about what they want to spend this year's extra check on. And though investment bankers may not be quite as ostentatious as in the heyday of the '80s and '90s, there are still plenty of ways they choose to express their wealth and power.BI spoke to four industry insiders who have eyes on what's trending at all levels of Wall Street, including a junior banker turned private-equity employee and a personal stylist who dresses managing directors and partners. To be sure, status symbols vary by seniority: what's impressive to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-ryland-mcclendon-oversee-junior-bankers-wellness-80-hour-weeks-2024-9">junior bankers</a> may be cringe to senior MDs, for example.That said, everyone seemed to agree that the days of logo-forward purchases and other conspicuous signs of wealth are over — even on Wall Street. The industry's movers and shakers are still into name brands but are leaning into those that exude <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/status-symbol-item-sales-show-quiet-luxury-changing-americana-corporate-2024-9">"quiet luxury."</a> They are also spending money on personalization as well as experiences — think big trips, luxurious secondary homes, and posh sporting events.Here are 10 of the top status symbols on Wall Street in 2024.<h2 id="5642aec8-1b24-4045-876f-3fadc91a63ac">Posh sporting events</h2>Attendance at exclusive sporting events like the Paris Olympics, the US Open, and Formula 1 races has become a surefire sign of status on Wall Street, insiders told BI.Indeed, Bloomberg declared the 2024 Paris Olympics "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-02/wall-street-descends-on-paris-olympics-jpmorgan-citadel-executives-attend?embedded-checkout=true">Summer Davos</a>" for Wall Street in a story that reported sightings of CEOs Ken Griffin of Citadel, David Solomon of Goldman Sachs, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-succeed-at-blackstone-schwarzman-gray-career-advice-2024-8">Stephen Schwartzman of Blackstone</a>, to name just a few.Last month, the US Open in Queens took the spotlight online as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-open-popular-as-tennis-interest-surges-2024-9">the hottest place</a> for New York socialites to see and be seen. And where there are celebrities and influencers, there tend to be Wall Street dealmakers."All my clients went to the US Open," said Jessica Cadmus, a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-streeet-styles-investment-banker-wardrobe-for-women-and-men">personal stylist</a> whose clients are almost exclusively managing directors and partners at finance firms in New York.Even junior-level employees said the famous tennis tournament was the place to be to mark the end of summer."I know at least three people in the finance community who were at the Open last night," a young private-equity employee told BI in August after attending the tournament with friends.Of course, the most elevated version of this status symbol is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/richest-sports-billionaire-owners-nfl-nba-premier-league-cricket-wealthy-2024-5#10-steve-cohen-1">owning your own sports team</a> — or getting access to private box seats.<div type="image" title="Crowd watching the 2024 US Open Tennis Championships in New York City." height="5341" width="8011" msid="113882292" hostid="261" sizebytes="5175806"></div><h2 id="f1c8e1a4-389c-4fae-aa3f-80984327170d">Home organizers</h2>Wall Street executives have no shortage of personal assistants and staff, said Cadmus, because every moment of their time is worth thousands of dollars."Everybody that I work with has at least one person, if not multiple people, in their home all day long attending to X, Y, or Z," Cadmus told BI. "There are assemblies of nannies, home cleaners, and chefs."Lately, there has been a new trendy addition to the usual in-home lineup — that of the "home organizer."Think Marie Kondo — someone who comes into your home, takes a good look around, and crafts a custom organization plan to make your space user-friendly and effortlessly neat."I would say over the last five years, I've seen people leaning into that sort of service more, and I'd never really seen a ton of that," Cadmus said.This person might, for example, put custom inserts for your kitchen cabinets so your Le Creuset pots fit seamlessly. But an organizer tackles just about any space you could conjure up, from a pantry to the coat closet or your kid's playroom."People do want to feel more connected to the items in their home, and they do want to feel a sense that things need to have a purpose and they need to be organized," Cadmus said.<h2 id="843bc59e-8506-437f-91ef-333d3d8e2db4">Zegna sneakers</h2>A PR expert who works in the industry said they have seen a trend in one particular shoe recently among very high-ranking execs in the office: Zegna's "triple stitch" sneakers. The leather version (pictured below) costs about $1,300 per pair and come in a ton of colors. An espadrille version of the shoe was also a hot summer pick, this person said, and costs about $1,100.Cadmus likes Zegna for men's off-the-rack suits, but for office-friendly sneakers she recommends the Tom Ford nylon and suede sneakers in black and white, which she described as "heavy lifters" for her clients.<div type="image" title="Man wearing Zegna triple stitch sneaker." height="1058" width="1410" msid="113882291" hostid="261" sizebytes="135370"></div><h2 id="e65e11f4-c4c8-4313-bfe9-b5642fa8f456">Big trips and experiences</h2>Cadmus has seen a notable uptick in senior bankers going on extravagant and foreign getaways. "I feel like the shift, especially with the younger, up-and-coming rising stars is not stuff — it's experiences, it's travel," said Cadmus.This is leading to more safari adventures in Africa and, this past summer in particular, family vacations to Costa Rica. To be clear, we're not talking about an all-inclusive Sandals resort situation here. They're highly bespoke, private, and personal trips."Whether it be a Four Seasons or whether it be a super fancy boutique hotel, every bit of the travel is going to be a first-class situation."For example, you might have a personal tour guide to take you on adventure experiences away from the throngs of tourists, a chef to cook your family private dinners each night, as well as a personal driver. And when one person at a firm loves a place or experience, it tends to spread like wildfire in popularity."The culture is so strong and the word of mouth is so strong that if one thing or experience is vetted by someone and recommended, that recommendation is golden because everybody has the same sort of expectations," said Cadmus. "Things really get passed from person to person. It's a pretty tight community that way, especially in the bigger banks."<h2 id="59f49c7e-9e86-4708-8a6a-820c40beabb8">Van Cleef necklaces and Cartier bracelets</h2>Van Cleef is a high-end jewelry brand, and one type of necklace in particular has taken over the necks of Wall Street women (and the wives of male rainmakers): the Alhambra. It has an unmistakable nickel-sized pendant in the shape of a four-leaf clover, comes in various colors, and, depending on the model, costs about $3,000."I distinctly remember that my first day of banking training there were three or four girls with them on their necks, and I was like, what is that necklace?" said the private-equity junior.This person, along with the other insiders who spoke to BI for this story, laughed at the mention of the brand because it has become so ubiquitous. But cliché or not, they agreed the brand has an undeniable presence in investment banking."I think they're sort of perpetual," added Cadmus. "And beyond Wall Street too. It's just kind of a favored wealthy person brand."Another popular piece for Wall Street women is the Cartier "love" bracelet — a bangle with the brand's iconic circular screws that sells for $7,350.Cadmus loves Cartier as a choice for fine jewelry staples, but for her clients, she often opts for the slightly less popular "Juste un Clou" line."The Love bracelet has been 'the one' for a while now," she said.<div type="image" title="cartier love bracelet" height="765" width="1020" msid="113882296" hostid="261" sizebytes="31484"></div><div type="image" title="Woman on street wearing a green and gold Van Cleef &amp; Arpels Alhambra necklace." height="1854" width="2472" msid="113882295" hostid="261" sizebytes="157932"></div><h2 id="54b85fbd-3321-4add-85f4-248311f7bc54">Personal Jewelers</h2>There's another option for those who want more unique pieces: handcrafted jewelry. Cadmus said she has seen an uptick in clients who prefer to have their jewelry customized."A lot of my clients have a jeweler with who we discuss what will be made for them," said Cadmus. "We'll see something, and a lot of times we will riff on that and be like, 'oh, that's cool, but it'd be better with this stone' or, 'I like that necklace, but I would prefer it as a bracelet.' Then we talk to the jeweler, and we have it made."Depending on the materials you choose, she said, you can often have items made for 30% to 40% less than designer prices.<h2 id="e6b25c55-c06f-44c3-978b-ab654531873f">Quiet luxury clothing brands</h2>"<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-streeet-styles-investment-banker-wardrobe-for-women-and-men">Quiet luxury</a>" is the new protocol for looking chic on Wall Street versus the ostentatious brand flexing of the past. The term refers to wearing pieces that are very high-quality and expensive but don't sport conspicuous logos and aren't necessarily made by household luxury names."The bonuses aren't as outsized as they used to be, and when they are, that's not something your institution really wants you to advertise in any way," Cadmus said. "So there is this quiet rule, and especially with the big MDs, which is just don't be ostentatious about your wealth. It's very frowned upon."The private-equity junior agreed. "No guy walks around with a Hermes or Gucci belt," this person said.Pop culture phenomena, like the popular HBO TV series "Succession," have put the quiet luxury trend in the spotlight. Leading actor Jeremy Strong wore a coat from the brand Loro Piana (pictured below) in an episode of the show."Loro Piana is probably the preeminent quiet luxury brand," Cadmus said of the label, which she has used for years.Other quiet luxury brands Cadmus reaches for when styling clients include Armani and Tom Ford for men and Akris and Max Mara for women. For quiet luxury bags and accessories, Cadmus recommends brands like Hermes, Celine, Bottega Veneta, and Khaite.<div type="image" title="Jeremy Strong Succession" height="1152" width="1535" msid="113882299" hostid="261" sizebytes="83210"></div><h2 id="f1c37838-120b-49dc-82ab-a82d9efc4d7c">Overhauling the homestead</h2>Cadmus has also observed an uptick in clients going all out to make their homes truly their own."Most of my clients have apartments that were originally two or three separate apartments that they had renovated to become one," said Cadmus.The same goes for their other properties. It's not surprising that high-earners on Wall Street would have second homes (or, in many cases, multiple). But it's not just buying a great place that's a status symbol — it's having a whole team behind every facet of its construction and design, said Cadmus. That means, for example, hiring a renowned architect for the project and a best-in-class interior designer to outfit the home with luxurious furnishings."It's a major production. It's not like, 'Okay, we're just going to snatch this thing up and live in it as is.' It is a major overhaul."<h2 id="93455364-2851-41bd-9d67-0fb75739c2e6">The Hamptons</h2>The beach towns of the Hamptons have long been a Wall Street favorite thanks to their proximity to Manhattan. They remain a popular spot for summer trips and second homes, Cadmus said.Even juniors tend to rent out homes in Montauk and split the cost to get in on the fun, said a former banking analyst who recently quit. Indeed, in the summer, the train from Manhattan to Montauk is "full of finance people on their phone arguing about a deal and legal docs and clacking on their laptops," added the private-equity junior.Nantucket and Cape Cod, according to Cadmus, are also popular but less cliche choices for second-home locations.<div type="image" title="Atmosphere at Midsummer Night Drinks Hosted By Lisa &amp; James Cohen at Private Residence on July 20, 2024 in East Hampton, NY." height="2400" width="3600" msid="113882289" hostid="261" sizebytes="915674"></div><h2 id="cb085dd3-e9bc-42d7-aecf-8c8c3569f7b2">Equinox memberships and personal trainers</h2>For young Wall Streeters, having an Equinox membership is par for the course, said the two ex-investment banking analysts.Equinox is a "luxury" gym that has "innovative group fitness classes, luxurious spas, and exclusive boutiques," as described on its website. A membership costs hundreds of dollars a month, varying by perks package and location access. The top-tier membership is $500 a month plus a $750 initiation fee.There are about 30 Equinox gyms in Manhattan, but "having access to the Equinox Hudson Yards location is a status symbol," said the former analyst who recently quit.As BI reported in 2019, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/equinox-membership-prices-reviews-nyc-guide-2019-5#equinox-hudson-yards-expands-equinox-into-the-lifestyle-brand-its-been-trying-to-break-into-48">Hudson Yards location</a> has — among other amenities — views of the Hudson River in nearly every part of the gym, both indoor and outdoor pools, and is complete with its own cafe and bar.To be sure, this is a status symbol unique to younger people. Senior bankers don't want to be part of a gym scene, Cadmus said. Among their aforementioned lineup of domestic staff is usually a personal trainer who comes to their in-home gym."Yes, a younger person is going to enjoy that — there are social perks to that. But senior people do not want to be looked at when they're working out," she said. "They want somebody tracking it for them — their progression and all that kind of stuff. It's just totally different."<div type="image" title="Equinox Hudson Yards." height="3024" width="4032" msid="113882300" hostid="261" sizebytes="833048"></div>

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