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Centre University of Jammu (CUJ) on Wednesday announced that its <keyword id="21857333" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Radio-Sonde" source="keywords">Radio-Sonde</keyword>, a crucial tool for <keyword id="21857334" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="atmospheric-data-collection" source="keywords">atmospheric data collection</keyword>, was launched successfully from its <keyword id="19915124" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ISRO" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ISRO" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="ISRO">ISRO</keyword> centre in <keyword id="19918866" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Samba" source="keywords">Samba</keyword> district of Jammu and Kashmir. The launch, a part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the <keyword id="20058612" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Remote-Sensing-Centre" source="keywords">National Remote Sensing Centre</keyword> (NRSC), ISRO and CUJ, aims to enhance the understanding of atmospheric conditions and climate change, contributing valuable data to both national and global meteorological research, a varsity spokesperson said. Using hydrogen-filled balloons, the scientists record atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind direction, and speed from 12 kilometres above earth's surface and the data is transmitted to the ground via radio signals. The spokesperson said this is only the third testing facility of its kind established by ISRO at CUJ. CUJ vice chancellor Prof Sanjeev Jain said the milestone event marks a significant achievement in the university's ongoing commitment to advancing space science research and technology. "Today's successful launch of the Radio-Sonde exemplifies our commitment to enhancing innovation and research in space sciences. This entire Radio-Sonde system is fully developed indigenously by ISRO under the 'Make in India' vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "This initiative not only strengthens our research capabilities but also positions our institution at the forefront of atmospheric studies," Jain said. The centre launched the weather balloon in the afternoon, convenor of the centre Prof Vinay Kumar said. It will provide a unique set of data as the convection layer is fully developed by this time, he said. Other centres and institutions are collecting data only in the morning and evening hours, Kumar said, adding that the balloon will ascend upwards at a rate of five metres per second up to a maximum height of 40 km. The Satish Dhawan Centre for Space Sciences, a premier facility within the university, has been instrumental in providing the state-of-the-art infrastructure and resources for such pioneering projects, the spokesperson said. He said the launch of Radio-Sonde is expected to pave the way for future research endeavours and collaborations in the field of space and atmospheric sciences. "The data collected from Radio-Sonde will be analysed and utilised for various research projects, ultimately contributing to the broader field of space sciences," he said.

Atmospheric data collection tool Radio-Sonde launched from ISRO centre at Samba

<keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sebi" source="keywords">SEBI</keyword> has proposed that registered <keyword id="21253972" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="investment-advisers" source="keywords">Investment Advisers</keyword> (IAs) and <keyword id="21511721" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="research-analysts" source="keywords">Research Analysts</keyword> (RAs) who employ artificial intelligence (AI) tools in their services must disclose the extent of their usage to clients, emphasizing the importance of strong security measures to avoid unintended data exposure. This transparency is crucial for clients to understand how <keyword id="20096338" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-tools" source="keywords">AI tools</keyword> contribute to their investment decisions and to make informed choices about their advisory services. "The possibility of unintended data exposure highlights the need for strong security measures and clear disclosure to clients about the extent of AI tool usage", Trivesh D, COO at Tradejini, a stock trading platform, told PTI. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), in its consultation paper earlier this month, highlighted the growing usage of AI tools in Investment Adviser (IA) and Research Analyst (RA) services. With technological innovations and advancements, many AI tools are currently available in chatbot form such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, etc. AI-based tools allow one to have human-like conversations and receive human-like responses with the chatbot. These tools assist various tasks such as summarising and analysing data and may help in improving efficiency and productivity. "These AI tools, however, may not adequately safeguard sensitive data shared during conversations, potentially leading to unintended data exposure and concerns related to <keyword id="19900735" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="data-security" source="keywords">data security</keyword>," SEBI said in its consultation paper issued last week. Feroze Azeez, Deputy CEO, Anand Rathi Wealth Ltd said "while embracing this innovation, we must be mindful of its implications and responsibilities". IAs provide personalised services according to client-specific requirements, based on <keyword id="22797015" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="risk-profiling" source="keywords">risk profiling</keyword> and suitability. Similarly, RAs provide recommendations based on certain parameters and methodology adopted and are required to keep records of the research report, research recommendations and rationale for arriving at research recommendations. While AI tools can provide significant assistance in the work of IAs and RAs, they may not always give meaningful outputs that are expected to be based on the understanding of complex security-specific or client-specific scenarios/ requirements such as personal/ financial conditions or goals, SEBI stated. Further, such tools may not always provide all the information based on which output/ recommendation has been generated. For example, AI tools may not bring out whether the requirements of risk profiling and suitability have been complied with by IA, it added. "An IA/RA who uses AI tools for servicing its clients must provide complete disclosure of the extent of use of such tools to its prospective clients, to enable them to take informed decisions of continuance or otherwise with the IA/RA," SEBI suggested in the consultation paper. Considering that the investment advice/ research services provided by IA/RA based on AI tools would affect the investment decision of clients, SEBI said, the responsibility of data security, compliance with the regulatory provisions governing investment advisory services/research services lies solely with the IA/ RA, irrespective of the scale and scenario of IA/ RA using AI tools. Trivesh believes that <keyword id="19901571" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="technology" source="keywords">technology</keyword> can significantly enhance the efficiency and reach of investment advisory service, but it should be used as a complementary tool, rather than a complete replacement for human judgment and expertise. "The dynamic and culturally diverse nature of India's financial landscape demands personalized investment advice that AI alone cannot provide. Since AI will undoubtedly continue to change the <keyword id="19976433" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="financial-services" source="keywords">financial services</keyword> sector, efforts to integrate it into IA and RA services should be pursued with a balanced approach, leveraging its strengths while addressing its limitations," he added. Additionally, SEBI is also looking to create a closed ecosystem for fee collection by registered investment advisers and research analysts through a separate mechanism in order to help investors ensure that their payments are reaching only registered IAs and RAs and help them identify, isolate and avoid unregistered entities, who would be unable to access this closed ecosystem.

Investment Advisers, Research Analysts should disclose AI tools usage to clients, notes SEBI

It takes an Oscar-worthy director to come up with the juicy drama that somehow seems to pervade India’s pre-general election seasons. Amid all the chaos, a political hot topic has just witnessed a major development: the electoral bonds row. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What are electoral bonds?" comment="subhead" text="What are electoral bonds?">What are electoral bonds?</cmsannotation> For those unversed in the whole episode, the government introduced the <keyword id="4697813" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="electoral-bond" source="Orion">Electoral Bond</keyword> Scheme via the Finance Act of 2016-2017, allowing anyone to anonymously make an indefinite number of non-capped donations to their preferred political parties. Before this scheme, all donations above Rs 20,000 had to be explicitly made public, and donations of more than a certain percentage of the company’s revenue were disallowed. Such restrictions were meant to ensure that no political party had an unfair monetary advantage over the others and that the policies would not be influenced by the rich. Therefore, many experts were concerned that this new lack of transparency in the donation process opened up a gaping avenue for big corporations to donate for favourable outcomes from the ruling regime in terms of acquiring licences, government contracts, leases, and even accelerating favourable policy changes. The government insists that the measure ensures transparency as the purchaser would be allowed to buy bonds only on due fulfilment of all the extant KYC norms and by making payment from a bank account. However, the opposition parties kept raising objections, with the <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress" source="keywords">Congress</keyword> leader Rahul Gandhi terming the electoral bond scheme as a legalisation of the process of accepting bribes and commissions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How did the Supreme Court step in?" comment="subhead" text="How did the Supreme Court step in?">How did the <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supreme-court" source="keywords">Supreme Court</keyword> step in?</cmsannotation> Recently, in a move that many celebrated as a major win for transparent and fair electoral practices, a Constitution Bench panel of five Supreme Court judges scrapped the Centre’s electoral bonds scheme on February 15, deeming that the whole ordeal was “unconstitutional” to begin with. Subsequently, the <keyword id="19934368" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="state-bank-of-india" source="keywords">State Bank of India</keyword> (<keyword id="19898108" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sbi" source="keywords">SBI</keyword>) was ordered to disclose all details of the donors that had purchased electoral bonds, the amount purchased, and the recipients of these “support” donations. Nearly a month after the directive, SBI finally submitted the electoral data to the <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> on March 13, after the apex court denied its application for more time. The bank attributed the delay in compiling the information to the non-digital nature of the way electoral data was collected and stored, making it harder to collate and produce. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What does the data reveal?" comment="subhead" text="What does the data reveal?">What does the data reveal?</cmsannotation> The data published by the Election Commission based on SBI’s affidavit revealed information on over 22,217 electoral bonds purchased between April 1, 2019 and February 1, 2024. This also means there exists a year’s worth of data missing from the first year of the electoral bonds scheme, amounting to hundreds of crores of Rupees. Further, the very content of the data remains lacklustre, many experts maintain. The problem is that individual electoral bonds do not have their serial numbers attached. This makes it impossible to accurately ascertain who these bonds were directed to, meaning we still do not know which corporations donated how much to which parties. Condemning the SBI for not divulging the unique serial numbers as per its previous full-disclosure directive, the Supreme Court has now issued a notice for a prompt response by March 18. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Which political party benefited the most?" comment="subhead" text="Which political party benefited the most?">Which political party benefited the most?</cmsannotation> While many political parties benefited from this scheme, the Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bjp" source="keywords">BJP</keyword>) encashed about 1,300 crores worth of electoral bonds during the 2023 financial year, according to media reports. This amounted to about half of the total electoral bond donations, and more than seven times the amount Congress received during the same period. Out of a total of 12,155 crores worth of electoral bonds purchased between 2019 and 2024, BJP redeemed Rs 6061 crores, followed by Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress at Rs 1610 crores. A total of 213 donors purchased bonds worth over Rs 10 crores, with the top 20 donors accounting for nearly half of the total electoral bonds. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Are scams hiding behind the electoral bonds?" comment="subhead" text="Are scams hiding behind the electoral bonds?">Are scams hiding behind the electoral bonds?</cmsannotation> The ruling party receiving such a disproportionate share of the electoral bonds has raised many eyebrows. Rajya Sabha Minister Kapil Sibal expressed discontent with the SBI report, calling it a “scam” and explaining that it needs thorough investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Jharkhand Congress President Rajesh Thakur emphasised that a comprehensive study is essential to ascertain the true extent to which companies might have their money to get favour from the central government. Many Congress leaders, such as Manickam Tagore and Jairam Ramesh, also held that it was suspicious that only companies that donated funds to the BJP were given projects and contracts. The other problem is the fact that several of the big purchasers have been consistently under the radar of central agencies, facing frequent raids. This includes the top donor, Lottery company Future Gaming and Hotel Services, led by “Lottery King” Santago Martin, who donated a whopping Rs 1,368 crores. Many others also concern that large corporations may have donated money through shell corporations, in order to hide their involvement in any political favouritism. Congress MP Manish Tewari asked for a Supreme Court order to “lift” this corporate veil of shell companies to reveal the true purchasers of the bonds. Further, as per a Mint analysis, several donor companies who contributed massive amounts were found to be ‘inactive’, and thus the true details of the donors were not transparent at all. According to their report, this included entities such as Rungta Sons, SN Mohanty, Sasmal Infrastructure Private Limited, Avees Trading Finance, and others, whose collective contributions amount to hundreds of crores of Rupees. The official electoral bond data can be accessed via the <a href="https://www.eci.gov.in/candidate-politicalparty" data-type="tilCustomLink">Election Commission of India website</a>.

Electoral bonds: What are they? What does the newly-released data reveal? Would it make an impact?

The Indian mutual fund industry continued to register strong growth in fund inflows during May 2024, as monthly data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) today showed. This was a record month for equity mutual funds, with the category’s inflows jumping up by a whopping 83% since April. The mutual fund industry’s AUM (net assets under management) stood at Rs 58.91 lakh crore, rising marginally from Rs 57.25 lakh crore in April 2024. With total inflows worth Rs 42,294.99 crore, debt mutual funds continued to receive more investor attention than their equity counterparts during the month, which saw inflows of around Rs 34,697 crore. Notably, this is the 39th consecutive month where <keyword id="19925781" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="equities" source="keywords">equities</keyword> have seen positive inflows. Hybrid funds also ended their month in green, garnering Rs 17,990 crore in May. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Expectations around election results behind the surge, say experts" comment="subhead" text="Expectations around election results behind the surge, say experts">Expectations around election results behind the surge, say experts</cmsannotation> Expectations around the continuation of a stable regime led by the ruling party BJP during the election month of May could have been the major driver behind the record inflows into the MFs. Venkat Chalasani, Chief Executive, AMFI, said "Political stability creates an environment conducive to sustainable economic growth, attracting investments and fostering long-term investments. Global growth is sustaining its momentum in 2024 and is likely to remain resilient, supported by a rebound in global trade. The overall outlook for Indian capital markets remains positive, supported by strong fundamentals, and favourable demographics. However, it remains to be seen how the lesser-than-expected seats for the Narendra Modi-led BJP have impacted the MF sector in the month of June. However, a continuation of the NDA regime is likely to have contributed to the improved market sentiments as evident with surging markets post the counting day, and could reflect into the MF activity as well. "Although coalition governments face challenges in consensus-building and decision-making, infrastructure and nation-first initiatives introduced earlier are likely to receive support from allies across the political spectrum. The forthcoming 100-day action plan and a comprehensive Union Budget will provide a clearer picture of the government's priorities for the Indian economy," says Gopal Kavalireddi, Vice President of Research at FYERS. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Equity inflows mark a record high" comment="subhead" text="Equity inflows mark a record high"><keyword id="421833" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Equity-inflows" source="Orion">Equity inflows</keyword> mark a record high</cmsannotation> Equity inflows remained positive for the 39th consecutive month, starting from March 2021. Growth Equity fund inflows for the month of May was ₹ 34,697, pushing the total inflows into mutual funds to Rs.1.1 lakh crore for the month. A total of 9 schemes were launched last month in the category of open-ended schemes, raising a total of ₹ 10,140 crores, said AMFI. Kavalireddi says, “Despite potential high volatility from FII selling, general elections, GDP data, and other minor events in May, investors remained steadfast in their pursuit of returns on the back of the Indian growth narrative." In a clear indication of investors looking to diversify their investments, multi-cap funds garnered Rs 2,644.88 crore. Large-cap funds amassed Rs 663 crore, while mid-cap funds made Rs 2,605.70 crore. On the other hand, small-cap funds have seemingly begun gaining their lost sheen, managing to take in Rs 2,724.67 crores during the month. Flexi-cap funds led the troupe, with inflows worth Rs 3,155 crore. "Equity flows have been largely driven by expectations of the election outcome, coupled with some NFO (new fund offer) launches, which perhaps led to a much higher than expected quantum in the equity category. On the equity side, investors possibly wanted to position their portfolios in advance to avoid any kind of gap risk as election exit polls were coming out over the weekend, which could have led to a spike in equity allocations towards the end of the month," Anand Vardarajan, Head Business Head – Banking, Institutional Clients, Alternate Products and Product Strategy, Tata Asset Management. Amidst hybrid funds, the majority came from arbitrage funds, which saw inflows worth Rs 12,758.12 crores in May. Notably, index funds and other ETFs collectively raked in Rs. 15,180 crore. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="SIPs going strong" comment="subhead" text="SIPs going strong"><keyword id="159805" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SIPs" source="Orion">SIPs</keyword> going strong</cmsannotation> Systematic investment plan (SIP) contributions continued to breach their record highs on a month-on-month basis. SIP contributions rose marginally to an all-time high of Rs 20.90 crore last month, as opposed to Rs 20.37 crore in April. SIP accounts also jumped to their highest figure in May, standing at 8,75,89,485. During the month, around 49,74,400 new SIPs were registered. As per <keyword id="1029773" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AMFI-data" source="Orion">AMFI data</keyword>, SIP plans accounted for 19% of the net flows during the month. In the debt category, liquid funds saw the most influx, worth Rs 25,873.38 crore. Sectoral or thematic funds amassed Rs 19,213.43 crore during the month, trumping inflows by small-cap funds, which stood at Rs 2,724.67 crore, by a significant margin. Inflows into thematic funds were largely bolstered by the NFO of HDFC Manufacturing Fund, which drew Rs. 9,563 crores. Although Himanshu Srivastava, Associate Director, Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Research India, has a word of caution for all those flocking to sectoral funds, “investors must be cautious while investing in such funds. They are cyclical, and hence investors should have the necessary skills or the right set of advice in place to track sector dynamics and time their entry and exit from these funds. These are high-risk return propositions, and hence investors must take a judicious call while investing in them.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Gold continues to shine" comment="subhead" text="Gold continues to shine">Gold continues to shine</cmsannotation> The quantum of net flows in <keyword id="20050894" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold-ETFs" source="keywords">gold ETFs</keyword> saw a sharp uptick to Rs 827 crore in May 2024, from a net outflow of Rs 396 crore in April. Srivastava further notes that the enduring <keyword id="19950651" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-inflation" source="keywords">global inflation</keyword>, which remains above central banks' comfort levels, and the persistent uncertainty surrounding <keyword id="19962135" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="interest-rate-cuts" source="keywords">interest rate cuts</keyword> have bolstered gold's appeal as a haven and as a hedge against inflation, thereby attracting more investors. “Also, over the years, gold has gained prominence as an effective diversifier, prompting many investors to include gold ETFs in their portfolios. <keyword id="19910265" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold-prices" source="keywords">Gold prices</keyword> also saw some corrections in May, which spurred buying from investors. In INR terms, gold has done fairly well over the last year but dwarfs in comparison to how equities have fared. Given this backdrop, flows in the gold ETF category have been somewhat patchy relative to the equity asset class," he continued. Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. We recommend readers consult certified, qualified and registered advisors for professional and personalised financial advice.

Election fever? Equities and SIP inflows mark record highs in May, per AMFI data

What is the right time to make a <keyword id="20224622" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="motor-insurance" source="keywords">motor insurance</keyword> claim? While there are no right answers, you generally make a claim if your car or bike has suffered serious damages in an accident, which will cost a bomb to repair! But did you know that you could also make a claim if your car or bike was damaged by, well, a coconut? Surprised? <keyword id="20081892" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digit-Insurance" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Digit Insurance" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Digit Insurance">Digit Insurance</keyword>, which is backed by ace Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, recently released some interesting data in this regard. Per the company, by the end of FY24, it had paid out almost Rs 1.68 crore in claims related to over 1,500 cases where the damage was caused by an innocuous coconut! <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Monkeys go coconuts!" comment="subhead" text="Monkeys go coconuts!"><keyword id="20243262" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monkeys" source="keywords">Monkeys</keyword> go coconuts!</cmsannotation> Well, if you don't believe a coconut can wreak this kind of havoc, think again. The company reported receiving more than 350 cases of <keyword id="19986918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vehicle-damage" source="keywords">vehicle damage</keyword> in just 2023, where the good old coconut was the culprit! The maximum claims stemmed from Maharashtra. The average claim amount was around Rs 10,000. If you’re away from the coast, you’ll have to battle your neighborhood's dogs and monkeys! Monkey’s seem to have a special liking for motorcycles, given that Digit reported setting over 1,200 claims worth Rs 40 lakh towards damage to 2-wheelers caused by monkeys in FY 2023-24. The cases saw a 40% jump on a YoY basis. Since Digit’s inception in 2017, the company has seen more than 85,000 claims where the primary cause of vehicle damage was an animal. Out of these, dogs were the main reason behind 7% of such claims in FY 2023-24, triggering payouts of over Rs 30 crore. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The mayhem of dogs and goats" comment="subhead" text="The mayhem of dogs and goats">The mayhem of dogs and goats</cmsannotation> As per the company’s internal claims data, Indira Nagar in Lucknow seems to be the epicentre of dogs unleashing damage on vehicles. The company reported paying more than Rs 6.7 lakh towards 110 claims received from this location. If, on an unfortunate day, your bike ever gets in an accident, how much do you imagine the damage payout would be? Well, in some cases, like of a luxury bike, which was damaged upon accident with a goat, the <keyword id="22121817" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="accidental-damage-payout" source="keywords">accidental damage payout</keyword> went as high as Rs 6.75 lakh. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Motor Insurance on the rise" comment="subhead" text="Motor Insurance on the rise">Motor Insurance on the rise</cmsannotation> As per data from the annual report of insurance regulator <keyword id="6361421" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IRDA" source="Orion">IRDA</keyword>, the motor segment saw a YoY growth of about 15.4% in <keyword id="21608709" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="premium-collection" source="keywords">premium collection</keyword>, from Rs 70,433 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 81,280 crore in 2022-23. The average <keyword id="19989676" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="claim-settlement-ratio" source="keywords">claim settlement ratio</keyword> of India’s motor insurance industry has also been on a steady rise, going from 81.3% in 2021-22 to 84.48% in 2022-23. Additionally, the incurred claims ratio, or the proportion of claims paid as against premium received also noted a marginal rise, from 81.30% in 2021-22 to 84.48% in 2022-23. All in all, save your precious cars or bikes from the terror of monkeys, dogs, coconuts and more. If you are yet to get a comprehensive vehicle insurance for your two or four wheeler, do so at the earliest!

Dogs, coconuts and monkeys: Insure your vehicles from their mayhem right now!

New Delhi [India], May 22 (ANI): The average selling price (ASP) for overall <keyword id="1531471" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="wearable-devices" source="Orion">wearable devices</keyword> has declined by more than 17 per cent in the first quarter of 2024—from USD 22.62 to USD 18.59—hitting a record low, the <keyword id="668267" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Data-Corporation" source="Orion">International Data Corporation</keyword> (<keyword id="6377157" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IDC" source="Orion">IDC</keyword>) observed in its latest report. Excess inventory in the online channel and fewer new launches were some of the primary reasons behind the decline in prices, the report noted. Citing a similar situation a year ago, it added, that the <keyword id="21764166" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smartwatch-ASPs" source="keywords">Smartwatch ASPs</keyword> dropped to USD20.65 from USD29.24 a year ago on the back of e-tailer sales events and discounts. Although, the share of advanced smartwatches increased from 2.0 per cent to 3.2 per cent in the 1Q24. The <keyword id="21764167" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-wearable-device-market" source="keywords">Indian wearable device market</keyword> grew by 2.1 per cent year-over-year (YoY) to 25.6 million units after growing by at least double digits consecutively since the fourth quarter of 2017. According to the IDC data, the top five vendors namely BoAt, Noise, Fire-Bolt, Boult, and Oppo, remain unchanged from a year ago. Although their collective share declined from 63.9 per cent to 59.9 per cent, the long tail of smaller vendors gained a share. Within the smartwatch category, shipments of the top three vendors declined due to high channel inventory. However, Titan and BeatXP grew by 2X and 3X, respectively. In the earwear category, all vendors from the top five grew their shipments, except Boult, the report observed. "Vendors have started focusing on retail expansion via partnerships with large format national and/or regional retail chains and bundling wearables with other product categories like smartphones, laptops, etc. It will be interesting to see if these initiatives help bring back the growth momentum, especially in the festive sales period in the second half of the year," said Anand Priya Singh, Market Analyst, Smart Wearable Devices, IDC India. Noting the increasing share of offline channels, the report adds that there was an increase of 11.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, while online channel shipments declined by 14.1 per cent YoY in 1Q24, its second consecutive quarter of decline.

Wearables devices price hits record low after dropping by 17%; Offline sales grow by 37.9% in Q1 FY25: IDC

The rupee stayed range-bound and closed 3 paise lower at 83.46 (provisional) against the <keyword id="19949640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-dollar" source="keywords">US dollar</keyword> on Thursday amid a strong American currency and rising crude oil prices in global markets. <keyword id="20024982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="forex-traders" source="keywords">Forex traders</keyword> said positive sentiment in the domestic equity markets and the inflow of <keyword id="20480744" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="foreign-capital" source="keywords">foreign capital</keyword> capped a sharp fall in the domestic currency. At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened strong at 83.41 and touched the intra-day low of 83.49 against the greenback. The local unit finally settled at 83.46 (provisional) against the dollar, down 3 paise from its previous close. The rupee had settled 2 paise higher at 83.43 against the dollar on Tuesday, a day after losing 7 paise on Monday. The foreign exchange market was closed on Wednesday on account of Maharashtra Day. On Wednesday, the US Federal Reserve decided to maintain the status quo on the benchmark interest rates, in line with the market expectations. Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas, said the rupee fell on disappointing <keyword id="20313555" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PMI-data" source="keywords">PMI data</keyword> from India. "However, positive domestic markets...cushioned the downside." Meanwhile, India's manufacturing PMI fell to 58.8 in April 2024 from 59.1 in the previous month. The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), however, recorded the second fastest improvement in operating conditions in three-and-a-half years supported by buoyant demand, a monthly survey said on Thursday. "We expect the rupee to trade with a slight negative bias on dismal PMI data and expectations of a recovery in the US dollar amid further delay in rate cut by Fed. However, weak crude oil prices and positive domestic markets may support the rupee at lower levels," Choudhary said, adding, "USD-INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of Rs 83.25 to Rs 83.70". Analysts also said market participants are expected to keep a close watch on the US non-farm payroll data to be released on Friday. Besides, weekly unemployment claims, trade balance and factory order data from the US may provide further cues. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.04 per cent to 105.67. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, climbed 0.91 per cent to USD 84.20 per barrel. On the domestic equity market front, Sensex climbed 128.33 points, or 0.17 per cent, to settle at 74,611.11, and Nifty rose 43.35 points, or 0.19 per cent, to close at 22,648.20. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net buyers in the capital markets on Tuesday, as they purchased shares worth Rs 1,071.93 crore on a net basis, according to exchange data. India's Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections grew 12.4 per cent to a record high of Rs 2.10 lakh crore in April, aided by strong economic momentum and increased domestic transactions and imports, the finance ministry said on Wednesday. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/india-t20-world-cup-squad-kulcha-back-on-menu-kl-rahul-dropped/slidelist/109730805.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/india-t20-world-cup-squad-kulcha-back-on-menu-kl-rahul-dropped/slidelist/109730805.cms" target="_blank">India T20 World Cup squad: KulCha back on menu, KL Rahul dropped</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/april-auto-sales-hyundai-continues-to-hold-the-second-position-as-tata-motors-inches-closer/articleshow/109777834.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/april-auto-sales-hyundai-continues-to-hold-the-second-position-as-tata-motors-inches-closer/articleshow/109777834.cms" target="_blank">April auto sales – Hyundai continues to hold the second position as Tata Motors inches closer</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/upcoming-cars-and-two-wheelers-launching-in-india-in-may-2024/slidelist/109723620.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/upcoming-cars-and-two-wheelers-launching-in-india-in-may-2024/slidelist/109723620.cms" target="_blank">Upcoming cars and two-wheelers launching in India in May 2024</a>

Rupee falls 3 paise to settle at 83.46 against US dollar

New Delhi, Asset management companies launched 212 <keyword id="20372350" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-fund-offerings" source="keywords">new fund offerings</keyword> mobilising Rs 63,854 crore in 2023, marginally higher from previous year, on the back of significant uptrends in broader markets. In comparison, Asset Management Companies (AMCs) garnered Rs 62,187 crore through 228 New Fund Offerings (NFOs) in 2022. Further, they collected Rs 99,704 crore in 2021 and Rs 53,703 crore in 2020, according to data compiled by <keyword id="20372349" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="morningstar-india" source="keywords">Morningstar India</keyword>. "The trend towards the financialisation of assets in India is unmistakable. Aligned with changing consumption behaviours and a need for a higher standard of living, investors recognise the importance of long-term investing. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the necessity for financial planning and the creation of liquid assets to address emergencies and pave the way for wealth-building," FYERS Research said in its report. It further said that "despite indices exhibiting strength, propelled by robust economic activity, steady <keyword id="19951327" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gst" source="keywords">GST</keyword> collections, and confidence in government reforms and policies, anticipating a similar outperformance in 2024 may not be prudent. Valuations across various market capitalisations look elevated, advocating a cautious approach to direct equities in the short term". As per the FYERS report, the January-March period of 2023 saw the highest number of NFOs at 57. However, the peak fund mobilisation occurred in the July-September period, totalling Rs 22,049 crore. Additionally, 29 thematic or sectoral funds raised an aggregate of Rs 17,946 crore in 2023. With an increased risk appetite for equities and awareness of products and offerings, retail investors opted for higher-risk products like thematic and sectoral funds compared to other products. Usually, NFOs come during a surging market when investor sentiments are high and optimistic. The NFOs were floated to capitalise on the mood of investors and attract their investment as they were willing to invest at that time. Industry experts said that the stock market performance along with the positive investor sentiments led to higher fund mobilisation through NFOs in 2023. In the year 2023, Nifty 50 index delivered a return of 20 per cent, majorly supported by earnings growth. <keyword id="19994732" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nifty-midcap" source="keywords">Nifty Midcap</keyword> and <keyword id="20118967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nifty-smallcap" source="keywords">Nifty Smallcap</keyword> indices recorded impressive returns of 47 per cent and 56 per cent, respectively. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) infused a substantial Rs 1.7 lakh crore into the market and the infusion played a pivotal role in propelling Indian equities beyond the USD 4 trillion market capitalization milestone. Overall, the mutual fund industry saw a net inflow of Rs 2.74 lakh crore in 2023 as compared to an inflow of over Rs 71,000 crore in the preceding year. The huge inflow could be on the back of sustained investors' interest in equity funds, arbitrage funds, and index funds &amp; ETFs. Debt schemes experienced a net outflow of Rs 46,100 crore last year, while equity schemes saw substantial inflows of Rs 1.62 lakh crore, closely followed by hybrid category schemes at Rs 93,208 crore.

Mutual funds collects ₹63,854 cr via new fund offers in 2023

On Thursday, the <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reserve-Bank-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reserve Bank of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reserve Bank of India">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (<keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords">RBI</keyword>) sought action against four non-banking financial companies (<keyword id="19938300" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NBFCs" source="keywords">NBFCs</keyword>), barring them from making new loan sanctions and disbursements, effective October 21, 2024. A report by <keyword id="19977638" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Morgan-Stanley" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Morgan Stanley" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Morgan Stanley">Morgan Stanley</keyword> suggests that more lending companies might face similar scrutiny in the coming days. As named by the RBI in its order yesterday, <keyword id="20146314" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asirvad-Microfinance" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Asirvad Microfinance" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Asirvad Microfinance">Asirvad Microfinance</keyword>, Arohan Financial Services, DMI Finance, and Navi Finserv failed to adhere to the <keyword id="21471399" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fair-Practices-Code" source="keywords">Fair Practices Code</keyword> and did not properly assess borrower's income and repayment capacities before disbursing loans, especially when it came to their microfinance loans. Additionally, these companies also resorted to dubious asset classifications and incomplete interest rate and fee disclosures, which in turn led to alarming practices like loan evergreening and more. RBI also found that the weighted average lending rate (WALR) and the interest spread charged over their cost of funds by these NBFCs were over the stipulated norms. Earlier this month, the apex had already issued a stern warning to the NBFC sector, discouraging them from pursuing aggressive loan book expansion at the cost of regulations and fair practices. Per the bank, it would be ideal if NBFCs self-corrected their ways and refrained from giving incentives and fixed targets to their employees for granting loans. As for these four NBFCs, RBI flagged significant deviations with respect to Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IR&amp;AC) norms in their functioning and gross mismanagement of their gold loan portfolios. As RBI noted, these NBFCs had outsourced several of their core financial services as well. The restrictions on these 4 NBFCs will be effective at the close of business as of October 21, 2024. But this will not affect the existing, active loans of the companies. Also, loan collection and recovery processes will also continue in line with existing guidelines. However, Morgan Stanley, in a recent report, has questioned this move, asking whether lending rates alone were the cause for concern by RBI against specified NBFCs or whether broader issues are at play. "Based on an observation of lending rate data collated and presented by MFIN (the industry body for microfinance lenders), we note that Asirvad Microfinance's lending rates are not very different from other lenders," the report said. The report also observes that more regulatory action might follow in the sector, but the intention here was not to shut down new lending by <keyword id="21739781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="microfinance-institutions" source="keywords">microfinance institutions</keyword> and NBFCs entirely. RBI's restrictions will stay in place until these NBFCs show that they have fully aligned their practices with regulatory guidelines. In response, Navi Finserv Limited has noted that it is committed to conducting its business operations with the highest standards of compliance, customer service, and transparency. "The company is reviewing the directions received from the Hon’ble Reserve Bank of India and will work with them and address all the concerns raised with promptness and completeness," it further added.

Reserve Bank may act against more NBFCs to keep obscure lending practices in check, says Morgan Stanley

New Delhi, India's services sector activity eased in August but growth rates for new orders remain elevated, as services firms indicated the sharpest upturn in new export business which acted as a catalyst for firms to expand their workforces as well as output, a monthly survey said on Tuesday. Despite falling from 62.3 in July to 60.1 in August, the seasonally adjusted S&amp;P Global India Services PMI Business Activity Index indicated one of the strongest increases in output seen since mid-2010. For the 25th straight month, the headline figure was above the neutral 50 threshold. In Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) parlance, a print above 50 means expansion while a score below 50 denotes contraction. "Indian services companies achieved a remarkable milestone in August, as they welcomed a series record surge in new export business. Several regions contributed to the upturn, including Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and the Middle East," <keyword id="2835710" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pollyanna-de-lima" source="Orion">Pollyanna De Lima</keyword>, Economics Associate Director at S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence, said. Lima further noted that this spike in international demand supported one of the best sales performances recorded over the past 13 years, and acted as a catalyst for firms to expand their workforces as well as output. "Demand strength also fostered a heightened sense of optimism regarding the outlook, boding well for economic growth prospects," Lima said. On August 10, the <keyword id="6354335" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india" source="Orion">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (RBI) left its key interest rates unchanged for a third straight meeting but signalled tighter policy if food prices drive inflation higher. The next meeting of the <keyword id="3446352" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rbi-monetary-policy-committee" source="Orion">RBI Monetary Policy Committee</keyword> (MPC) is scheduled for October 4-6. On the prices front, buoyant demand for services meanwhile aided a further upward revision to selling prices. The rate of charge inflation quickened to the joint-fastest in over six years, while input costs rose to a lesser extent. "... Favourable demand trends also led to the joint-fastest increase in prices charged for Indian services in over six years, which may prompt attention from policymakers and potentially delay cuts to the benchmark repo rate," Lima added. On the jobs front, hiring activity across India's service economy continued to expand. The rate of job creation was moderate, but the strongest seen since last November. Going ahead, monitored companies firmly believed that output would remain on an upward growth path over the course of the coming 12 months. Advertising, demand strength, plans to price competitively and a healthy number of client enquiries all boosted optimism in August. Meanwhile, there was a mild slowdown in the growth of private sector activity across India during August. The S&amp;P Global India Composite PMI Output Index -- which measures combined services and manufacturing output -- fell from 61.9 in July to 60.9 in August. Despite the fall, the S&amp;P Global India Composite PMI Output Index was indicative of a sharp rate of expansion that was among the strongest in over 12 years, the survey said. The S&amp;P Global India Services PMI is compiled by S&amp;P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to a panel of around 400 service sector companies. The panel is stratified by detailed sector and company workforce size, based on contributions to GDP. Data collection began in December 2005.

India's services sector activity moderates in August; exports expand at record pace

<ul><li>New orders and output increased at the quickest rates in nearly three years during August, said S&amp;P.</li><li>Export orders increased for the 17th month running halfway through Q2, and was also the greatest extent since November 2022.</li><li>Price signals were mixed with a quicker increase in input costs contrasting with a softer uptick in factory gate charges. </li></ul>The S&amp;P Global India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 58.6 in August after hitting a three-month high in July at 57.7. This is the second-best improvement in the health of the sector for nearly three years, said a release by S&amp;P. New orders and output increased at the quickest rates in nearly three years during August. Output rose for the twenty-sixth successive month, and to the greatest extent in just under three years. “Firms geared up to handle rising demand by scaling up buying levels and rebuilding their input stocks at the second-strongest pace in 18-and-a-half years of data collection. On the price front, cost inflationary pressures accelerated but there was a slower uptick in selling charges,” S&amp;P said in a release. While demand strength was key to August's performance, competitive pricing and advertising were also cited as factors behind sales growth. “Not only did new export orders increase for the seventeenth month running halfway through the second fiscal quarter, but also to the greatest extent since November 2022,” S&amp;P said. The panel members said that they secured new work from Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and the US. "The PMI results for India painted a vibrant picture of the nation's manufacturing landscape in August. Robust and accelerated increases in new orders and production suggest that the sector looks set to provide a strong contribution to second quarter (fiscal) economic growth,” said De Lima, economics associate director at S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence. ‘Softer uptick in factory gate charges’ Manufacturers purchased additional raw materials and semi-finished items in August, and buying levels rose sharply, and at one of the fastest rates seen in over 12 years. Price signals were mixed in August, with a quicker increase in input costs contrasting with a softer uptick in factory gate charges — which rose at the slowest pace in four months, whereas cost inflation picked up to its strongest in a year. <keyword id="6359181" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="cotton" source="Orion">Cotton</keyword>, foodstuff, rubber, steel and machinery spare parts all got costlier. "The presence of stronger cost inflationary pressures serves as a reminder of the challenges inherent in managing growth. Firms addressed rising input prices by lifting selling charges. However, the need to maintain competitiveness helped restrict charge inflation," said De Lima. While Indian manufacturers did hire permanent and temporary staff on both part and full-time basis, as new orders flowed in, overall employment rose at the slowest pace in four months. “Although historically elevated, the overall level of positive sentiment slipped to a three-month low due to inflation concerns,” S&amp;P said.

India’s manufacturing PMI rises to a 3-month high in August

The upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection <keyword id="19032" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bill" source="Orion">Bill</keyword> will drive "deep behavioural changes" among those platforms in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> that have for long exploited or misused personal data, <keyword id="6357801" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="union" source="Orion">Union</keyword> minister <keyword id="205969" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rajeev-chandrasekhar" source="Orion">Rajeev Chandrasekhar</keyword> has asserted. In an interview to PTI, the minister of state for IT and electronics also sought to allay concerns around the issue of government-appointed fact check body, saying the move is not about censorship at all, rather it gives the Centre an opportunity to clarify and respond to any <keyword id="535763" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="misinformation" source="Orion">misinformation</keyword> related to it, something that is critical in a democracy. Misinformation, he said, is not to be confused with right to free speech. The minister noted that misinformation tends to travel 10-15 times faster, and reaches an audience 20-50 times more, than truth. He emphasised that it is absolutely critical that in a democracy if someone says something false about the government, to create hatred, to incite violence, or to just create mistrust, "the government must have an opportunity to say no, this is not true". "So there is no censorship, there no restriction on free speech. This is simply about saying what is patently false, is patently false. And that is certainly not to be confused or deliberately distorted to imply that this is a crackdown on free speech," Chandrasekhar said. The minister's comment assumes significance as the decision to notify an entity that will flag false information posted online pertaining to the government has raised concerns in some quarters on whether it gives government absolute powers. "I think there is some misunderstanding about what it is we are trying to do," the minister said when asked about the issue. "Misinformation is expressly an area that has already been prescribed in the rules as an area that platforms have to do significant work in moderating misinformation if they are to enjoy Section 79 protection. It is already mandated in the rules of October 2022," he said. Rather, the fact check unit aims to help platforms in identifying false content posted about the government. "It is not an opinion. It is not about saying that we will create another narrative about the government," Chandrasekhar added. On the digital personal data protection (DPDP) bill, which will be introduced in the coming session of <keyword id="6354721" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="parliament" source="Orion">Parliament</keyword>, the minister said the draft legislation has undergone a lot of consultation and is designed as "a truly world class piece of legislation". "I have absolutely no doubt that the DPDP Bill will create deep behavioural changes among platforms in India who have for long exploited and misused personal data," the minister said. At the same time, those who have played fair will not get affected, and will continue to do the right thing, he observed. "Those who have done it (misused data), tracked consumers, used cookies they certainly will have to go though deep behavioural change... Those who are already doing it right, have nothing to fear. But those who have, in a sense, lived off this model of exploitation will certainly have to reconsider," minister said. He expressed hope that the bill will come up in the Monsoon session of Parliament. The draft bill - which has seen an overhaul after its withdrawal in August last year - details the citizen's rights on personal data, with provisions that makes entities handling personal data accountable for managing it with safety and security in a responsible manner. "The purpose of this bill is to provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises the right of individuals to protect their personal data, the need to process personal data for lawful purposes and for other incidental purposes," an explanatory note of the draft bill said. The proposed data protection legislation allows the transfer and storage of personal data in some countries while raising the penalty for violations. The proposed legislation stipulates consent before collecting personal data and provides for stiff penalties of as much as Rs 500 crore on persons and companies that fail to prevent data breaches including accidental disclosures, sharing, altering or destroying personal data. On being asked about Meta being fined a record-breaking USD 1.3 billion recently by European Union regulators for violating EU privacy laws, and whether India too can look at large financial deterrants for Big Tech for non-compliance of laws, the Minister said idea is not about competing with the EU on size of penalties. "I don't think we are in the business of competing with the EU in terms of the size of the penalty, but the formulation of penalties in this Bill is sufficient to incentivise every data fiduciary or any platform to behave correctly, to follow the law, and do the right thing," he said. The days when platform could exploit the data of consumers is fast coming to an end, he said, adding there are many powers under the bill that have been given to the Indian consumer to interrogate, search, check what data the platforms have. "...and I think certainly it's a balance of protecting the consumer rights, as well as continuing to allow innovation and investments," the minister said. On WhatsApp spam call issue, Chandrasekhar said that the government has called out to WhatsApp and other messenger companies about the problem and emphasised that it is unacceptable. "They have responded with alacrity and responded very quickly. They are searching out many solutions. We have also asked them to give to us what are the overseas telecom carriers from where these originate, so that we can talk to BSNL, and to our own <keyword id="150664" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="telecom-department" source="Orion">Telecom Department</keyword> to make sure that these carriers are also warned that there is unlawful activities originating from their networks, and that if that continues, we may have to look at some kind of a discussion of whether those networks will be allowed to terminate in India as well," he said. The government and players are not adversaries, rather they work in partnership, he said, adding that a safe and trusted internet for 1.2 billion consumers "is good for business, government, and for citizens". SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-dominates-smartwatch-market-accounts-for-over-a-quarter-of-global-sales-in-q1-2023/articleshow/100522354.cms">India dominates smartwatch market, accounts for over a quarter of global sales in Q1 2023</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/2000-note-withdrawal-how-to-exchange-notes-is-it-a-legal-tender-and-other-questions-answered/articleshow/100412941.cms">₹2,000 note withdrawal – How to exchange them, is it a legal tender and other questions answered</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/electric-scooters-and-bikes-may-get-costlier-as-government-looks-to-revamp-the-fame-ii-scheme/articleshow/100321089.cms">Electric two wheelers may get costlier as government looks to revamp the FAME-II scheme</a>

Data protection bill to drive deep behavioural changes for platforms exploiting data: Chandrasekhar

<div type="image" title="For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire" height="900" width="1200" msid="114064202" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Once upon a time, there thrived a wild, wild land. Here, it was all about super high monetary stakes, lightning-fast trade deals, and bucketloads of money shifting hands every single second. This wilderness lured millions of individuals with the promise of super duper high returns. But, at what cost? Welcome to the unforgiving, ultra-risky wild west of <keyword id="19991165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-equity-markets" source="keywords">Indian equity markets</keyword> called the <keyword id="145718" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Futures-and-Options" source="Orion">futures and options</keyword>. Here, everyone seems to just fly right through the bright red-flagged warnings of financial risks to earn even a fraction of these promised returns. Most burn themselves in the process, but carry on nevertheless, as if nothing ever happened. <h2>Chasing the cloudy profits</h2>The data conclusively proves that every 9 out of 10 individuals only lost their hard-earned money in this land. But hey, what do the numbers know? Some hide their losses out of shame, some out of fear. The proponents, meanwhile, proudly boast unusually high returns on their investments, some open social media channels while others encourage their friends and family to take the plunge. Naturally, news of this unstoppable and humongous en-masse migration to the F&amp;O (futures and options) town has reached sheriff <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SEBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SEBI">SEBI</keyword>, galvanising them into action. After all, it was time to put a leash on this madness and save the common man. The inhabitants of this town doubled in the last 2 years, from 51 lakh in FY22 to 96 lakh in FY24—99.8% of whom were small and mid-income traders. But profits? Well, that's a different, rather completely absent story. <h2>Que Sera Sera, much?</h2>A recent report by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) that studied profits and losses made by traders in the equity derivatives segment between FY22-24 exposed the mad mania of futures and options trading in India, especially since the pandemic. Per the report, 91.1% of individual traders, or about 73 lakh traders had only lost money trading in futures and options in FY24. Between FY 22-24, over 1 crore traders, or about 92.8% of individual traders, had lost Rs 2 lakh each. But once bitten, twice shy? Well, not in this case. More than 75% of individuals, who had only made losses trading in F&amp;O in FY22 and FY23, continued to trade vigorously in FY24 as well, without any changes in the bottom line, which remained deep in red and negative. So, then all these traders must be uber-rich, with tons of cash and not much care to spare? Nope. 76% of traders in the F&amp;O space in FY24 had an annual income of less than Rs 5 lakh. 2 years ago, their share stood at 71%. And their choice of poison? Options! In FY24, 60% of traders made losses trading in futures, but a whopping 91.5% burnt their funds trading in options. Mind you, futures are riskier than options. With futures, which require significant capital investment, the buyer and seller both are contractually bound to adhere to the pre-determined strike price of the futures or options contract, irrespective of whether the prevailing prices are higher or lower (and thus, resulting in losses for either the buyer or seller). With options, since this adherence ain't necessary, individuals end up taking debt to take highly leveraged positions while trading here. <h2>Scale of the explosion</h2>Anyone who trades even infrequently will tell you that a demat account is the mitochondria or powerhouse of the trading cell. As of August 2024, India had over 17.1 crore <keyword id="20957284" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="demat-accounts" source="keywords">demat accounts</keyword>, which are a prerequisite for trading in the markets. India is the 9th biggest country in the world, in terms of total demat accounts. Did you know that our demat accounts are at par with the entire population of Bangladesh? Talk about scale! Just 4 years ago, in March 2020, this number was a mere 4 crore. Naturally, the total F&amp;O turnover on both <keyword id="20004725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NSE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NSE" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NSE">NSE</keyword> and BSE has hit the roof, and also broken it. As of October 4, 2024, the total futures and options turnover on NSE stood at a massive Rs 4,78,27,27,750.30 crore. Good luck counting the thousands! <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Year </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total Turnover (Both Futures and Options) (In Rs Crore) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2020-21 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">64,36,03,951.51 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2021-22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,69,52,33,134.47 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2022-23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3,82,23,26,468.06 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2023-24 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7,99,27,67,152.43 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source : NSE Another metric that underlines the meteoric growth of trading in India is the collection of STT or <keyword id="20930760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Securities-Transaction-Tax" source="keywords">Securities Transaction Tax</keyword>. As of September 2024, India's STT mop-up had gone past Rs 26,000 crore. Traders have to pay STT whenever they buy or sell any security in the market. So, more trading brings in more STT, and hence, more revenue for the government, so they're not really complaining. After all, this is certainly what they'd call enviable growth. As of August 2023, our STT collection stood at about Rs 21,599 crores. And in FY20-21, India's STT collection had been Rs 16,000 crore. If only our salaries also managed to grow at this rate! <h2>So, what's happening?</h2>Two things. One, it's the big bulls who are raking in all the moolah. And it's the younger lot (those aged under 30) who are propping them up for this. In FY24, 43% of individual traders in the market were less than 30 years of age. In just one year, this number has swelled by 12 percentage points from just 31% of individual traders. But who says ageing is bad? Wrinkles and silver hair seemingly have a propensity of incurring lesser losses in the market. In FY24, only 79% of traders aged above 60 years made losses, as compared to 93% of those aged below 30. Small and mid-income traders, which make up 98% of the total trader base, witnessed average losses per person of Rs 65,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh in FY24 in futures and options, respectively. The winner here? Clearly, the big bulls, who declared an annual income of over Rs 1 crore, ended up with average profits of Rs 96,000 per person this year. <h2>What’s the sheriff up to?</h2>The government has finally swung into action, hiking the STT rate for F&amp;O during this year’s budget. Effective October 1, 2024, the STT on futures stands at 0.02%, up from 0.0125%. For options, it was upped to 0.1% versus 0.0625% previously. Small margins, but huge impact oncoming. Says Puneet Sharma- CEO and Fund Manager at Whitespace Alpha, “SEBI aims to enhance market stability while safeguarding investor interests, reflecting the regulator's intent to balance risk management with market participation”. But this might come with its own share of challenges, too. “Stricter norms around leverage, transparency, and capital adequacy could limit the ability of investors to determine their own risk appetite, thereby stifling innovation in trading strategies. Over-regulation in an environment that thrives on strategic flexibility and creativity could dampen the market’s dynamism, affecting India's competitiveness in the global derivatives landscape”, he observes. SEBI recently came out with a set of guidelines that aim to thwart <keyword id="19972907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-investors" source="keywords">retail investors</keyword>' participation in futures and options and hinder them from taking undue risks. Here's a quick recap of what's to come for the residents of the F&amp;O town Margin Requirements: To battle the high volatility and chaos which is generally seen on expiry days(i.e the last mandated date, post which an option becomes invalid), SEBI will put in place an extreme loss margin (ELM) of 2% for all open short options on the day of expiry. Translation? Traders will need to pony up more cash upfront, leaving them with fewer funds to take on risky bets. It ain't a choice: No more of one expiry every single day! Going ahead, an exchange like BSE or NSE will just be able to offer weekly expiries, that too, only on one benchmark index, as opposed to an entire buffet it currently offers. At present, NSE offers weekly options contracts for its financial index, bank and midcap indices. But say goodbye to this, and hello to derivatives on only 1 index per exchange. Raising the bar: Effective November 30, 2024, the minimum contract value for index derivatives will be upped to Rs 15 lakh, from the present Rs 5-10 lakh. The hope is that by making it ultra-expensive to enter these trades, investors will be dissuaded from taking on risky trades. Pay upfront: Starting February 2025, those trading in options will have to pay the entire options premium upfront, even before their trades are executed. This is because options generally carry very high leverage, and paying a significant sum upfront can force traders to think twice. Invigilation Pro Max: Starting April 1 2025, to make sure that the number of positions for equity index derivatives does not slyly slip over the mandated limit, especially on expiry days when trade volumes are huge, the exchanges will have to take a minimum of 4 position snapshots randomly. The question is, will these injections of sobriety be enough to calm down the steroid-fed bull of the futures and options market in India? Well, only time and market turnover will tell! For more insights into the financial markets and business news, stay tuned to our site and social media handles. And don’t forget to subscribe to Business Insider India’s newsletters for your weekly dose of Simply Put! Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. We recommend readers consult certified, qualified and registered advisors for professional and personalised financial advice.

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