(Eds: Updates with expert comments) Mumbai, May 13 () The rupee appreciated by 5 paise to 75.46 against the US dollar on Wednesday as fiscal stimulus by the government bolstered investor sentiment.Forex traders said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package enthused investors.However, risk sentiments are negative and investor sentiments remain fragile over coronavirus concerns, they added.At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened on a strong note at 75.31 but lost most of its gains in day trade. The local currency settled at 75.46 against the US dollar, registering a rise of 5 paise over its previous close. During the trading session rupee witnessed an intra-day high of 75.30 and a low of 75.50. In a big push to revive the coronavirus-hit economy, the Prime Minister on Tuesday announced massive new financial incentives on top of previously announced packages for a combined stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore."The surprise move of fiscal stimulus by the government had a positive impact on the rupee. However, globally, risk sentiments are negative and we have no clarity over the government expenditure plan," Emkay Global Financial Services Head of Research- Currency Rahul Gupta said.Gupta further noted that "positive comments by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman may cheer the rupee but it will be short-lived as the fragility over coronavirus still continues". "On first sight, the size of fiscal stimulus and reforms on 4Ls (land, labour, liquidity and law) looks large and better than estimates, but as they say devil will be in the details. Market players eagerly awaited details of the package from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman," said Devarsh Vakil, Head Advisory, HDFC Securities. On the domestic equity market front, after rallying 1,474.36 points during the day, the 30-share index surrendered some early gains to settle 637.49 points or 2.03 per cent higher at 32,008.61. Similarly, the NSE Nifty jumped 187 points, or 2.03 per cent, to finish at 9,383.55.Foreign institutional investors were net sellers in the capital market, as they offloaded equity shares worth Rs 1,662.03 crore on Tuesday, according to provisional exchange data.In India, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,415 and the number of cases climbed to 74,281 on Wednesday, according to the health ministry.The number of cases around the world linked to the disease has crossed over 42.62 lakh and the death toll has topped 2.91 lakh.Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.03 per cent down at 99.90.Brent crude futures fell 1.07 per cent to USD 29.66 per barrel. The Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 75.7944 and for rupee/euro at 81.9560. The reference rate for rupee/British pound was fixed at 93.4024 and for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 70.52. DRR MRMR

Rupee rises by 5 paise to 75.46 against dollar on mega stimulus

(Eds: Adds expert comment) Mumbai, Jun 19 () The rupee settled 6 paise lower at 76.20 against the US dollar on Friday as strengthening of the US currency and rising COVID-19 cases weighed on investor sentiment. Forex traders said factors like strengthening US dollar, rising coronavirus cases and border tension between India and China dragged down the local unit. Positive domestic equities and fresh foreign fund inflows, however, supported the rupee and restricted the decline to some extent. The rupee opened at 76.28 against the US dollar and rose to an intra-day high of 76.17. The rupee finally settled at 76.20 against the US dollar, down 6 paise over its previous close. It had settled at 76.14 against the greenback on Thursday. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.03 per cent to 97.44. The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex closed 523.68 points, or 1.53 per cent, higher at 34,731.73. The broader NSE Nifty surged 152.75 points or 1.51 per cent to 10,244.40. Foreign institutional investors were net buyers in the capital market as they bought shares worth Rs 366.57 crore on Thursday, according to provisional exchange data. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 2.51 per cent to USD 42.55 per barrel. On a weekly basis, the domestic unit as depreciated by 36 paise. It had settled at 75.85 on June 12. "Investors focus is basically swinging between coronavirus second pandemic wave and Indo-China border issue. And this uncertainty has acted to pause the major movement in USD/INR spot," said Rahul Gupta, Head of Research- Currency, Emkay Global Financial Services. Gupta further noted that "the risk sentiments will remain on tenterhooks until there's a truce between India-China. In spot, 75.75 will continue to act as an immediate support with 76.50 being the resistance." China on Friday said that "presently", it has not detained any Indian soldiers, amidst reports that the Chinese military took some Indian troops captive after a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley on June 15. The brief statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian came a day after the Indian Army said that all Indian soldiers involved in the clashes with the Chinese army at the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night have been accounted for. Traders said investor sentiment remain fragile amid rising coronavirus cases across the world. The number of cases around the world linked to the disease has crossed 85.07 lakh and the death toll has topped 4.54 lakh. In India, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 12,573 and the number of infections spiked to 3,80,532, according to the health ministry. Meanwhile, the Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 76.1509 and for rupee/euro at 85.6916. The reference rate for rupee/British pound was fixed at 95.5816 and for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 71.21. DRR MR MR

Rupee drops 6 paise to 76.20 against dollar amid COVID-19 concerns

Mumbai, Apr 22 () The rupee on Wednesday recovered from record low levels to settle higher by 15 paise at 76.68 (provisional) against the US dollar following gains in domestic stocks and some weakness in the greenback against global currencies.The rupee opened weak at 76.86 at the interbank forex market and then fell further to an all-time low of 76.88 during the day.Later, the domestic unit recovered the lost ground in line with surging stock markets and finally settled at 76.68, higher by 15 paise over its last close of 76.83 against the US dollar.Indian stocks were trading higher while the US dollar losing some ground against the euro and the pound in European trade strengthened the rupee.Brent crude dropped 8 per cent to USD 17.78 per barrel while oil for Indian basket also eased by 0.68 per cent to USD 20.42 per barrel in early trade which supported the local currency."USD/INR spot breached fresh record high of 76.90, however, it didn't sustain and fell on dollar selling ahead of the Facebook and Reliance deal. Facebook plans to invest nearly USD 5.7 billion, the money will hit forex market in tranches either end of this month or sometime next month," Rahul Gupta, Head of Research- Currency, Emkay Global Financial Services said.Gupta, however, noted that global market is still risk averse amid the coronavirus pandemic. "This gloominess regarding the deep economic downturn may weigh on Indian rupee, thus, unless 76.50 and 76 doesn't break on immediate basis we expect USD/INR spot to trade towards 77 and beyond levels." The number of cases around the world linked to the new coronavirus has crossed over 25.51 lakh. In India, nearly 20,000 coronavirus cases have been reported so far."If coronavirus cases continue to increase on the global and local front then we can expect spot to breach 77.50 and then 78 level," Gupta said.On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share index ended 742.84 points or 2.42 per cent higher at 31,379.55. The wider NSE Nifty surged 205.85 points, or 2.29 per cent, to finish at 9,187.30."The rebound in domestic equities and dollar selling by banks on behalf of the central bank supported the rupee to erase opening losses. Facebook's USD 5.7 billion investment into Reliance Jio also enthused rupee bulls," said Devarsh Vakil, Head Advisory, HDFC Securities.Vakil added that "sharp fall in crude oil supported local currency. Near term focus will be on government announcements to bolster the economy and COVID-19 related developments"."Indian Rupee looks to remain under pressure amid the economic distress caused by the coronavirus outbreak and significant outflows from the domestic equities. As of now renewed strength in dollar index is further weighing on the local unit," said Sugandha Sachdeva, VP-Metals, Energy &amp; Currency Research, Religare Broking."In spite of the historical collapse in crude oil prices, rupee could not benefit and has still continued on the downwards trajectory. In the current landscape, once we see a break past 77 mark, the level of 77.50 looks quite likely on the cards," Sachdeva added.Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital markets, as they sold shares worth Rs 2,095.23 crore on Tuesday, as per provisional data.The Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 76.6516 and for rupee/euro at 83.0878. The reference rate for rupee/British pound was fixed at 95.1354 and for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 71.31.The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, fell by 0.19 per cent to 100.06. DRR MR

Rupee recovers from record low to end at 76.68 against US dollar

Mumbai, Jun 26 () The rupee pared initial gains to close flat at 75.65 against the US dollar on Friday as concerns about rising COVID-19 cases weighed on investor sentiment. Forex traders said risk appetite has waned amid spike in fresh coronavirus infections globally. The rupee opened on a strong note at the interbank forex market at 75.51 against the US dollar, but pared initial gains and settled at 75.65 against the US dollar, unchanged against its previous close. During the four-hour trading session, the domestic unit witnessed an intra-day high of 75.43 and a low of 75.65 against the US dollar. "Despite rising coronavirus concerns, the global equity market is trading higher reacting to new stimulus packages and unconventional easing. But, there is a lot of uncertainty over the spike in COVID-19 cases," said Rahul Gupta, Head of Research- Currency, Emkay Global Financial Services. Gupta further said that "the market is trying to figure out the impact of this on consumer activity in coming months, and it is not clear now because we don't know how bad this spike is going to get". The number of cases around the world linked to the disease has crossed 96.12 lakh and the death toll has topped 4.89 lakh. Meanwhile, in India, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 15,301 and the number of the number of infections rose to 4,90,401, according to the health ministry. Brent crude futures rose 0.93 per cent to USD 41.43 per barrel. The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, fell by 0.09 per cent to 97.34. On a weekly basis, the domestic unit as appreciated by 55 paise. It had settled at 76.20 on June 19. On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share index settled 329.17 points, or 0.94 per cent, higher at 35,171.27, while the NSE Nifty surged 94.10 points, or 0.90 per cent, to 10,383. Foreign institutional investors were net sellers in the capital market, as they sold equity shares worth Rs 1,050.61 crore on Thursday, according to provisional exchange data. "After opening on a stronger note rupee came under pressure against the US dollar despite gains in domestic equities. Market participants remained cautious ahead of the important core PCE index and consumer sentiment number that will be released from the US," said Gaurang Somaiyaa, Forex &amp; Bullion Analyst, Motilal Oswal Financial Services. Somaiyaa further said that weaker-than-expected economic data could keep broader dollar gains in check. Focus will also be on any update that comes in from the US related to trade tension with China. According to Rushabh Maru - Research Analyst , Anand Rathi Shares and Stock Brokers, "the rupee has been trading range bound in the last couple sessions. There are no fresh triggers in the market. There is growing concern regarding second wave of the coronavirus as cases are rising across the world. However FIIs inflows may provide respite to the rupee". Maru further noted that "overall market will focus on coronavirus related development whether second wave emerges or not and India and China border tension." Meanwhile, the Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 75.6349 and for rupee/euro at 85.0676. The reference rate for rupee/British pound was fixed at 93.9184 and for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 70.57. DRR MR MR

Rupee ends flat at 75.65 on concerns over rising COVID-19 cases

(Eds: Updates with expert comments) New Delhi, Jun 10 () The rupee pared early gains to settle on a flat note at 75.59 against the US dollar on Wednesday ahead of the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision. Forex traders said the rupee traded in a range-bound manner in the absence of any major trigger and market participants are eagerly awaiting the Fed's stance and outlook on the US economy for further cues. The rupee opened at 75.49 against the US dollar but pared gains to settle at 75.59 against the US dollar, up 2 paise over its previous close. It had settled at 75.61 against the greenback on Tuesday. During the four-hour trading session, the domestic unit saw an intra-day high of 75.42 and a low of 75.60. "The USD/INR spot has continued to remain range-bound as there was no major catalyst to react to. Now the market's focus is on tonight Federal Open Market Committee stance and its outlook on the US economy," said Rahul Gupta, Head of Research- Currency, Emkay Global Financial Services. Gupta further added that "we don't expect a rate cut by Fed but it may provide a grim outlook and introduce more unconventional measures like yield curve control to keep the rates under control. In USD/INR spot 75 has been acting as crucial support, a break of which is unlikely". Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.25 per cent to 96.08. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 1.65 per cent to USD 40.50 per barrel Forex traders said positive domestic equities, sustained foreign fund flows and the revival of business activities are supporting the rupee but dollar buying by banks and oil importers are weighing on the local unit. "Rupee traded in a range on the back of balance between the buyers of USDINR (the banks on behalf of RBI and oil importers) and sellers of USDINR who are finding the unlock phase as a strengthening point for the economy," said Jateen Trivedi, Senior Research Analyst (Commodity &amp; Currency) at LKP Securities. The 30-share BSE Sensex settled 290.36 points or 0.86 per cent higher at 34,247.05. The NSE Nifty climbed 69.50 points, or 0.69 per cent, to 10,116.15. Foreign institutional investors were net buyers in the capital market as they bought shares worth Rs 490.81 crore on Tuesday, according to provisional exchange data. Meanwhile, investor sentiments remain fragile amid rising COVID-19 cases across the world. The number of cases around the world linked to the disease has crossed 72.50 lakh and the death toll has topped 4.11 lakh. In India, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 7,745 and the number of infections rose to 2,76,583, according to the health ministry. The Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 75.4931 and for rupee/euro at 85.1532. The reference rate for rupee/British pound was fixed at 95.9729 and for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 69.92. DRR MR MR

Rupee closes almost flat at 75.59 as dollar demand offsets weak crude cues

Mumbai, Apr 30 () The rupee strengthened by 57 paise to finish at a one-month high of 75.09 per US dollar on Thursday, buoyed by foreign fund inflows and a robust trend in the equity market. The greenback weakening overseas and optimism over a COVID-19 drug trial in the US further supported the local unit, forex traders said. Moreover, investor risk appetite is improving as India could relax lockdown restrictions in many areas from May 4, they added. This is the fourth consecutive day of gain for the rupee, during which it has appreciated by 137 paise. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 75.17. During the session, it touched a high of 74.94 and a low of 75.20. The domestic unit finally settled at 75.09, registering a rise of 57 paise over its previous close. On Wednesday, the local unit had settled at 75.66 against the US dollar. Traders said fears surrounding COVID-19 faded to some extent after US pharma firm Gilead's drug remdesivir showed promise in treating coronavirus patients. "Also, several countries are easing lockdown restrictions which means the economies will start to get back on track," said Rahul Gupta, Head of Research- Currency, Emkay Global Financial Services. Gupta, however, added that "there is still risk of a second wave of infection and India's macros are not attractive enough to bring in heavy dollar inflows. Thus, going ahead USD/INR spot may trade above the support of 74.50 towards 75.50/76.00." Foreign institutional investors remained net buyers in the capital markets, purchasing shares worth Rs 1,968.80 crore on Thursday, according to provisional exchange data. Meanwhile, domestic stock markets extended their rising streak for the fourth straight day on firm global cues and short-covering on expiry of F&amp;O contracts. The 30-share BSE Sensex settled 997.46 points or 3.05 per cent higher at 33,717.62. The broader NSE Nifty soared 306.55 points, or 3.21 per cent, to 9,859.90. The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.06 per cent down at 99.50. Brent crude futures rose 7.59 per cent to USD 24.25 per barrel. "Rupee ended at an one-month high on Thursday as overseas inflows into stocks increased on reports of a potential new treatment for COVID-19 created a buzz and boosted risk appetite, leading to rally in equities both in the US and Asia," said Jateen Trivedi, Senior Research Analyst (Commodity &amp; Currency) at LKP Securities. Devarsh Vakil, Head Advisory, HDFC Securities, said the appreciation in the rupee was largely strong buying seen in the domestic and global equity markets. "Stocks received a boost after Gilead Sciences Inc said Wednesday morning that a government-run clinical trial evaluating its experimental drug remdesivir in certain COVID-19 patients met the study's main goal," he said. Moreover, "US stocks booked significant gains Wednesday, after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell vowed to mount a robust and protracted fight to offset fallout from the coronavirus pandemic," he added. Federal Reserve policymakers on Wednesday left interest rates near zero. The US dollar traded lower on prospects of further monetary easing. "On the domestic front, market participants will be keeping an eye on fiscal deficit number and weaker-than-expected number could keep rupee gains in check. Major crosses will also be getting trend from the European Central Bank (ECB) policy statement," said Gaurang Somaiyaa, Forex &amp; Bullion Analyst, Motilal Oswal Financial Services. Meanwhile, in India, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 1,100 and the number of cases climbed to over 33,000 on Thursday, according to the Union Health Ministry. The number of cases around the world linked to the disease has crossed over 32 lakh and the death toll has topped 2.27 lakh. The Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 75.6961 and for rupee/euro at 82.1202. The reference rate for rupee/British pound was fixed at 94.3567 and for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 71.04. DRR BAL ABMABM

Rupee zooms 57 paise to end at 75.09 against US dollar

Mumbai, May 15 () The rupee pared initial gains to settle 2 paise lower at 75.58 against the US dollar on Friday amid firming oil prices and lacklustre global cues. Forex traders said the local currency was trading in a narrow range amid rising risk-aversion in the broader financial markets. Investors also awaited further details of the government's fiscal stimulus package, they added. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 75.51, and stayed in a range of 75.45 - 75.59. The local unit finally finished at 75.58, down 2 paise over its previous close. On Thursday, the rupee had settled 10 paise lower at 75.56 against the greenback. On a weekly basis, the domestic unit has depreciated by 4 paise. It had settled at 75.54 on May 8. Announcing the third tranche of stimulus measures for the coronavirus-hit economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said this will deal with giving relief to agriculture and allied industries. Forex traders said market participants are concerned about the implications of the Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package on the fiscal deficit, as there is still no clarity on how it would be financed. Meanwhile, domestic bourses ended modestly lower after a choppy session. The 30-share BSE Sensex settled 25.16 points or 0.08 per cent lower at 31,097.73, while the NSE Nifty slipped 5.90 points, or 0.06 per cent, to 9,136.85. Foreign institutional investors remained net sellers in the capital market, selling equity shares worth Rs 2,152.52 crore on Thursday, according to provisional exchange data. "Overall market sentiments have been lacklustre and this week, the spot market traded in a very tight range. The fiscal measures undertaken by FM Sitharaman to reduce risk aversion and improve liquidity didn't have major impact on USD/INR spot," said Rahul Gupta, Head of Research- Currency, Emkay Global Financial Services. Brent crude futures rose 1 per cent to USD 31.44 per barrel. "Gold and crude both scaling up give weakness to the rupee prices as India being net-importer of both. Rupee scaled low to 75.60 taking resistance near 75 against the US dollar," said Jateen Trivedi, Senior Research Analyst (Commodity &amp; Currency) at LKP Securities. Traders further said investors are also concerned about rising coronavirus cases and the impact on the domestic as well as global economy. The US dollar strengthened overseas as fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections prompted investors to dump risky assets. In India, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,649 and the number of cases climbed to 81,970, according to the health ministry. The number of cases around the world linked to the disease has crossed over 44.44 lakh and the death toll has topped 3.02 lakh. The Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 75.4440 and for rupee/euro at 75.4440. The reference rate for rupee/British pound was fixed at 75.4440 and for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 70.64. DRR ABMABM

Rupee slips 2 paise to 75.58 against US dollar

Mumbai, Mar 27 () The rupee pared its initial gains to settle 27 paise higher at 74.89 (provisional) against the US dollar on Friday after the RBI announced various measures to stimulate growth amid coronavirus-induced lockdown in the country. Forex traders said stimulus measures announced by the RBI and FPIs turning net buyers in capital markets boosted investor sentiment. However, there are still concerns over the impact of coronavirus outbreak on the domestic as well as the global economy. The rupee opened on a positive note at 74.60 and touched a high of 74.35 in late morning trade. Later it erased the gains to end 27 paise higher at 74.89 against the American currency. During the day, the domestic unit touched a high of 74.35 and a low of 75.40. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday cut benchmark interest rate by 75 basis points to 4.4 per cent. The central bank also reduced the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of all banks by 100 basis points to 3 per cent with effect from March 28 for 1 year. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said all instruments - conventional and unconventional - are on the table to support financial stability and revive growth and noted that Rs 3.74 lakh crore liquidity will be injected into the system through various measures announced on Friday. "These measures could elevate sentiments temporarily but the main impact will be visible post the lifting of lockdown. Thus, we see USD/INR spot to trade in between 74.30 and 76.30," said Rahul Gupta, Head of Research- Currency, Emkay Global Financial Services. On a weekly basis the domestic currency has appreciated 31 paise. "We expect that volatility for the currency would continue to remain high as cases of Coronavirus reported on the domestic front continue to increase. We expect the rupee (Spot) to quote in the range of 74.50 and 75.50," said Gaurang Somaiyaa, Forex &amp; Bullion Analyst, Motilal Oswal Financial Services. The number of deaths around the world linked to the new coronavirus has crossed over 24,000. In India, more than 700 coronavirus cases have been reported so far. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.10 per cent to 99.45. The 10-year government bond yield was at 6.14 per cent. Global crude oil benchmark Brent fell 2.09 per cent to USD 25.79 per barrel. On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share BSE barometer gave up all the gains to end 131.18 points or 0.44 per cent lower at 29,815.59. The broad-based NSE Nifty closed 18.80 points, or 0.22 per cent, higher at 8,660.25. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) turned net buyers in the capital market, as they bought securities worth Rs 355 crore on Friday, according to provisional exchange data. The Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 75.2392 and for rupee/euro at 82.0483. The reference rate for rupee/British pound was fixed at 89.0185 and for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 67.98. DRR MRMR

Rupee pares initial gains, settles 27 paise higher at 74.89 against US dollar

<ul><li>As we enter a brand new year, we want to crystal gaze into what the year holds for us.</li><li>In today’s feature, experts from the <keyword id="2540701" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Influencer-marketing">Influencer Marketing</keyword> Industry tell us a few key trends and opportunities that the industry will bring forth as we move forward in 2021. </li></ul>2020 pushed businesses of various kinds and sizes to experiment with digital solutions as all activities from attending concerts, and birthday parties to fitness sessions moved from the physical realm to digital. After the COVID-19-induced lockdown, with TVC shoots on hold and people stuck at homes, brands realised that the influencer marketing model is well-suited in a time in which the audience is looking for some inspiration, searching DIY videos, learning new recipes or focusing on self care. This posed a good opportunity for brands and influencers to engage with their audiences with impactful messaging. Brands realigned their strategies, opened up their budgets for digital media to leverage the rising demand for influencer marketing. Today, Indian audiences are watching more online videos than ever before. Nielsen studies show that home-bound consumers have led to a 60% increase in the amount of video content watched globally. The number of live video sessions conducted on social media platforms by content creators also hiked in 2020. As per Facebook US, in the first months of the pandemic alone, the number of users watching live video increased by 50% and the platform launched additional features to support video creators. There was also a shift in perspectives and communication tone -- driving away from superficial, in-your-face, sales-driven content to a more meaningful, two-way and purpose-driven conversation. More content creators and brands started talking about the causes they believe in. To weather the storm of trimmed advertising budgets in the first half of the year, influencers turned to alternative revenue sources like selling merchandise or launching direct-to-consumer products. As a result, COVID has spawned strong growth in influencer marketing and creators have cemented their position boosting consumer trust in 2020. Keeping in mind how 2020 revolutionised the digital industry, we reached out to a few influencer marketing agencies to understand what does the future hold and how is the ecosystem shaping up. Here is what they said: Anuja Deora Sanctis, Founder and CEO, Filter Coffee Co: <div type="image" title="Anuja Filter Coffee" msid="80100767" hostid="261"></div> Influencers this year have used a variety of features to promote brands. There was an increased focus on short Video content, especially Reels, as it is being heavily promoted by Instagram and is cost-effective compared to long videos, providing more authenticity and engagement. Driving brand advocacy through genuine users and exploring varied types of influencers from different walks of life also saw great engagement and growth. For example, for one of our clients in skincare, we collaborated with Face Yoga Expert, Nutritionist, Chefs, and that benefited the brand a lot. The one trend that will grow massively in 2021 will be the rise of Micro &amp; Nano influencers. This is mainly due to high engagement, authenticity, and low-costs and is relevant in the current scenario as most brands have slashed budgets. Apart from the trends in general for influencers, one area where it is really working is skincare and cosmetic brands. Influencers are able to display the benefits and usage of products, so in a lockdown situation, where people cannot go and try the product, they are totally buying what the influencer is saying. Also, because of the way lifestyle e-commerce has developed, like Nykaa, Amazon, etc, to drive traffic to these platforms, you need swipe-up links through stories. Since not many brands have 10,000 followers, they are dependent on influencers to push traffic to their website and drive CTA. This trend is termed Influencer Commerce and I foresee it being one of the most demanded categories next year. Viraj Sheth - Founder and CEO, <keyword id="9491005" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="monk-entertainment">Monk Entertainment</keyword>: <div type="image" title="Viraj Sheth Monk-e" msid="80100797" hostid="261"></div> The biggest trend in influencer marketing in 2021 is going to be creators becoming founders and brand owners. So far, creators have only been resorting to platform revenues and brand deals as major sources of revenues. Although, in 2021, we are going to witness a huge wave of content creators building value-adding brands which are not just selling merchandise but products and services of all varied kinds. We are also going to start observing big brands partnering with creators on equity deals which will incentivise creators to build much deeper, valuable relationships with the brands. Neel Gogia, Co-founder, <keyword id="9617651" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="iplix-media">IPLIX Media</keyword>: <div type="image" title="Neel Gogia" msid="80100803" hostid="261"></div> 2020 has been like a catalyst for the growth of Influencer Marketing in India, not only we explored lots of new content creators but more brands also showed interest in working with influencers for their respective goals. We can expect a trend where more brands heavily focus on the strategies of their influencer marketing campaigns. Gone are the days where you can just hold a product and click a selfie to promote a brand. I feel both influencers and brands will evolve and explore creative ideas collectively to create engaging content. Brands will work with agencies who provide them interesting campaign ideas rather than just a list of influencers and expected reach which happens most of the time. This will make them stand out from other branded content which is already out there and might not be engaging to the audience. Apaksh Gupta, Founder &amp; CEO, One Impression: <div type="image" title="Apaksh Gupta, CEO, oneimpression" msid="80100881" hostid="261"></div> 2020 has changed the perspective of both brands and influencers, leading to a paradigm shift in functionality of influencer marketing. A trend that the ecosystem is harping on and that undeniably is gaining momentum, is the content consumption pattern. Steering away from pictures, people are consuming more videos than ever. They like to be updated with influencers’ lives, which creates space for smart product integrations that brands are now leveraging! Well established platforms like Reels, YouTube, Facebook coupled with new-age ones like Triller &amp; Moj have attracted avid video lovers to create and share short-format videos. In fact, live sessions have been devoured all the more, due to the content relatability and authenticity. Additionally, audio format content (podcasts) has started booming, and we may see it becoming as powerful as videos, in 2021! Ankit Agarwal, Founder, Do Your Thng: <div type="image" title="Ankit Agarwal, Founder, Do Your Thng" msid="80100887" hostid="261"></div> 2020 was the most sobering of realities. It was also the year the rest of the world discovered Dalgona coffee, TikTok got banned, and influencer marketing went to its grassroots. The black swan of 2020 awoke businesses to the power of social platforms and content creators. Creators restored their focus on delivering content that adds genuine value. They also played an integral role in building a sense of community; something people searched for when living in isolation. From a marketing standpoint, we saw a momentous shift from sales-driven campaigns to social good and charities. The lockdown and work from home, which we took to like ducks to water, pushed the needle on one more front. Marketers started bringing in influencers into the creative conversation earlier. Something, we’d been pushing for years. Brands also recognized that creators are more than a vehicle for sales. They can be credible communicators and excellent platforms to listen to changing consumer desires. As our co-founder, who we onboarded recently, Hemant Dua, Ex-CEO of Delhi Daredevils, affirms, the year was a bellwether for what lies ahead. We have ventured through the backwoods, and are finally headed to a more well-travelled path. Both our product and team saw dramatic growth. We’re closing at almost 4 times to what we were last year. As for 2021, I feel it will be a content and creator moment. Till now, brands gave credibility to creators. In the time to come, creators will bring credibility to brands. Shahir Muneer, Founder and Director, Divo: <div type="image" title="Shahir Muneer, Founder and Director, Divo" msid="80100899" hostid="261"></div> Divo has been at the forefront of influencer marketing since the beginning of this segment around 2017. While we have seen tremendous growth ourselves in excess of 100% growth year on year since then, here are few trends for 2021 that we see around the corner. Outcome or engagement-based model: There is a good number of brands/advertisers who have been using influencer marketing for well over 2 years now, and while influencers have so far been limited to scrutiny on their creative or content and their basic stats like followers, reach. We will see multiple advertisers look at the historical data and see what outcome like installs or sales they got via these influencers, and set the price or even inclusion into campaigns. Engagement rate will be a key parameter going forward and purely a high follower count won't suffice. While a shift from paying upfront to an affiliate or performance-based pricing model is not likely immediately, but that is where we are headed to in the future, and this is the beginning for it. Hence it's not enough for influencers to make interesting content, but also be able to engage with their audience and make it a 2-way conversation. Ramya Ramachandran, Founder &amp; CEO, Whoppl: <div type="image" title="Ramya Whoppl" msid="80167495" hostid="261"></div> It is interesting to note how influencer marketing was such a defining phenomenon in the year 2020. Now that brands have fully realised the kind of credibility and cachet that influencers bring to the forefront, one can only wonder how they will now spread their eventual overarching bosom and become an indispensable must-have for a holistic marketing endeavour. 2021 will see the rise and prominence of commerce-led influencer marketing, which will make it imperative for influencer-curated content to drive a relatable conversion. Brands would now like to see how an influencer churns out content that is authentic, and how that content is so relatable that it will lead to a sure-shot, subsequent conversion. If content was King all this while, 2021 will be a game of chess where ‘relatable content’ is the Queen. Kunal Kishore Sinha, Co-founder, ClanConnect: <div type="image" title="Kishore ClanConnect" msid="80113607" hostid="261"></div> Gone are the days of creating content just for the sake of it. 2021 will be all about content with context. The number of influencers in India has witnessed explosive growth over the past year. Content which is not relatable, won’t get the desired engagement. So, the trick is to understand the context, get the background, and then create content that hits just the right mark. How can influencers gain this context? By getting the right insights through data analysis. The purpose of influencer campaign, at the heart of it, is creating engaging, interactive content for the consumers on behalf of a brand. Data analysis can present a wealth of insights about the audience base, the kind of content that has worked for them in the past, popular topics keywords searched by consumers, and more, allowing influencers to create content that will have a deeper impact and achieve the highest ROI. Context backed by data will, then, be the mantra of influencer activity in 2021. Prashant Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer, Nofiltr Group: <div type="image" title="prashant-sharma-nofiltr" msid="80118072" hostid="261"></div> Influencer marketing was a highly likely outcome of the pandemic, not only because of the availability of the campaign but also because of the changing way among the audience to receive communications. Demand is shifting, and both brands, as well as content creators, need to understand more about the value of content and what needs to be out in the market to captivate the attention of their targeted audience so as to thrive in a post-covid world. We are expecting that influencer marketing is here to stay and grow more and more. Brands have started relying more on content creators now to communicate their message to consumers in a more natural way, to maintain their relevance and meet their target audience online. Just because of this, content creators will have an upper hand. The industry of Influencer marketing is on track to become a $15 billion dollar industry by 2022 and it shows no sign of slowing down at all. Influencer marketing is going to be a game-changer in the times to come. 2020 literally gave a platform to several new content creators and brands also did not shy away from leveraging their skills and popularity to their own benefit. A massive trend that we can expect to witness moving forward is how brands will merge content marketing, influencer marketing and social media marketing. They will focus more on finding and partnering with those influencers who share similar values as themselves and will enter into long-term relationships with them, rather than onboarding them on a contractual basis. As for the content creators, they will be creating more audio and video content. So podcasts will become the next big thing along with the likes of Instagram Reels. Also, micro-influencers will emerge in huge numbers who do not have many followers but enjoy the popularity amongst a niche audience. Such influencers will help brands find their foothold with the specific group of people who would align with the goals of the brands. And the best part about such micro-influencers is that their audiences frequently engage with them. How events unfold will be interesting to watch.

Influencer Marketing: Trends to watch out for in 2021

Year 2015 was quite a mixed bag for the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Indian+economy&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Indian economy</a>. Growth expectations soared as the new government started introducing strong policy measures aimed at improving the ease of doing business in India. 
 
This accompanied with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=RBI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">RBI’s</a> focus on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=inflation&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">inflation</a> control and foreign direct investments brought world attention back to the India growth story. 
 
The year also saw specific measures being taken by the government for different sectors to augment growth including renewed focus on manufacturing with the launch of ‘<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=make+in+india&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Make in India’</a> campaign. 
 
The year witnessed, what we call, hyper-growth in the technology start-up and software product landscape with India ranking as the fourth largest start-up hub in the world with over 3,100 start-ups in the country. 
 <keyword id="22195" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Inflation">Inflation</keyword> remained low during the year which was a function of lower oil and commodity prices globally and a tight leash kept by the <keyword id="30067" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI">RBI</keyword> on repo rate. As per our survey, 67% companies believe that the business sentiment is improving slowly but steadily. 
 
So what does all this mean from Executive Compensation perspective? 
 
The projected fixed pay for top management has gone down from 9.7% to 9.5%. A substantial part of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=salaries&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">compensation today for a CEO</a> is not guaranteed in nature and is aligned to short term or long term goals in some way, this essentially means putting performance first. 
 
These plans get impacted by host of factors like nature of industry, business life cycle stage of the company, specific performance objectives that the company wants to drive etc. More and more companies that have traditionally used LTI instruments with low performance alignment are looking at changing the plan structures to bring in greater performance orientation. 
 
Having said that, the word of caution from our standpoint is that – while it is right to have performance orientation, due care should be given to ensure that there is no excessive risk taking by the executives that may prove to be counterintuitive for the company in long run. 
 
This excessive risk taking can be mitigated by having the right set of risk adjusted performance metrics in your plans. Deferrals, Co-investment plans, Clawback and malus provisions are other simpler ways of doing this. 
 
Aon Analysis of compensation structure for CEOs in organizations that offer both short and long term incentives as part of the pay structure show a 50-50 ratio of fixed and variable compensation (variable compensation includes both short and long term incentives). This ratio, over the years has moved in favour of variable pay over the years. 
 
Indian listed companies are most aggressive when it comes to “pay at risk” with approximately 41% of total compensation attributed to fixed pay and balance 59% to short and long term incentives. 
 
 
 
 
In our view, it makes a lot of sense for organizations to have considerable amount linked to stock based plans. These plans not only link a considerable part of top management compensation with stockholders’ returns and fundamental performance of the company but also have an advantage for listed companies as upside gets funded by the market. 
 
As the compensation programs mature, a higher proportion of compensation will get attributed to long term incentives although it might take some time for Indian companies to reach the proportions we see in the western markets like the US. 
 
Higher attribution to long term incentives will also lead to rationalization of long term incentive programs by companies. What we see happening in India has an uncanny resemblance to what we saw happened in the US years ago. As the prevalence and quantum of long term incentives goes up, these programs may undergo a structural change. 
 
With the change in accounting norms under IND-AS, increase in volatility and high dilution levels, we can expect prevalence of instruments like Performance Shares to go up in coming years. 
 These programs are less dilutive in nature compared to <keyword id="81701" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="stock-options">stock options</keyword>, protect employees from market vagaries to an extent and reward for fundamental performance of the company. More and more companies using share based payments will have a combination of performance and time based vesting rather than time based alone. Performance will become the core driver of the plan and retention will be a secondary objective. 
 
(This article is authored by Anubhav Gupta, Solution Head, Executive Compensation and Governance, Aon Hewitt India) 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

You Searched For "linked india head ashutosh gupta" and got 11 results

Rupee rises by 5 paise to 75.46 against dollar on mega stimulus

PTI

Rupee drops 6 paise to 76.20 against dollar amid COVID-19 concerns

PTI

Rupee recovers from record low to end at 76.68 against US dollar

PTI

Rupee ends flat at 75.65 on concerns over rising COVID-19 cases

PTI

Rupee closes almost flat at 75.59 as dollar demand offsets weak crude cues

PTI

Rupee zooms 57 paise to end at 75.09 against US dollar

PTI

Rupee slips 2 paise to 75.58 against US dollar

PTI

Rupee pares initial gains, settles 27 paise higher at 74.89 against US dollar

PTI

Influencer Marketing: Trends to watch out for in 2021

Karuna Sharma

The fixed pay culture at top management is fading away, making way for stock based plans

Guest Author

The entire list and a brief profile of 'Delhi ke nirmata'⁠— the makers of Delhi felicitated at Kejriwal's oath taking ceremony

BI India Bureau