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Mumbai, The Reserve Bank on Thursday tightened norms for unsecured personal loans for banks and non-banking financial companies. The revised norms wherein risk weights have been increased by 25 percentage points will not be applicable on certain consumer loans, including housing, education, and vehicle loans. Besides, the norms will not be applicable on loans secured by gold and gold jewellery. These loans will continue to attract 100 per cent risk weight. Higher risk weight implies that banks have to keep aside more money as buffer when it comes to unsecured personal loans. In simple words, a higher risk weight restricts banks' lending capacity. Recently, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das had flagged the high growth in certain components of consumer credit and advised banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to strengthen their internal surveillance mechanisms, address the build-up of risks and institute suitable safeguards, in their own interest. The high growth seen in consumer credit and increasing dependency of NBFCs on bank borrowings were also highlighted by the governor during the interactions with MD/CEOs of major banks and large NBFCs in July and August, respectively. "On a review, it has been decided to increase the risk weights in respect of consumer credit exposure of commercial banks (outstanding as well as new), including personal loans, but excluding housing loans, education loans, vehicle loans and loans secured by gold and gold jewellery, by 25 percentage points to 125 per cent," the RBI said in a circular. The central bank has also increased the risk weights on credit receivables by 25 percentage points to 150 per cent and 125 per cent for banks and NBFCs, respectively.

RBI tightens norms on personal loans for banks, NBFCs

The <keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rbi" source="Orion">RBI</keyword>'s decision to tighten norms for unsecured <keyword id="35520" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="personal-loans" source="Orion">personal loans</keyword> is credit positive because lenders will need to allocate higher capital for such loans, thus improving their loss-absorbing buffers, <keyword id="6462970" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="moodys" source="Orion">Moody's</keyword> Investors Service said on Monday. The Reserve Bank last week raised risk weights on unsecured retail loans, credit cards and lending to non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) by 25 percentage points. Moody's said <keyword id="586043" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="unsecured-loans" source="Orion">unsecured loans</keyword> have been growing rapidly in the past few years, exposing financial institutions to a potential spike in credit costs in case of sudden economic or interest rate shocks. "The tightening of underwriting norms through higher risk-weighted assets is credit positive because lenders will need to allocate higher capitals for such loans improving their loss-absorbing buffers and may dampen their growth appetite," Moody's said in a statement. It said that over the past few years, India's unsecured lending segment has become very competitive, with banks, NBFCs and financial technology (fintech) companies, including several new entrants, aggressively growing loans in this category. In the past two years, personal loans grew around 24 per cent and credit card loans rose 28 per cent on an average compared with the overall banking sector's credit growth of around 15 per cent, Moody's said. "We expect banks would be able to absorb higher risk weights on their capital because the overall banking sector's exposure to unsecured retail credit is small at around 10 per cent of loans as of September 2023 and the sector's overall capitalization is at historically high levels with a Common Equity Tier 1 ratio of 13.9 per cent as of March 2023," Moody's said. However, the impact of the new underwriting rules could vary among individual lenders depending on their exposure to unsecured loans, it added. Last week, US-based S&amp;P Global Ratings had said that the RBI's decision to tighten norms for unsecured consumer credit is likely to hit banks' capital adequacy by 60 basis points. The move could lead to higher lending rates, lower credit growth and increase the need for capital raising among weak lenders, it added.

Higher risk weight on unsecured bank loans credit positive: Moody's

<ul><li><keyword id="16258067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Equal-weight-indices" source="Orion">Equal-weight indices</keyword> give equal weightage to all the stocks making up a benchmark. </li><li>On an equal-weight index, no stock can unduly influence the index movement and all stocks get almost the same representation – making for a fairly well-diversified portfolio. </li><li>When many of the market constituents witness strong rise in stock prices, an equal-weight index can deliver better returns than a concentrated portfolio. </li><li>In an equal-weight index, as a result of the same weightages to all stocks, the level of sector concentration also becomes reduced.</li></ul>Many retail investors would be familiar with regular index investing. This often entails investing in funds that track indices such as the Nifty 50 and the Nifty 100. The stocks that form a part of these indices are given <keyword id="16258068" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="weightages-based-on-free-float" source="Orion">weightages based on free float</keyword> <keyword id="118864" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="market-capitalisation" source="Orion">market capitalisation</keyword> – we’ll come to it in a bit. Therefore, each stock has a different weightage in the overall index. An interesting variant that has been gaining traction is equal-weight index investing. So, these are indices that accord equal weights to stocks. Here’s more on what goes into equal-weight indices and what you must understand before investing in them. How free-float and equal-weight indices vary As mentioned earlier, the regular Nifty 50 and Nifty 100 indices are based on free-float market capitalisation. Now, there are broadly two categories of shareholders in listed companies. Promoter and promoter groups, and trusts backed by them are one category. Public shareholders form the second type. So, the shares of promoters are not traded actively or are allowed only with many restrictions. The rest of the shares are free float and allowed to be traded in the markets. Now, the free float shares multiplied by the share price gives the free float market capitalisation. While constructing the index, the stocks with higher free-float market capitalisation get higher weightages than those with lower numbers. Equal-weight indices, on the other hand, do away with such restrictions based on free- float market capitalization. These indices give equal weightage to all the stocks making up a benchmark. For example, all stocks get around 2% weightage in the Nifty 50 Equal weight index. In the Nifty 100 Equal Weight index, all stocks are given a weightage of around 1%. Broad-based stock and sector representation Investing in an equal-weight index has its fair share of advantages. Here are a few of those. Truly well-diversified portfolio with same weightages: Let us take the Nifty 50 as an example. The top 10 stocks in the Nifty 50 account for nearly 58% of the portfolio. A few stocks can have a disproportionate impact on the movement of the index. In the Nifty 50 Equal Weight index, on the other hand, the top 10 stocks make up only a little over 20% of the portfolio. No stock can unduly influence the index movement and all stocks get almost the same representation, thus making for a fairly well-diversified portfolio. Chances of outperforming in broader market rallies higher: When many of the market constituents start rallying and witness strong rise in stock prices, an equal-weight index can deliver better returns than a concentrated portfolio. In the rally after the Covid-19 crash in March 2020, stocks across segments rallied. Such moves help equal-weight indices as most stocks get to participate in the rally. And in a falling market, they may cushion downsides better as weightage to individual stocks is low (just 2% in the case of Nifty 50 Equal Weight index). In effect, the movements on the upside and downside are tempered. In a narrower market rally led by very few stocks, a free-float market capitalization index may perform better. An example would be the markets in 2018-19. Lower sectoral concentration: In the equal-weight index, as a result of the same weightages to all stocks, the level of sector concentration also becomes reduced. For example, the financial services sector gets 34.56% weightage in the Nifty 100 index. But in the Nifty Equal Weight index, the financial services segment constitutes only 22.05%. Therefore, there is a better spread of exposure across sectors and a reduction in concentration in select sectors. This diffusion reduces the risks associated with the portfolio. Also, some sectors such as automobiles get better representation in the equal-weight index than the free-float one. As a natural profit-booking index: In an equal-weight index, the rebalancing of constituents happens once every six months. Therefore, even if any stock rallies heavily during a period, its weightage would be restricted to the original equal-weight index levels. This is akin to taking profits periodically in a systematic way. For a retail investor, the optimal way to invest in an equal-weight index is through an index fund that tracks and replicates, say, the Nifty 50 equal weight index. Such an offering could be a diversifier to the portfolio. To further understand product suitability, it is best to seek help from a financial advisor before investing. (The author is the Head Investment Strategy at ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company)

Equal-weight index: For diversified investments with low volatility

<ul><li>On 27 September, India’s central bank eased a liquidity coverage requirement imposed on banks and said it would provide all necessary funding support to the banking sector. </li><li>The <keyword id="30067" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI">RBI</keyword> has raised the facility to avail funds for liquidity coverage ratio (LCR), which measures the amount of liquid assets held by banks against short-term <keyword id="44647" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="debt">debt</keyword>, from 11% to 13%. </li><li>This will allow banks to increase the weightage given to government securities when calculating their <keyword id="6493444" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Statutory-Liquidity-Ratio">statutory liquidity ratio</keyword> and free up deposits for their short-term funding needs. </li></ul>Following <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-main-financial-regulators-and-its-largest-bank-are-trying-to-calm-investors-amid-fears-of-a-liquidity-crisis/articleshow/65929921.cms">a promise </a>to investors that it would step in to prevent a liquidity crisis amongst Indian lenders as well as a subsequent <a href="https://in.reuters.com/article/india-shadowlenders/finance-ministry-urges-rbi-to-take-steps-to-ease-liquidity-tackle-credit-crunch-idINKCN1M609Y">push</a> from India’s finance ministry, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) looks like its making good on its word, albeit at the cost of its mandate to manage risk. On 27 September, India’s central bank eased a requirement imposed on banks related to liquidity coverage and said it would provide all necessary funding support to the banking sector. The RBI raised the facility to avail funds for liquidity coverage ratio (LCR), which measures the amount of liquid assets held by banks against short-term debt, from 11% to 13%. This will allow banks to increase the weightage given to government securities, which is a liquid asset, when calculating their statutory liquidity ratio, which measures the amount of deposits invested in liquid assets. Hence, this will free up banks’ deposits so they can meet their funding needs in the short-term. And their funding needs are dire. Earlier this week, the liquidity deficit was estimated to be ₹1.4 trillion. However, In doing so, the RBI is effectively trading short-term benefits for longer-term pain. The current liquidity crisis stems from the aversion of institutional investors to buy the debt instruments of non-banking financial companies like IL&amp;FS, which is on the brink of default. By relaxing liquidity coverage requirements for banks, the RBI is allowing banks greater freedom in how they use their deposits and also letting them take on riskier short-term debt so a lot more money will enter the system, which will have an inflationary effect. In essence, domestic lenders are being allowed to use a greater percentage of their deposit-holders’ money to pay down their short-term debt obligations and extend credit to borrowers. In the event of a market downturn or a loss of faith in these banks, they could face a run on their deposits, which will be fatal given their lower risk buffer. The finance ministry has insisted that the RBI also relax reserve requirements for banks, under which banks set aside a certain portion of funds with the central bank. Earlier this week, the RBI took a page out of the European Central Bank’s playbook on <a href="https://www.ecb.europa.eu/explainers/show-me/html/app_infographic.en.html">“quantitative easing”</a> and said it would buy around <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-banking/rbi-to-conduct-omo-to-infuse-liquidity/article25029705.ece">₹100 billion</a> worth of <keyword id="6370709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government-bonds">government bonds</keyword> from the open market to inject funds into the economy.

The Reserve Bank of India is trying to prevent a liquidity crisis at banks by relaxing an important risk requirement

Earlier today, RBIs MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) decided to leave the <keyword id="20094323" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="repo-rate" source="keywords">repo rate</keyword> unchanged at 6.5%, while changing the policy stance toward neutral. The aim, as <keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="RBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="RBI">RBI</keyword> maintained, was to strike a balance between taming domestic <keyword id="19895000" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inflation" source="keywords">inflation</keyword> and maintaining target growth. A neutral stance gives the RBI the flexibility to adjust <keyword id="19950650" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="interest-rates" source="keywords">interest rates</keyword> based on the direction of inflation, as opposed to its previous stand of withdrawing accommodation, which eliminates any possibility of rate cuts. While a change of stance doesn’t necessarily mean a cut should follow, most experts view this as a prelude to a possible rate cut in December this year, or even February next year. Says Deepak Ramaraju, Senior Fund Manager, Shriram AMC, "The RBI stance has changed to neutral, indicating that its primary focus is to balance growth and inflation. Growth has been resilient and given the short-term pressure on inflation, RBI may continue to hold interest rates unchanged in Q3 FY 2025. Based on inflation moderating below 4.5% and course of geo-political concerns, the RBI may undertake a rate cut decision in Q4 FY 2025". So, what does this mean for your investments? How will this decision impact your existing funds? We take a look. <h2>Good time to invest in high-yield deposits</h2>This is a good time to invest in high-yield <keyword id="19975805" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fixed-deposits" source="keywords">fixed deposits</keyword> and long-term bonds. That's because with rate cuts imminent in the upcoming quarters, you'd be able to lock-in your funds with the prevailing, relatively higher interest rate right now. As for the yellow metal or gold, it is generally considered a safe haven asset during turbulent market times. That's why you should consider making it a part of your investments, or increasing its weightage in your overall portfolio, depending on your needs. Vijay Kuppa, CEO, InCred Money highlights that with deposit rates at elevated levels, one has an ideal opportunity for locking in high-yield fixed deposits."At the same time, high borrowing costs also make a compelling case for increasing debt allocations in investment portfolios, which offer a buffer against potential equity market corrections, which might occur due to <keyword id="19955176" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="geopolitical-tensions" source="keywords">geopolitical tensions</keyword>", he continues. With the chronic crisis in Middle-East flaring up again, as Israel looks to target Lebanon and Iran, you can expect some volatility and downturns in the <keyword id="19949641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="equity-markets" source="keywords">equity markets</keyword>, both in India and globally, in the times to come. Over the last 5 days, Sensex has dipped by over 1,900 points, or about 2.38%, and Nifty has also gone down by 2.23%. With this set to continue for some time, you can reconsider and evaluate your investments in debt. Mahendra Kumar Jajoo, CIO – Fixed Income, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) explains that the market is confident of a rate cut in the times to come, and that the <keyword id="20066775" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bond-market" source="keywords">bond market</keyword> has already started pricing in the same. "We have already seen some of this already, with 10Y GOI yields at around 6.75%, having already eased significantly in last few months. So, if investors wait for rate cut to invest, it may be too late for them. Also, with corporate credit picking up, investing in corporate bond funds for a period of 3-5 years can also serve the investor well. Investors having a long term investment horizon and appropriate risk appetite can also invest in gilt funds", he continues. <h2>Dont exit the markets yet </h2>Though short-term biases of FII may continue towards Chinese markets keeping pressure on the equity markets, the resilient domestic flows can defy deep corrections in the equity markets despite high valuations. The markets may trend positive with subsequent rate cuts by the US Fed later this year. Hence, it wont be advisable to completely exit the equity markets during these times, notes Avnish Jain, Head - Fixed Income, Canara Robeco Mutual Fund Jain advises to take a buy on dips approach towards the stock markets i.e. adding quality stocks to your portfolio during times of market downturn. Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities says that the current market texture is volatile, hence level based trading would be the ideal strategy for the day traders. "For the bulls now, 25,050/81,700 would be the key level to watch out. Above the same market could retest the level of 25,200-25,225/82,000-82,300. On the flip side, 24,900/81,200 would be the key support zone for the traders. Below the same, the selling pressure is likely to accelerate. Below the same, market could slip till 24,800-24,780/81,000-80,700", explains Chouhan. <h2>Time to buy a home? Maybe! </h2>No rate cut can spell some good news for homebuyers who are looking to get their hands on real estate during the festive season. Even as home loan rates remain steady as of now, homebuyers may have to wait until December or beyond to get any tangible relief in their home loan EMIs. Vimal Nadar, Head of Research, Colliers India explains that a change in stance from “withdrawal of accommodation” to “neutral” indicates its clear direction for a possible reduction in interest rates in the foreseeable future. This ongoing stability in repo rate should provide a significant thrust to residential real estate during these festive months as home loan interest rates are likely to remain steady. "Typically, Q4, marked by higher inclination of homebuyers to wrap-up property purchases during the auspicious period combined with instantaneous liquidity benefit aided by developers offering attractive discounts, has historically provided the final push to housing sales across the major markets in the country", he added.

RBI leaves repo rate unchanged. What does this mean for you?

<ul><li>High vegetable inflation, driven by hardening onion prices, has kept food inflation at 8.66% in February.</li><li>With low reservoir levels in many states, food inflation in FY25 is expected to be driven by monsoons, say experts.</li><li>The RBI is focused on bringing inflation below 4% and might continue the status quo for a longer time now, believe experts. </li></ul>In February, retail inflation came in on expected lines at 5.09%. However, high vegetable inflation, driven by hardening onion prices has kept food inflation up at 8.66%. Experts now believe that the <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india" source="keywords">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (RBI) which has been focussed on bringing inflation to 4%, will maintain the status quo in the upcoming credit policy. “We expect inflation to average 4.8% in FY25. Given that the RBI Governor has been highlighting the aim of getting inflation to 4% on a durable basis, the policy rates are likely to be kept on hold in the upcoming policy meeting, with no change in stance,” said <keyword id="20938330" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajni-sinha" source="keywords">Rajni Sinha</keyword>, chief economist, CareEdge Ratings. Regulator to continue cautious stance Despite expectations from the market, the RBI has maintained its ‘withdrawal of accommodation’ stance in the last policy meeting in February. This policy, aiming to curtail inflation further, entails a reduction of easy money supply in the system, which started during the initial COVID-19 phase. RBI governor <keyword id="19913110" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shaktikanta-das" source="keywords">Shaktikanta Das</keyword> had also earlier spoken about the risk of food inflation spilling into broader inflation. “We retain our view that RBI will remain cautious on volatile food inflation trajectory and hence prefer to remain in pause mode on rates till August policy. However, with RBI already having continuously fine-tuning liquidity and easing overnight rates closer to the repo rate, we see room for a shift in stance in the June policy,” said <keyword id="20169699" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="upasna-bhardwaj" source="keywords">Upasna Bhardwaj</keyword>, chief economist at <keyword id="19938495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kotak-mahindra-bank" source="keywords">Kotak Mahindra Bank</keyword>. Agrees Akhil Mittal, Senior Fund Manager-Fixed Income, <keyword id="20929846" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata-asset-management" source="keywords">Tata Asset Management</keyword>, “We anticipate the regulator to maintain a cautious stance. We think RBI would rather continue with stability priority and continue maintaining the 4% inflation target as sacrosanct, and hence we do not see a premature easing from RBI.” Vegetable inflation zooms, pulses in a tough zone Vegetable inflation came in high at 30.3% in February, and experts believe that pricey onions will keep food inflation elevated. Inflation in pulses, spices and eggs also saw double-digit inflation. Edible oils and fats have brought down inflation to an extent with negative growth. The food basket has nearly 50% weightage in the consumer price inflation (CPI) data. “Inflation is purely a food inflation-driven phenomenon which will continue to pressurise inflation in the coming months. Besides, horticulture output this year is expected to be lower than last year. Cereals, eggs, sugar, spices and pulses are the other pain points here,” comments <keyword id="20102121" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="madan-sabnavis" source="keywords">Madan Sabnavis</keyword>, chief economist at Bank of Baroda. The outlook for food prices is also bleak with lower reservoir levels and their impact on agricultural output. “The ongoing high inflation in specific food categories, including cereals, pulses, spices, and vegetables pose a risk of potentially broadening price pressures and de-anchoring inflationary expectations. Reservoir levels, particularly in eastern and southern India, persist at lower levels. Consequently, the forthcoming monsoon in FY25 holds significant importance for the trajectory of food inflation,” said Sinha. Core inflation has however remained soft, staying below the 4% threshold for three consecutive months. Rural inflation came in higher at 5.3%, while urban inflation is at 4.8% — mostly due to higher weightage of food products in the former index. Twelve of India’s 22 states saw inflation of above 5.1%. Odisha had the highest at 7.6%, while Delhi saw the lowest at 5.3%.

RBI likely to maintain status quo after food inflation keeps Feb print high, say experts

<ul><li>Unified regulatory framework on connected lending aims to strengthen pricing and management of credit by regulated entities.</li><li>Experts believe that this move is related to bank lending to NBFCs.</li><li><keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rbi" source="Orion">RBI</keyword> will also come up with a regulatory framework for web-aggregation of loan products. </li></ul> The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Friday that it will come up with a unified regulatory framework on connected lending for the entities it regulates. This move is to strengthen the pricing and management of credit by regulated entities. “The extant guidelines on connected lending are limited in scope,” said Shaktikanta Das, governor of RBI said in his speech where he announced that the Monetary Policy Committee <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-expects-indias-gdp-to-grow-at-7-in-fy24-keeps-repo-rate-unchanged/articleshow/105828012.cms">has decided to keep repo rates unchanged</a>. RBI’s deputy governor Rajeshwar Rao clarified at the press conference that the regulations do not refer to interconnectedness. “Connected lending refers to persons who are in the position to control the decision of the lender,” he said, without giving any more details. Das said that it refers to cases where the director of a bank borrows from the same bank and can have some influence. It also refers to cases of related parties as well, he clarified. “It has nothing to do with interconnectedness,” Das said. The central bank has recently increased the risk weightage on unsecured loans given out by banks and NBFCs. “It’s a pre-emptive measure to address potential risks. We don’t wait for the house to catch fire and then act,” said Das. Neutrality and transparency to web-aggregators of loans The RBI also said it will lay down a regulatory framework for web-aggregation of loan products. Das said that he has noticed that such loan products are harming consumer interest and the framework is expected to result in enhanced customer centricity and transparency in digital lending. This move is a follow-up to the recommendations they received from the working group on digital lending norms, says Rabi Shankar, deputy governor of RBI. The Reserve Bank had introduced a regulatory framework for digital lending in August/September 2022. The digital lending ecosystem also comprises of services that aggregate loan offers from lenders (called web-aggregation of loan products) for guidance of customers. “Lenders on web platforms get their information from various sources and give weightage to customers. Sometimes they might miss something,” added Shankar. Das said that the move will bring neutrality, transparency and avoid mis-selling and also not influence the decision of the borrower. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/markets/news/nifty-scales-21000-as-stocks-rally-and-rbi-mpc-hikes-growth-forecast/articleshow/105829753.cms">Nifty scales Mount 21,000 as RBI hikes growth forecast</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-expects-indias-gdp-to-grow-at-7-in-fy24-keeps-repo-rate-unchanged/articleshow/105828012.cms">RBI expects India’s GDP to grow at 7% in FY24; keeps repo rate unchanged</a>

RBI to come up with unified regulatory framework on connected lending

<ul><li>Bank lending to NBFCs was growing at 24-25% y-o-y, whereas the rest of the system was growing at 12-14%. </li><li>Interconnectedness is building in the system and <keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="rbi" source="Orion">RBI</keyword> moves intend to address that. </li><li>RBI governor said that its preemptive measures are intended to proactively take action before the bubble bursts.</li></ul>India’s central bank intends to cut down consumption led-loans given out by banks and shadow banks. Reserve Bank of India’s deputy governor <keyword id="10055827" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="swaminathan-janakiraman" source="Orion">Swaminathan Janakiraman</keyword> said that its intention behind increased risk weightage on unsecured loans is to cut down growth of loans which do not have a clearly defined end use. Some segments’ growth within NBFCs are outliers, and the measures taken are to address that. <keyword id="162353" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="swaminathan" source="Orion">Swaminathan</keyword> insists that per se, small ticket loans are no risk to the system. “The loans in the under ₹50,000 segments is less than half a percent of total outstanding. They may be dealing with a lot of people, it’s a segment that cannot pose a great risk to the system,” he said while speaking at the post-monetary policy press conference on Friday. Last month, RBI asked banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs) to provide more for unsecured loans, under which personal loans are covered. This measure also addresses interconnectedness building in the system where banks are lending to NBFCs. Bank lending to NBFCs was growing at 24-25% y-o-y, whereas the rest of the system was growing at 12-14%. “Bank lending to NBFCs had to be re-caliberated. The idea is not to deny liquidity or ration the lending,” said Swaminathan. He also added that the business models of some of these institutions will be re-caliberated along with their growth numbers. “Risk measure protection and underwriting practices are getting better. It’s too early to comment on the effect it has had. Governance and effectiveness of assurance functions is top of our priority. You will hear more from us on that,” said the deputy governor. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="To take action before bubble bursts" comment="subhead" text="To take action before bubble bursts">To take action before bubble bursts</cmsannotation> The RBI governor <keyword id="6359111" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shaktikanta-das" source="Orion">Shaktikanta Das</keyword> also insisted that this move is a preemptive measure to address potential risks. “We don’t wait for the house to catch fire and then act. Our effort is to proactively take action before the bubble bursts,” Das said in his speech. Apart from keeping policy rates unchanged, the RBI’s rate-setting panel also remained focussed on withdrawal of accommodation. It has also kept its projections on inflation for FY24 unchanged at 5.4%, and also warned that the November print of inflation might come in higher. Inflation management cannot be on auto-pilot even as the future is expected to be clouded by uncertain food prices. But Das also said that summer of 2022 is behind us. The RBI also increased its GDP growth projection for FY24 to 7% from 6.5% earlier. “There is growing international confidence in the Indian economy, as we speak to other central bank governors and some large investors. There is confidence from the point of view of investment, quality of Indian products and its service exports,” Das said at the conference. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-expects-indias-gdp-to-grow-at-7-in-fy24-keeps-repo-rate-unchanged/articleshow/105828012.cms">RBI expects India’s GDP to grow at 7% in FY24; keeps repo rate unchanged</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-hikes-upi-transaction-limit-for-education-and-healthcare/articleshow/105832824.cms">UPI transaction limit for education and healthcare hiked to ₹5 lakh per day</a>

We’d like to curtail consumption-led loans with no clear end use: RBI Dy Governor

<ul><li>The effects of the RBI crackdown on easy <keyword id="35520" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="personal-loans" source="Orion">personal loans</keyword> is yet to be seen. </li><li>Despite a more than 25% decrease in acceptance rates, credit card balances have consistently increased. </li><li><keyword id="185013" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold-loans" source="Orion">Gold loans</keyword> stand out within the <keyword id="817163" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-lending" source="Orion">retail lending</keyword> segment by providing the most favourable acceptance rates. </li></ul>Personal loans are on the rise. The month of December has seen the category in lending-verse amass outstanding balances of approximately ₹11 lakh crore, as per the Consumer Finance Overview by InCred Finance. Within the segment, the most rapid growth has been seen in small ticket personal loans (STPL), defined as loans under ₹25,000, witnessing a fourfold increase in volume over the past two years. Meanwhile, conventional personal loans, characterised by larger amounts and stricter underwriting criteria, have doubled in volume over the same period. It is to be noteworthy that in November, earlier this year, RBI increased the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-tightens-norms-on-personal-loans-for-banks-nbfcs/articleshow/105269235.cms">risk weightage</a> for unsecured personal loans, and the effect is expected to be seen gradually. Retail lending trumps corporate lending Interestingly, retail lending, directed at individuals rather than businesses, now holds the foremost position and exhibits the most rapid growth within the credit landscape. Retail lending stands at approximately ₹89 lakh crores (around $1.1 trillion), constituting 46% of the overall credit in the economy. The report says that comparatively, corporate lending amounts to ₹74 lakh crores (about $0.9 trillion), securing the second largest segment. Retail balances are growing at a rate of 22% annually from a substantial base, outpacing the 17% growth of overall credit balances and the 14% growth of corporate balances. <keyword id="6387037" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="credit-cards" source="Orion">Credit cards</keyword> remain fastest growing retail lending category, despite decreased acceptance rates The fastest growing sector in retail lending remains credit cards. Despite a more than 25% decrease in acceptance rates and an industry-wide tightening of credit policies for new-to-credit customers, credit card balances have consistently increased. This appears to be a preemptive risk management step by lenders, as overall credit performance in the industry remains stable or even shows signs of improvement. A report by Worldline, a payment and transaction services company, highlighted a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/indias-debit-card-transactions-fall-but-credit-card-spends-rise-further/articleshow/103960976.cms">surge in credit card transactions</a> in H1 2023, reaching 1.550 billion, signifying a significant increase of 19.6% compared to H1 2022. Loans for personal consumption drive retail lending The outstanding balances for consumer finance have crossed ₹22 lakh crores (approx. USD 270 billion). Despite this high base, balances continue to grow at over 25% per annum across most product categories. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Annual outstanding balance growth rate (%) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Gold loans </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">25 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Car loans </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">26 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Personal loans </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">29 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Two-wheeler loans </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">31 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Consumer loans </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">33 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Credit cards </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">34 </td></tr></tbody></table> Source: InCred <keyword id="1897540" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="consumer-durable-loans" source="Orion">Consumer durable loans</keyword> see rapid growth Consumer durable loans, akin to STPL loans in terms of loan amounts, are experiencing rapid growth. However, the distinction lies in their controlled use case, where disbursements are directly made to the merchant. The risk performance of these loans earmarked for consumer durables has shown stability. Gold loans continue to shine Gold loans also stand out within the retail lending segment by providing the most favourable acceptance rates, which is natural since it is a secured loan. Banks have observed a rapid increase in their unsecured loan portfolios, raising concerns by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Responding to the RBI's worries about the growth of unsecured loans, specific banks are swiftly shifting their attention toward encouraging secured lending. Among these, gold loans have emerged as an attractive financial product within the retail sector. This shift aims to mitigate risk by promoting lending backed by collateral rather than unsecured lending, aligning with the RBI's cautionary stance.

Retail trumps corporate lending as small-ticket loans see fourfold jump in past two years

<ul><li><keyword id="6359111" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="shaktikanta-das" source="Orion">Shaktikanta Das</keyword> said that the recent measures to tighten <keyword id="19528809" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="personal-loan-norms" source="Orion">personal loan norms</keyword> are pre-emptive, calibrated and targeted.</li><li>The governor is of the view that banks and NBFCs are increasingly relying on high-cost short term bulk deposits, while the tenure of the loans is getting elongated.</li><li>Lenders must not rely solely on pre-set algorithms while lending through analytics, the regulator said. </li></ul>The governor of <keyword id="6354335" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india" source="Orion">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (RBI) Shatikanta Das said on Wednesday that the recent measures taken to tighten personal loan norms were pre-emptive, calibrated and targeted. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Das also suggested banks, shadow banks and other financial entities stress test their books. “In fact, there is a strong case for companies in the real sector also to stress test their businesses and balance sheets,” said Das. Last week, RBI increased the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-tightens-norms-on-personal-loans-for-banks-nbfcs/articleshow/105269235.cms">risk weightage for unsecured loans </a>given out by banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs). But education, auto, housing and MSME loans were left out of the new norms. Real estate companies have been on an expansion spree, after the sector was re-energized since the pandemic. ‘Avoid all forms of exuberance’ The governor who was speaking at the FIBAC conference also had a few suggestions for banks and NBFCs who are enjoying the phase of high credit growth. Credit expansion and its pricing should be in sync with risks, and all forms of exuberance must be avoided, he advised. He also said that banks and shadow banks must strengthen their asset liability management and give greater attention to their liabilities side. “In certain cases, we have observed increased reliance on high cost short term bulk deposits while the tenure of the loans, both in retail and corporate loans, is getting elongated,” Das said. Das also pointed out that certain NBFCs-MFIs appear to be enjoying relatively higher net interest margins. “It is indeed for micro finance lenders to ensure that the flexibility provided to them in setting interest rates is used judiciously. They are expected to ensure that interest rates are transparent and not usurious,” he said. Banks too were warned of their exposure to NBFCs, who regularly borrow from banks. “Though the banks are well capitalised, they must constantly evaluate their exposure to NBFCs and the exposure of individual NBFCs to multiple banks. The NBFCs on their part should focus on broad basing their funding sources and reducing overdependence on bank funding,” he added. ‘Re-test your analytics, algorithms’ Lending institutions have been adopting digitalization at a rapid pace. They have not only eased access, increased reach of banking services but also helped institutions bring down operational costs. Here too, Das sounded a word of caution, especially with regards to model-based lending through analytics. They must not rely solely on pre-set algorithms as assumptions based on which the models operate, he observed and suggested they’re calibrated from time to time with fresh information. “It is necessary to be watchful of any undue risk build up in the system due to information gaps in these models, which may cause dilution of underwriting standards,” Das said. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/the-dark-truth-behind-rbis-crackdown-on-easy-personal-loans/articleshow/105287366.cms">The dark truth behind RBI’s crackdown on easy personal loans</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-tightens-norms-on-personal-loans-for-banks-nbfcs/articleshow/105269235.cms">RBI tightens norms on personal loans for banks, NBFCs</a>

RBI governor asks realty companies to stress test their books

<ul><li><keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rbi" source="Orion">RBI</keyword>’s MPC keeps <keyword id="43352" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="repo-rate" source="Orion">repo rate</keyword> unchanged for the fifth time in a row.</li><li>Most economists had unanimously expected a ‘pause’ for the fifth consecutive time.</li><li>A few economists also expected the MPC to change its stance to ‘neutral’ from withdrawal of accommodation. </li></ul>The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s Monetary Policy Committee unanimously decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.5% for the fifth consecutive time on Friday. The central bank also revised its GDP growth projections for FY24 to 7% instead of 6.5% it had projected earlier. This is after the second quarter’s GDP however threw in a surprise by coming in at 7.6%, much higher than RBI’s forecasts of 6.5%. RBI’s real GDP growth forecast table <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" 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;">Period of time </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;">RBI earlier forecast </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;">Revised estimates </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;">Actual GDP growth </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;">FY24 </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;">6.6% </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% </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;">NA </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;">Q1 FY24 </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;">8% </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;">NA </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;">7.8% </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;">Q2 FY24 </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;">6.5% </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;">NA </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;">7.6% </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;">Q3 FY24 </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;">6% </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;">6.5% </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;">NA </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;">Q4 FY24 </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;">5.7% </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;">6% </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;">NA </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>‘We don’t wait for the house to catch fire’ The MPC also decided to remain focussed on ‘withdrawal of accommodation’. This is to ensure inflation progresses along the target of 4%, said <keyword id="6359111" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shaktikanta-das" source="Orion">Shaktikanta Das</keyword>, governor of RBI. It has also kept FY24’s CPI inflation projections unchanged at 5.4%. Addressing the central bank’s decision to increase risk weightage on unsecured loans, the governor said it’s a pre-emptive measure to address potential risks. “We don’t wait for the house to catch fire and then act,” Das said in his speech. The central bank has to be mindful of the risk of being carried away by a few months of good data. “We have to be watchful of new shocks that can hit the economy from anywhere anytime” he said. Das also said that as the new year begins, the long awaited normalcy eludes the global economy. “In such volatile times, emerging markets have remained resilient to volatility," he said. Experts expected the ‘pause’ Food inflation, which accounts for nearly half of the overall consumer price basket, rose 6.61% in October as compared with 6.56% in September. Consumer Price Index (CPI) is also expected to come around 5.4-5.5% by March 2023, though November and December inflation could overshoot 6%. Says Mandar Pitale, head- treasury, SBM Bank India, “Overall data prints released after October MPC are supportive for MPC to continue with its current “withdrawal of accommodation” stance. The MPC is also likely to maintain the status quo on rates in the forthcoming policy announcement.” A few also expected RBI’ MPC to change its stance to ‘neutral’ from withdrawal of accommodation. However, this may not happen just yet as the governor has been insisting on bringing inflation within its target of 4%. A note by Yes Bank says that the 4% inflation target continues to elude, the only option for the RBI is to hold policy rates and keep the stance of ‘withdrawal of accommodation’ unchanged. “Given its (RBI) worry on the personal credit space, the RBI is also unlikely to change its thoughts on tight liquidity conditions. While liquidity conditions are difficult to predict given volatility in flows, we think there ought to be more clarity on OMOs and the plans around the same,” said Yes Bank. Sheersham Gupta, director and senior technical analyst at Rupeezy said that the spread of lending rates and repo rate have also been narrowing down in the past couple of months, indicating a more direct transmission of monetary policy.

RBI expects India’s GDP to grow at 7% in FY24; keeps repo rate unchanged

<ul><li>Employees over 50 or GenXers feel less stress and can concentrate on work better than those under 40, says a recent study.</li><li>They are also much more likely to stretch themselves, work harder and handle crises better.</li><li>But sadly they face an age-bias when it comes to hiring and promotions, say HR experts. </li></ul>They’re neither millennials nor Boomers. In fact, the generation that’s now over 50 is so ignored that their name is barely heard. They’re called GenXers, born between 1965-1980 right before millennials started populating the earth. The generation that started work right at the start of the millennium did not have the kickstart that millennials did, but also gained extensively from the high-capex environment between 2004-2010. Most of them have seen better salary bumps than GenZers or millennials. Strained but not distressed Unlike their younger peers, GenXers feel less stress and can concentrate on work better than those under 40, as per 2023 Asia Mental Health Index by Aon and TELUS Health. “Employees under 40 years of age are nearly 50% more likely than employees older than 50 to feel mentally and/or physically exhausted at the end of their workday,” the report said indicating that the younger workers are tired as compared to the others. As per the AON report, the mental health of those over 50 can be described as ‘strained’ while that of those under 40 in Asia can be described as ‘distressed’. It also establishes a direct correlation between mental health and productivity. GenZs, on the other hand, feel the most stress. “The study shows that employees under 40 are particularly feeling the strain of poor mental health, whilst those between 20 to 29 years old are significantly worse off, with a Mental Health Index score of 57.8, representing the most strain and the highest mental health risk of any age group by a significant margin,” the AON report. <keyword id="28484" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="genx" source="Orion">GenX</keyword> versus GenZ GenXers also have a work ethic that’s polar opposite to GenZs, and not merely because of the generational-effect. “Those who are now in their 50s started work in the late 1990s, the liberalization period. Their work ethos are different in the sense they can stretch a little bit more, work late hours and have more capacity to do work,” Varda Pendse, strategic HR consultant and coach told Business Insider. Neeraj Balani, MD of International SOS, a risk management company too agrees that there are noticeable differences in work ethic between GenXers, millennials, and GenZs. “A GenX employee may prioritize flexible work hours to spend time with their family and may not feel the need for constant feedback from their superiors whereas a GenZ employee might prefer working remotely and can comfortably use multiple apps and platforms for project management and communication and may prefer concise, direct feedback through text or email,” adds Balani. The crisis managers When technology is critical to a process, GenZ who are digital natives are more comfortable and bring a tad more digital savviness into the team. “Generation X brings adaptability and a focus on work-life balance. Generation Z, as digital natives, excels in leveraging technology for efficiency and is passionate about diversity and inclusivity, shaping a more digitally savvy and equitable workplace,” says Balani. So their preference is higher in tech, services, consulting and hospitality. But when it comes to banking and other financial sectors, those over 50s are given equal weightage when it comes to hiring. GenXers are much calmer during a crisis. Pendse believes that they are much more likely to pursue and persevere more while the younger generation also tends to burnout faster and struggle more. “If you see, GenXers also bring in a certain amount of passive aggressiveness into their working style which younger people do not,” she adds enumerating the differences between the two generations of workers. GenXers are also in a state and stage in life that allows them to have a calmer outlook on everything including work. One of them being better financial stability. “Employees without emergency savings are 60% more likely to have difficulty concentrating at work vs employees with emergency savings,” the AON report says. GenXers and an age-bias Yet, there is a visible age-bias when it comes to those over 50, especially when it comes to fresh hiring by companies. “There is diffidence in hiring an older person. A younger employee is also much more likely to be promoted than an older person,” Pendse says. However, experts believe that might be the wrong approach. “I believe recognizing and valuing older employees is not only a matter of fairness but also a strategic move for organizations. Their experience and institutional knowledge can be instrumental in problem-solving, mentoring younger employees, and contributing to the overall success of the company,” Balani tells Business Insider India. The right mix of an ideal workplace, experts say, is a good measure of each of these opposite generations — weighed in with millennials. Millennials who have seen nondigital and a digital era have been quick adapters, and also have the advantage of mentoring GenZs while receiving mentoring support from GenXers. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/bonds-will-weigh-on-gold-this-quarter-diversify-gold-holdings-say-experts/articleshow/104496677.cms">Bonds will weigh on gold this quarter, diversify gold holdings say experts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/wipro-ceo-expects-revenues-to-rebound-in-the-next-few-quarters/articleshow/104541778.cms">Wipro CEO expects revenues to rebound in the next few quarters</a>

Can you guess which generation works the hardest? It is the GenXers who stretch themselves at work not millennials

<ul><li>RBI tightens capital norms for lenders disbursing unsecured loans like <keyword id="35520" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="personal-loans" source="Orion">personal loans</keyword>, credit card receivables.</li><li>Experts say that the central bank aims to stem unsecured loan growth which has been growing at 26% for the last five years.</li><li>The move might also have a spillover effect on fintechs who aggressively push <keyword id="9522245" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bnpl" source="Orion">BNPL</keyword> schemes.</li></ul>The Reserve Bank of India tightened capital norms for lenders disbursing unsecured loans to unsuspecting borrowers on Thursday evening and there is a rationale behind this move. Given the slowdown in corporate loans, banks have been chasing retail customers for loans. Such has been the rush to offer loans that top-ups are being offered even on auto loans which is just a camouflaged unsecured credit. For example, Suresh Chandra (name changed) had a ₹15 lakh car loan that had to be paid off in 12 months. Before he could repay his existing auto loan, he was being inundated by banks and NBFCs luring him into taking more loans. A large private bank offered him a top-up loan that’s akin to the value of his car, and another wanted to offer a loan that was 150% of the part of the loan that had already been paid off. “Sometimes I get tempted to take up on these offers. Also because technically auto loan interest is lower and they’re offering the top-ups at the same rate. If I need money, I will surely take this up instead of a new personal loan,” Chandra told Business Insider India. Giving a top-up loan is a good way for banks and NBFCs to push across new loans to borrowers. A top-up loan is an additional credit that’s given over and above an existing loan and when opting for a balance transfer. It doesn’t come with end-use restrictions and requires minimum documentation. Now, India’s central bank has cracked down on lenders to stall this aggressive loan push to consumers on Thursday by tightening capital norms. Not only has it classified top-up loans as unsecured loans, it also increased risk weight on unsecured loans like personal loans, credit card receivables, consumer credit and more such. It will make it tougher for them to give out loans as easily and freely to consumers. RBI puts up a ‘STOP’ sign Banks and NBFCs have been giving out too many unsecured loans. Unsecured retail loans have been growing at a 26% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) between FY18 to FY23, as per Nomura. In FY18, unsecured retail loans were 7.8% of bank credit and now they’re as high as 10.6%. All this has happened by chasing after consumers for loans. “We view this as a clear signal from the regulator that it wants to bring down the strong growth in these segments, which is being brought into effect by bringing about an increase in the effective cost of capital for lending to these segments,” says a report by Nomura. Experts say that RBI’s move will control the increasing delinquencies and high risks associated with lending in the unsecured loan segment. Due to increased risk weightage, lenders should have to cover for more credit risk in the unsecured loan segment and it will make lending more expensive. The loans will also turn more expensive for borrowers. “RBI has been cognizant of the high increase in unsecured lending and initial delinquency trends seen in the unsecured loan segment. While this might look like a small piece in the overall picture, the RBI is cautious enough to take an early step in controlling the same,” says Ameet Venkeshwar, chief business officer at LoanTap. The credit standards will also get tighter, experts hope. Most top banks offer personal loans at interest rates ranging between 10-26% depending on creditworthiness. These loans can go as high as ₹20 lakh and the minimum income limit has to be ₹30,000 to become eligible for such loans. Personal loan interest rates and processing fees <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;">Lender </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;">Interest Rate p.a. </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;">Processing Fee </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;">Loan tenure </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;">HDFC BANK </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;">10.5-21% </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;">Up to 2.5% </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;">12-60 months </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;">ICICI BANK </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;">10.5-16% </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;">Up to 2.5% + GST </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;">Up to 60 months </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;">HOME CREDIT CASH LOAN </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;">24-34% </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;">2.5-5% </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;">Up to 48 months </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;">ADITYA BIRLA CAPITAL </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;">14-26% </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;">Up to 2% </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;">12-72 months </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;">AXIS BANK </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;">10.49-22% </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;">Up to 2% </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;">Up to 60 months </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;">SBI </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;">11.05-14.05% </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;">Up to 1.5% </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;">Up to 72 months </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source: Bank websites and Bankbazaar Thou shall not tempt The free flow of personal loans has been pushing credit culture in the country. Preeti Mishra, a professional from Mumbai has a similar story. “I swiped as much as ₹50,000 on my debit card to pay my child’s school fees. Immediately, I got a call from my bank offering to convert that payment into a loan which can be paid off in installments. Why would I want to take a loan which I can afford to pay?” she says. Like Chandra, she also says that it’s fairly tempting. “Even if I was in a tad bit of a money crunch, I would have taken up the loan. And, in the long run, it would have made it tougher for me,” she worries that one bad day she might actually fall into a trap. Sumanto Roy is one such who has fallen into it, and now swimming at the deep end. The 27-year-old earns ₹60,000 per month. He already has a car loan that takes away ₹10,000 per month, another ₹8,000 as EMI for his phone and another ₹12,000 goes off his bank account every month as his laptop EMI. If Roy wasn’t living with his parents, he would have found it very tough to get by with this loan burden. “It’s difficult to pay off my credit card bill every month. I roll it over by making the minimum payment. Now, I am saving and trying to pay off my dues as fast as possible,” he tells Business Insider India adding that the loan burden is distressing him personally. Will BNPL hold on? However, banks and NBFCs are one side of the aggressive loan push story. There is a rising number of Buy Now Pay Later startups, companies that integrate EMIs while checking out of e-commerce websites, and VC-funded startups that loan for people who borrow to go on a holiday or a date. Experts believe that RBI’s move might change the dynamics of some of these fintechs to some extent. Jefferies expects PayTm’s consumer loan disbursal growth to normalize from around 90% in FY24 to 40% in FY25 and 35% in FY26. “For Paytm's lending partners, higher funding costs and increased capital requirements will affect product profitability in BNPL/PL. They may respond by tightening credit standards and/or moderating growth from elevated levels right now,” Jefferies says. Giving loans is a good business in today’s world where GenZs, especially are focussed more on ‘experiences’, want to live the good life. On the other hand, the new-age apps advertise in a buzzing manner day in and day out with taglines like — ‘Download, pay your credit card bills and earn rewards’. The lure of loan was always there. At the end of the day, lenders are different when you take the loan, and when it’s the time to pay up. Sooner or later, they would want their pound of flesh right at the heart. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/wine-vs-tea-indias-consumption-trends-show-a-sharp-divergence/articleshow/104810168.cms">Wine vs Tea: India’s consumption trends show a sharp divergence</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/bitten-by-inflation-indians-buying-fewer-clothes-this-season/articleshow/105179140.cms">Bitten by inflation, Indians buying fewer clothes this season</a>

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