Business

New Delhi: Banks’ loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) has reached an all-time high. This indicates that the demand for loans is growing much faster than deposits, leading to concerns that interest rates on loans might rise in the future or that customers might not benefit from any rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In the December quarter, the LDR for Indian banks reached a record 81%, meaning banks are lending out 81% of the funds they are receiving as deposits. This shows that loan demand is outpacing deposit growth, putting pressure on banks to raise funds more expensively. This development could have a direct impact on customers. Higher costs for banks to raise funds might lead to higher loan rates, or if RBI cuts interest rates, those benefits may not reach customers. As a re...

New Delhi: After endorsing snacks, Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan will now promote packaged water. Mukesh Ambani’s company, Reliance Consumer Products Limited (RCPL), has signed a deal with Bachchan to make him the brand ambassador for its bottled water brand, ‘Campa Sure’. According to Economic Times, the deal is for one year. Reliance expects that Bachchan’s immense popularity will help them make ‘Campa Sure’ available to consumers at a more affordable price. The company has adopted a pricing strategy similar to what it used for its cola drinks. The price of ‘Campa Sure’ is set 20-30% lower than competitors like Bisleri, Coca-Cola’s Kinley, and PepsiCo’s Aquafina. Third Major Endorsement DealThis marks the third major endorsement deal for Reliance’s FMCG division (Fast-Moving Co...

New Delhi: The shares of Tata Group’s retail company, Trent, saw a significant decline today, plummeting by over 8% as soon as the market opened. Despite the company's revenue increasing by 17% in the December quarter, it fell short of market expectations, leading to a sell-off. As a result, renowned investor Radhakishan Damani faced a substantial loss. Trent’s stock dropped by 8.3% to ₹4,060.65 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) during early trading. The company’s standalone revenue for the December quarter stood at ₹5,220 crore, which marks a 17% year-on-year growth. However, it did not meet market expectations, which led to selling pressure on the stock. As a result, the company’s market capitalization dropped by ₹13,000 crore. According to a report by Business Today, prominent in...

New Delhi: The prices of gold and silver surged again on Tuesday, with silver crossing the ₹2.5 lakh per kilogram mark. On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), silver for March delivery rose by more than 1.5% during early trading. By 10 AM, it was trading at ₹2,50,238 per kilogram, a jump of over ₹4,000. From Monday to Tuesday morning, silver prices surged by more than ₹17,000. Similarly, gold also saw an increase on Tuesday morning. The price of gold for February delivery on MCX rose by ₹420 to ₹1,38,540 per 10 grams by 10 AM. On Monday, the price had increased by over ₹2,000. On Monday, silver prices on MCX had surged by ₹13,584 per kilogram, reaching a high of ₹2,49,900 during the day. On Friday, silver had closed at ₹2,35,873. Why Did Silver Prices Rise? The increase in silver ...

New Delhi: Mukesh Ambani’s company, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), has issued a statement rejecting reports claiming that Russian oil tankers are en route to its Jamnagar refinery. The company has refuted these reports, calling them completely false and stating that they are tarnishing its reputation. According to Reliance, no Russian oil deliveries have been made to its refinery in the last three weeks, and it does not expect any Russian crude oil deliveries in January. In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Reliance Industries clarified that a Bloomberg report, which claimed three Russian oil-laden ships were heading towards Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery, was untrue. The company expressed disappointment that the report was published despite their denial. Rel...

New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced stricter regulations for banks regarding loan disbursements. Under the new rules, banks will no longer be able to offer loans to their promoters, major shareholders, or their relatives, as well as to companies that are controlled or significantly influenced by them. These new regulations will come into effect from April 1, 2026. The primary aim of these changes is to improve governance, transparency, and oversight in banks. While the RBI clarified that shareholding alone will not fall under these new rules, investments made by banks in the debt instruments of these individuals or companies will be covered by the new guidelines. What’s New?From now on, banks must implement board-approved policies outlining how they will handle ...

New Delhi: The number of investors in the National Pension System (NPS) continues to rise. Meanwhile, the pension regulator, PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority), has introduced a new rule for online NPS registrations. As per this rule, submitting the online registration form will now require both OTP (One-Time Password) and a digital signature. More Secure NPS Registration ProcessThe NPS account registration process is becoming even more secure. As per a recent circular by PFRDA, investors must now verify their identity using an OTP sent to their mobile phone or a digital signature (e-Sign) when submitting their online registration form. This update modifies a circular issued on June 15, 2020, which had previously provided OTP or e-Sign as optional verification met...

New Delhi: The health insurance sector is witnessing significant changes. According to the annual report of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), the speed at which claims are being settled has increased, and the number of rejected claims has reduced. However, the average payout per claim has slightly decreased. What Do the Numbers Say?In FY 2024-25, health insurance companies settled a record number of claims. Around 87% of the total claims (3.26 crore claims) made during the year were processed, up from 83% the previous year (2023-24). The rejection rate has also dropped from 11% to 8%, and pending claims have reduced from 6% to about 5% by the end of March. Decline in Average PayoutIn terms of money, the total claims paid out by companies amounted to...

New Delhi: In a significant development for private sector employees, the Supreme Court has directed the central government to take a decision on revising the wage limit for the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) scheme within four months. The wage limit has not been revised in the past 11 years, resulting in many employees being excluded from the social security and provident fund benefits. A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and A.S. Chandurkar gave this directive on Monday, responding to a petition filed by social activist Naveen Prakash Nautiyal. According to the petition, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), which operates social security schemes for workers, does not include employees with a monthly salary above ₹15,000 in the EPF scheme. The petitioner's lawyers, Pr...

Rajendra Kumar Sahu, a progressive farmer from Basna Tehsil in the Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh, has turned the issue of crop residue burning into a lucrative opportunity. Despite holding triple MA degrees, Rajendra has been earning a daily profit of up to ₹10,000 by cultivating Paddy Straw Mushrooms beneath his mango trees. His unique, low-cost method is not only saving the environment but also opening up new doors of entrepreneurship for thousands of other farmers. The Problem and Opportunity:In many parts of India, the practice of burning crop stubble after rice harvest causes severe environmental pollution and depletes the soil's nutrients. However, Rajendra Kumar Sahu has turned this challenge into a business opportunity. Instead of burning the paddy straw, he has been culti...