Corporates shift to short-term bonds amid slow bank rate cuts in India

Corporates shift to short-term bonds amid slow bank rate cuts in India

Mumbai: Corporates are increasingly turning to the bond market, with a higher preference for short-term bonds, as banks have been slow in passing on previous rate cuts. Corporates have issued ₹61,200 crore in up to five-year bonds in May 2025, nearly three times the funds raised in May 2024 for the same tenure, prime database … Read more

Civilisation and its discontents

Civilisation and its discontents

Archaeological excavations in progress at Keeladi in Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga district. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu Civilisation and culture are deeply entwined in the identity of any society and attempts to reinterpret or regulate them often invite political consequences. Over the past fortnight, this became clear when political parties in Tamil Nadu put up … Read more

Rate cut expected, RBI’s views in focus with economy near a sizzle

Rate cut expected, RBI’s views in focus with economy near a sizzle

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India is expected to cut interest rates for the third straight monetary policy meeting this week amid easing price pressures, according to economists. They are now keenly awaiting the central bank’s commentary on inflation and growth to get an idea about how long it would continue with the easing cycle … Read more

Expect two RBI rate cuts before policy pause as growth nears potential: Dharmakirti Joshi

Expect two RBI rate cuts before policy pause as growth nears potential: Dharmakirti Joshi

“If it comes true, then we are in for another year of good agriculture, low food inflation and on top of that we also have crude prices coming down which is another luck factor, we do not control it. So, these two things are bit positive for growth and they are also positive for inflation … Read more

RBI’s strong dividend to govt boosted by USD sales, interest income: SBI report

RBI’s strong dividend to govt boosted by USD sales, interest income: SBI report

The Reserve Bank of India‘s record dividend payout of nearly Rs 2.7 trillion to the government has been made possible due to robust gross dollar sales, higher foreign exchange gains, and steady increases in interest income, according to a report by the State Bank of India (SBI). The report noted that this significant surplus transfer … Read more

Kumar Mangalam Birla’s Grasim gets cheapest rupee bond deal in 5 years

Kumar Mangalam Birla’s Grasim gets cheapest rupee bond deal in 5 years

Grasim Industries Ltd. has secured its lowest-cost local-currency bond since June 2020, a sign that interest rate cuts and recent cash infusions by the Indian central bank are benefiting companies. The flagship of billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla plans to raise as much as 10 billion rupees ($117 million) selling a bond due in five years, … Read more

Small and midcaps rebound not driven by fundamentals, but surplus cash: S Naren

Small and midcaps rebound not driven by fundamentals, but surplus cash: S Naren

“They want to come costly, but we tell them come cheap, at least you can raise money comfortably. So, if they want to raise money at reasonable valuation, there is a lot of money available in India at this point of time,” says S Naren, ED & CIO, ICICI Prudential AMC. When we spoke to … Read more

IndusInd Bank remains fundamentally strong despite top management exit: Ashvin Parekh

IndusInd Bank remains fundamentally strong despite top management exit: Ashvin Parekh

“I suppose as far as the bank is concerned, soon they will really find the leadership and they will reconstitute the leadership group as well. The bank is stable,” says Ashvin Parekh, Ashvin Parekh Advisory.What is next now? I mean, for the first time it has happened where Reserve Bank of India has asked a … Read more

Nifty Bank soars to new high on strong Q4 scores

Nifty Bank soars to new high on strong Q4 scores

Mumbai: A renewed wave of optimism lifted domestic lenders to record levels as better-than-expected March quarter results at top banks buttressed their investment case, already in focus of late on account of the preference for sectors benefiting from local prospects amid lingering uncertainty over trade tariffs. Expectations of more interest rate cuts, with the Reserve … Read more

Investors pull Rs 2 lakh crore from debt funds in March—here’s why it happened

Investors pull Rs 2 lakh crore from debt funds in March—here’s why it happened

Debt-oriented mutual funds experienced unprecedented net outflows of Rs 2,02,663 crore in March 2025, marking a significant increase from Rs 6,526 crore in February. According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), this sharp rise was primarily driven by corporates and institutional investors withdrawing funds to meet year-end tax obligations and … Read more