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News AnalysisNews Flash

Sabarimala Crisis: Bad time for small business

Sabarimala is situated in the Pariyar Tiger Reserve region on the well-known western ghat mountain. On average, 20 million people visit the hill-top temple every year with the larger influx between Mid November and mid-January. During this season alone the temple earns around Rs 225 crore, as per the last year’s estimate. Defying the hostile topography, treading several miles through the dense forest, climbing steep hills, and braving wild animals the pilgrims reach there to have a glimpse of their might lord Swami Ayyappa. That has built for the tiny State flourishing religious tourism. An increasingly large number of pilgrims now flow in from across the border. Though the exact economic benefit of this tourism cannot be quantified, it must be said that the pilgrimage renders a huge...

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Real-Estate

Real Estate Investment: Forecast – Cloudy with Hints of Sunshine

The policies are bringing in higher levels of transparency and accountability, financial discipline, focus and efficiency into the real industry which could only be dreamed of in the past. The industry, which was notorious for unfair deals and little trust among people, has no option now but to be honest. Investors, who are finding the market safer, are largely looking at commercial segment since the residential segment is passing through a dull phase The real estate industry is changing its profile; or say, it is passing through a phase of refinement. On the bedrock of some of the major changes on the policy front, the real estate is set for radical growth, a healthy growth like other industries. The radical changes in the direct tax regime, bringing in place a regulatory system, a m...

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Reports

The decline of Private equity and venture capital investments in India

Ernest & Young (EY) study shows there has been a quarter-on-quarter decline in private equity and venture capital investments, but fund-raise remains strong Startups garner highest quarterly investment value and buy-outs in 2018 at $6.3 billion across 32 deals surpass the previous record set in 2015 of $3.9 billion across 29 deals Highest quarterly value of startup investment ever at $2.1 billion across 92 dealsWalmart-Flipkart $16 billion deal is the largest exit for Indian PE/VC industry3Q18 records $2.6 billion in fund-raise, highest quarterly value as of now According to EY India’s monthly Private Equity Deal Tracker, PE/VC investments weaken in third quarter of the year 2018 (3Q18) in India. At $6.7 billion, quarterly PE/VC investments declined 23% on a year-on-year ba...

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Govt And Policy

GSTN ownership change

The stake on no-profit company with Rs 10 crore equity called Goods and Services Tax Network would be held by Central and State government at the ratio of 50 per cent each. Originally, the Central government held 24.5 %, States 24.5 %, NSE Strategic Investment Co, HDFC, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank 10 each and LIC Housing Finance 11 % in the equity of GSTN. The Union Cabinet has approved increasing of government ownership in Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) and a change in the existing structure with a transitional plan. Accordingly, the government has acquired the entire 51% equity held by the Non-Government Institutions in GSTN for equally dividing among the Centre and the State Governments, and allowing the GSTN board to initiate the process for acquisition of equity held by priva...

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Insurance

General Insurance Council: General Insurers` Way to Grow

When the insurance regulator regulates the industry, GI Council creates a desirable platform for the general insurers to broad-base their business with necessary feedback and data supports. The General Insurance Council (GI Council) has a legacy of more than six decades, passing through phases of evolution that has taken place in India’s general insurance industry over the years. It traces its root in the era of Insurance Association that existed in the early 50s before the nationalization of non-life insurance companies. The Indian general insurance business was nationalized in 1972 bringing the then existing 55 insurance companies and more or less the same number of general insurance operations of other companies under the government control. The reason behind the nationalization was...

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ControversyExclusive

Nirav Modi: Diamond grade connoisseur of fraud

Diamond trade could be a good business for cheating the ignorant ones. Over-valued diamonds had a steep undervalue and the undervalued had much higher value, the Nirav Modi way had thrown a lesson for diamond buyers. But the racket master wouldn’t always be a winner. If anything has made any rich man fool ever, that is the glittering “stone” called diamond. Diamond man could finally fool not only rich men but also bank and the government. The Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) is now investigating the fraud unleashed by the fugitive diamond man Nirav Modi, who ran away early this year as if to escape all his dodging and swindling activities. It is his foolishness to take the world lightly – or India more lightly. Uncle Mehul Choksi also ran away, believing that he would escape the ...

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Achiever

Nirmala Sitharaman

The woman is leading one of the biggest forces of the world and entrusted with responsibilities of defending a country of second largest population living in the most war-vulnerable land. Until her name was announced as defence minister no one could guess even remotely that she would become India’s defence minister, one of the toughest jobs. Now she completed one-year as a good performer. She has in her another tougher job in her hand for the party – to find somehow a base in her home State. Woman empowerment makes women show their capabilities and their readiness to fight even battles with enemies. Today the world’s seventh largest country’s defense is vested on a woman, the boss of male dominated armed forces chiefs. Nirmala Sitharaman became the first full time woman defense ...

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Defence

Prahar The contemporary weapon system

"Prahar will further strengthenour defence capabilities,” said Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully flight tested the indigenously developed surface-to-surface tactical missile Prahar, from the Launch Complex-III, ITR, Balasore. Range stations and electro optical systems tracked the missile throughout its flight. Praharis a contemporary weapon system capable of carrying multiple types of warheads and neutralizing a wide variety of targets.  “Indigenously developed Prahar will further strengthen our defence capabilities,” said Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Defence Minister. Procurement of equipment worth Rs 9,100 crore BDL to benefit DAC approved procurement of two regiments of Akash Missile Systems under bu...

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Cover FeatureInsurance

General Insurance Corporation of India

There is a huge leg space for GIC of India to expand its business and earn substantially in the years ahead. As a reinsurance market leader in India, which is the tenth largest life and fourth fifteenth largest non-life market, GIC, through its global strategy of focusing on better premium fetching business, can show wonderful results and make its shareholders cheer for their long term holding. Other than the home market, its focuses on the fast-growing Afro-Asian including Russia and CIS and Latin America ensure better quality business, thanks to its carefully chosen target. It has already shown remarkable achievement in cutting the combined ratio when the world average has been on arise in the last three years. Seven months after listing of India’s largest reinsurer’s stocks on the B...

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Insurance

Reinsurance: Writing a growth story, where the secret of success lies…

Life business in Indiais three and half times more than the size of non-life business in terms ofpremium, a starring contrast to the global trend. This indicates a huge legroom for non-life to grow as the penetration is gaining momentum, to reach closerto the world average ratio of life and non-life business. Non-life business isthe biggest contributor to the reinsurance business that accounted for as highas 95 per cent of the total premium ceded. This obviously shows that thereinsurance business is in for a boom as non-life business is set to grow morerapidly in tune with the economic growth and industrialization. In the boom,GIC Re, the biggest reinsurer with proven track record of four and halfdecades, is set to be one of the major beneficiaries. GIC Re is the world’sfastest growing re...

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