Tag: Reserve Bank of India

Arvind Sanger’s view on Kotak Mahindra Bank after RBI action

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Arvind Sanger, Managing Partner of Geosphere Capital Management believes that a meaningful pullback in the Kotak Mahindra Bank stock would be a buying opportunity, although it might face challenges for some time.

“It (Kotak) is not a stock that we are currently involved in, but if the stock gets punished too much, we would be interested because this is a high-quality franchise, this will be a bit of an impediment in terms of short-term growth. So short-term growth may suffer, but any meaningful pullback for a high-quality bank like this would at some point be a buying opportunity,” Sanger told CNBC-TV18.

On Wednesday, April 24, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ordered the private lender to halt new customer acquisitions through online and mobile banking channels and stop issuing new credit cards, citing concerns over compliance and risk management.

The Kotak Mahindra Bank stock crashed 10% today (April 26), its biggest single-day drop since March 23, 2020, hitting a 52-week low. It shed nearly ₹30,000 crore in market capitalisation.

Also Read | RBI bars Kotak Bank from onboarding new online customers, issuing new credit cards

Sanger prefers high-quality private banks as he believes that for a sustained economic cycle, private sector banks in the country will have to be at the forefront in terms of driving the financing needed for the growth.

However, he also advises being careful and flexible when investing, especially with the changes brought by artificial intelligence (AI).

Also Read | Kotak Mahindra Bank to see de-rating post RBI action? Here’s what analysts said

In the tech space, Sanger finds it difficult to figure out which companies will succeed.

He believes that many IT companies catering to the general public will struggle due to AI advancements in the next couple of years.

For the entire interview, watch the accompanying video

Catch all the latest updates from the stock market here

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Kotak Mahindra Bank to see de-rating post RBI action? Here’s what analysts said

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Brokerage firm Macquarie has called Reserve Bank of India’s actions of private lender Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd., “a significant setback.” The firm expects a medium-term de-rating for Kotak Mahindra Bank, similar to HDFC Bank’s de-rating that took place after the regulator’s actions on India’s largest private lender in 2020.

Macquarie highlighted in its note that a lot of savings accounts are opened through Kotak Bank’s 811 digital channel and majority of the unsecured products are also done digitally.

The ban on digital on-boarding is bound to affect growth over the medium-term, Macquarie wrote in its note.

On Wednesday evening, the Reserve Bank of India directed Kotak Mahindra Bank to stop issuing fresh credit cards and also onboard new clients through its digital channels.

Macquarie highlighted that Kotak Mahindra Bank seems reluctant in opening branches and less than 350 branches being opened in the last four years is also an issue.

The brokerage remains neutral on Kotak Mahindra Bank with a price target of ₹1,860, which almost the same as the stock’s closing price on Wednesday.

Nomura also remains neutral on Kotak Mahindra Bank with a price target of ₹2,040. Although the brokerage sees limited impact on RBI’s curbs on the lender’s business and profitability, it does see a reputational impact on the lender.

“We will watch for how this matter resolves itself, especially considering the strongly worded nature of RBI’s release,” the brokerage wrote.

Nomura highlighted that credit cards constitute nearly 4% of the bank’s overall loans and were growing at 52% year-on-year as of the December quarter. The brokerage also said that the restrictions on the issuance may impede with the bank’s medium-term objective of scaling-up unsecured retail loans to mid-teens of its loan book.

Jefferies though has cut its price target on Kotak Mahindra Bank to ₹1,970 from ₹2,050 earlier. The brokerage continues to retain its “hold” recommendation on the lender. Jefferies highlighted similar issues faced by HDFC Bank in 2020, which took around 9-15 months for resolution.

The brokerage said that in case the resolution takes more than six months, it can affect the lender’s revenue and costs.

CLSA also echoed Nomura’s views that the impact on Kotak Bank’s profit is likely to be modest unless it stays in place for long. It further highlighted that the digital platform’s contribution to total savings deposits is only 8%.

While credit cards is a fast-growing segment, it contributes only 4% to the total loan book and given that its a high Return on Assets (RoA) business, the profit contribution will be in high-sigle-digits, according to CLSA.

The brokerage retained its “outperform” rating on the stock with a price target of ₹2,100.

Citi also wants Kotak Mahindra Bank to accelerate the pace of branch expansion and said that the RBI actions will adversely impact the lender’s growth, Net Interest Margin (NIM) and fee income.

It remains “Neutral” on Kotak Mahindra Bank with a price target of ₹2,040.

Shares of Kotak Mahindra Bank have gained 5% so far in the last one month but have underperformed so far in 2024, declining 3.5%.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar gets a year’s extension till May 2025: Report

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Reserve Bank of India has reportedly extended its Deputy Governor, T Rabi Sankar’s term by a year to May 2025.

The one-year extension would be applicable from May 3, 2024, according to the order, which was accessed by Reuters.

Rabi Sankar, who was appointed to the post in May 2021, is in charge of the foreign exchange, currency, and fintech departments at the central bank.

Apart from him, Swaminathan J, M Rajeshwar Rao and Dr MD Patra are currently serving as other RBI deputy governors.

Deputy Governor Swaminathan J is said to look after consumer education and protection, supervision, financial inclusion and development, inspection, premises, and Rajbhasha departments; Rajeshwar Rao looks after affairs related to regulation, communication, enforcement, legal, and risk monitoring; and Dr Patra oversees the divisions of monetary policy, financial markets regulation, financial markets operations, deposit and credit guarantee corporation, and economic and policy research, among others.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

CRED receives in-principle nod for payment aggregator licence: Report

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Bengaluru-based fintech unicorn CRED has reportedly secured an in-principle approval for a payment aggregator licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Citing sources, TechCrunch said in its report that the $6.4 billion startup has attained the crucial nod from the RBI, signalling a green light for its expansion plans.

Payment aggregators play a pivotal role in facilitating seamless online transactions by bridging the gap between merchants and customers. With the RBI’s nod, CRED joins the league of select companies, including Reliance Payment and Pine Labs, empowered to lead this transformative space.

The significance of this approval extends beyond operational convenience. Fintech startups like CRED, without a licence, often grapple with dependency on third-party processors, potentially hindering their ability to optimise transaction processes. With the licence in hand, CRED gains autonomy to streamline payment flows, reduce costs, and directly engage with merchants, thereby fortifying its market position.

This breakthrough for CRED comes against the backdrop of regulatory scrutiny in the fintech sector. The RBI’s cautious approach towards licensing, coupled with recent interventions like the directive to Paytm Payments Bank, underscores the regulatory environment’s evolving nature.

CRED’s journey, which began six years ago with a focus on credit card bill payments, has evolved into a comprehensive suite of financial products. From loans to investment platforms like Kuvera,

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

CLSA India expects first US Fed rate cut in November

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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CLSA anticipates the first rate cut from the US Federal Reserve to happen in November.

Indranil Sengupta, Economist & Head of Research of CLSA India said that the Fed has once again adopted a hawkish stance, prompting CLSA to revise their projection for the initial Fed cut to November.

For India, Sengupta shifted his forecast for the first rate cut to October.

“Here we are having to keep rates high, because of the Fed. Our inflation numbers clearly don’t warrant 6.50% inflation rate. So I think all over the world if the present situation continues, especially for emerging markets (EMs), this cannot but affect growth beyond a point, because you are going to sit with very high real rates,” he noted.

CLSA India believes the market has largely priced in a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their base case for the upcoming election is for political continuity.

The voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections began at 7 am on April 19, Friday with polling beginning at 102 parliamentary constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories.

Sengupta said, “The opinion polls clearly make a case for political continuity. I think as far as a BJP re-election is concerned, that is now broadly in the price.”

He identified two key aspects of the BJP’s policies outlined in their manifesto.

Firstly, there’s an emphasis on macro-financial stability, including continuing to build our FX reserves for external security, continue to have a preference for strong balance sheets, bank balance sheets, and finally fiscal discipline.

Secondly, he highlighted the party’s focus on infrastructure development aimed at establishing global manufacturing hubs.

Additionally, he noted that markets will also assess various other factors such as global events, the actions of the Federal Reserve, ongoing conflicts, and more.

CLSA recommends investing in largecap liquid stocks as a precautionary measure against global volatility. They highlight that their defensive largecap basket has outperformed the Nifty benchmark by 16% over the past year.

Also Read | Lok Sabha Election 2024: These stocks may benefit if PM Modi wins a third term, as per PhillipCapital

Catch all the live updates from the Lok Sabha Elections 202

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

CAMS receives RBI approval to operate as online payment aggregator

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Computer Age Management Services (CAMS) on Wednesday, April 10, received authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as an online payment aggregator, the company informed in a regulatory filing.

CAMS–India’s largest mutual fund transfer agency had received an in-principle authorisation from the central bank in February, 2023.

The company received the certificate of authorisation from RBI on Wednesday, April 10, the company said in a regulatory filing. The company’s payment business unit, CAMSPay, is currently serving mutual funds, insurance companies, banks and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs). 

“Our offerings, fortified over time, now include an expanded UPI autopay feature that has seen wide adoption by fintech channels and notable third-party applications,” the company said in a filing.

“The company’s collaboration with major Banks in the country and with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) further enhances the capability to deliver a broad spectrum of payment services to the markets we serve,” it added.

In March 2024, the company achieved registration of over 1.2 million mandates for UPI autopay.

Earlier this month, the company announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary—CAMS Insurance Repository Services—will be an agency for facilitating the issuance of insurance policies in “electronic mode” as mandated by IRDAI with effect from April 1, 2024.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Explained: What is FX Retail and why RBI wants to promote it

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das asked banks on Monday, April 8, to do more to facilitate the use of the FX Retail platform, while also cautioning them against unauthorised foreign exchange trading platforms.

“Banks may need to do more to facilitate the use of the FX Retail platform. We continue to see banking channels being used by certain persons or entities to fund activities on unauthorised FX trading platforms. This warrants
enhanced vigilance by the banks,” Das said at the FIMMDA-PDAI Annual Conference in Barcelona.

Das’ comments come after last week the banking and monetary policy regulator deferred its plans on the implementation of new norms for the exchange-traded currency derivatives (ETCD) market to May 3 from the previous deadline of April 5 amid a sharp rise in volatility in the forex market.

The RBI had released the new framework for hedging of foreign exchange risks in January this year. The new rules allowed individuals to engage in long or short positions within the foreign exchange derivatives market without requiring them to demonstrate an underlying exposure. The allowance extends up to a consolidated limit of $100 million equivalent across all currency pairs involving the rupee, aggregated across all recognized stock exchanges.

However, the RBI asked stock exchanges to notify users that while they aren’t required to verify the presence of underlying exposure, they must verify the validity of any contracted exposure that hasn’t been hedged with another derivative contract and should be ready to substantiate this whenever required.

To adhere to the RBI’s April 5 deadline, foreign exchange brokers urged their clients to close their derivative positions before the specified timeframe to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Leading up to this deadline, the forex market experienced heightened volatility.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Bandhan Bank’s Chandra Shekhar Ghosh says was ‘planning exit for two years’ | Interview

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Chandra Shekhar Ghosh is moving on from Bandhan Bank. The outgoing Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the microfinance lender said he feels this is the right time to hand over the bank to a new management and will hand-hold the bank’s new leadership over the next three months.

“Bandhan is my baby. I cannot leave it at risk. I would like to decide how my baby will be saved and accordingly, I will exit. That is my priority,” he said.

The lender announced on Friday (April 5) that the bank’s founder, and the MD and CEO for three consecutive terms since July 10, 2015, will retire on completing his current tenure on July 9, 2024.

Here are edited transcripts from Chandra Shekhar Ghosh’s interview:

Q: You founded and led Bandhan Bank since its inception 24 years ago, and as the bank CEO for nearly a decade now. Why this decision to step down? 

A: Just like a father gives away a daughter in marriage, this separation is painful. Have been associated for 24 years. Now I feel this is the right time to hand over the bank to a new team and I would like to take charge strategically at the holdco level. I have been planning this for the last couple of years.

Q: You’re saying you planned this for the last couple of years, but the board had approved your reappointment just a few months back for three years. Why this change in mind now?

A: I have divided this answer into two parts. The first is short. My wife asked the same question. She said you are living with me but I get to know from others. My answer is: I had to maintain this confidentiality as the MD and CEO.

The other part: For 24 years, I have been developing this institution from scratch. There were tough times, first the demonetisation and then the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the next focus was on recovering. We recovered more or less 70-80% but not to my satisfaction. In 2023-24, I saw good momentum and slippages have been controlled. If you recall, last year March we recruited an executive director and this whole year, I have shared a lot with him. We made some other appointments, too. So, I feel that this is the right time to hand over. After the March quarter is closed, for the rest of the three months, I would like to guide them further on how to take Bandhan Bank to the next level of growth

Also Read | ‘Decision to retire is voluntary,’ says Bandhan Bank’s CS Ghosh; to mentor new team for 3 months

Q: At senior management levels, there’s been a bit of a churn… Your retail banking head resigned, the CFO exited and all of these new people were taken in. So, one would say the senior management has been in a bit of a flux. Don’t you think your exit will add to that and create some amount of uncertainty for the bank?

A: Not everyone in the senior management team has joined recently. One senior executive director, for instance, joined over a year ago and he is already a seasoned hand now. The head of microfinance, which is the biggest part of the bank’s portfolio, has been with us for over a year. Similarly, the heads of commercial banking and the housing verticals have been around for over a year. There are people at a senior level who are now the captains and have been with me for a long time. So, the base is strong. At the mid-level, too, there are people who we have developed for more than a year now. Over the next three months, I will be able to develop their expertise further.

Bandhan Bank is my baby. I cannot put it at risk. I would like to decide how my baby will be saved and accordingly, I would like to exit. That is my priority.

Also Read | Bandhan Bank gets a 40% price target cut from Jefferies after CEO resignation

Q: You say you had this in mind for the past two years, and you did not communicate it to the board in November when they extended your term. But have there been any conversations with the RBI because their approval for your term extension was still pending… 

A: Retiring is a voluntary and personal decision. I wanted to inform the board at an opportune time because as an MD of the company, it would not have been good on my part to discuss this with anyone else.

On your other point, when the board approached the RBI with my proposal in November, we had just transitioned to our core banking system in October. I needed three to six months to stabilise the core banking system. I was apprehensive about informing of my decision as that would have left me with less time to ensure a smooth transition to the core banking system. That is why I refrained from bringing it up back then.

For more, watch the accompanying video

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

‘Decision to retire is voluntary,’ says Bandhan Bank’s CS Ghosh; to mentor new team for 3 months

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD and CEO) of Bandhan Bank says his decision to retire is ‘totally voluntary and personal’.

In a conversation with CNBC-TV18 discussing the latest development, Ghosh said he feels it is the right time to hand over the bank to a new management, but will hand-hold bank’s new top leadership over next three months.

“Bandhan is my baby. I cannot leave it at risk. I would like to decide how my baby will be saved and accordingly, I will exit. That is my first priority,” he said.

He said while he had been planning the exit for the last two years, he informed the board only now.

The year 2023-2024 was a year of fantastic business momentum along with slippage control, Ghosh noted, adding that “This is a right time, after closing FY24, I can leave the bank.”

The private lender on Friday (April 5) announced that the bank’s founder, and the MD and CEO for three consecutive terms since July 10, 2015, will retire from his position on completing his current tenure on July 9, 2024.

The decision was taken by the board of directors during their meeting held on April 5, 2024, Bandhan Bank said in a regulatory filing.

“After leading the bank for almost a decade, including three consecutive tenures as MD and CEO, I feel that the time has now come for me to assume a larger strategic role at Bandhan group level,” Ghosh said in a letter addressed to the board.

Bandhan Bank was launched on August 23, 2015, with 501 branches and 50 ATMs spread across 24 states.

It is the first-ever microfinance institution to become a universal bank from the eastern region.

“I have developed this institution for 24 years from scratch. In 2015, I opened the bank, and up to 2018, I have developed bank and keep people’s trust in the bank to attract the depositors,” he added.

For the March quarter, Bandhan Bank reported a 17.8% growth in loans and advances compared to the same quarter last year, while total deposits grew by 25.1% year-on-year.

The loan growth is calculated after reducing the sale of its non-performing asset (NPA) portfolio worth ₹720 crore to an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC). This figure also includes short-term loans against fixed deposits amounting to ₹2,151 crore.

Also Read | Bandhan Bank Q4 sees double-digit growth in loans and advances

The decision has surprised investors, leading many brokerages to downgrade the stock until further clarity on the management change is provided.

Brokerage firm Jeffries downgraded the stock to ‘underperform’ from ‘buy’ cutting its price target by 40% to ₹170 from ₹290 apiece. The revised price target implies a potential downside of 14% from current levels.

Nomura also downgraded the stock to ‘reduce’ from ‘buy’, while trimming the target price to ₹175 from ₹275 apiece.

The current market capitalisation of the lender is ₹30,358.72 crore.

For more, watch the accompanying video

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Bottomline: The Great FX F&O Slumber Party!

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The exchange traded foreign currency derivative trading mess is a case study in regulatory oversight and all from RBI to SEBI to stock exchanges and brokerages are to blame.

How does what’s happening in a ₹500 lakh crore turnover market get missed for 14 years? That’s a question RBI, SEBI and stock exchanges must answer. And, if it wasn’t missed, why the sudden wake-up call?

On April 5, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das clarified that there was no change in regulations on currency derivatives trading. To emphasise his point, he added: “No one can say this is new”.

The previous evening RBI in a press release stated currency derivatives regulations are guided by the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, and reiterated in 2000 and 2020 which mandate: “currency derivative contracts involving the INR – both over-the-counter (OTC) and exchange traded – are permitted only for the purpose of hedging of exposure to foreign exchange rate risks.”

The release went on to add: “As announced in the Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies dated December 08, 2023 the regulatory framework governing the hedging of foreign exchange risks was comprehensively reviewed in 2020 with a view to ushering in a principle-based regime. Based on this comprehensive review, public consultations, feedback received from market participants and experience gained since then, the regulatory framework has been made more comprehensive in respect of all types of transactions – OTC and exchange traded – under a single Master Direction to enhance operational efficiency and ease access to foreign exchange derivatives.” What this suggests is that key stakeholders would have been consulted in 2020. So, why was no action taken for four years?

SEBI on its part also doesn’t seem out of line on its understanding of the regulations. In its annual report for FY2023, the markets regulator said: “Currency derivatives, which include futures and options contracts, are used to manage foreign exchange risks arising out of fluctuations in currency rates. In India, currency futures and options were launched in August 2008 and October 2010, respectively. Currently, these are available for trading on four currency pairs viz. US Dollars (USD-INR), Euro (EUR-INR), Great Britain Pound (GBP-INR) and Japanese Yen (JPY-INR). The cross-currency pairs such as EUR-USD, GBP-USD and USD-JPY are also permitted for trading.”

So, since 2010 trading in currency derivatives has been permitted knowing that these instruments are meant for hedging underlying exposure risk ONLY. The only relaxation provided by RBI in 2014 was in terms of disclosure. The RBI states: “For the purpose of ease of doing business, the RBI’s A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 147 dated June 20, 2014 permitted users of ETCDs to take positions up to USD 10 million per exchange without having to provide documentary evidence to establish the underlying exposure but did not provide any exemption from the requirement of having the exposure.”

While this limit was consequently raised to $100 million, there was no relaxation in the rules on hedging. This begs the question: Didn’t SEBI, Stock Exchanges, Brokers know that they couldn’t trade in such contracts without underlying exposure? To expect that they were unaware requires a leap of faith.

THE PROPRIETARY FLAG

One big red flag is the share of proprietary trades in the total turnover on stock exchanges. Data published in SEBI’s annual report of FY2023 reveals that these account for almost 88% of the total turnover on NSE, the exchange with 85% share of the total turnover in such contracts. It would also seem odd that such published information was not noticed by anyone at RBI.

The least one would have expected any of the regulating bodies—Stock Exchanges, SEBI or RBI—to do is enquire into the nature of such trades to ascertain whether these were done to hedge underlying exposures.

Source: SEBI Annual Report FY2023

Also, it isn’t like this segment was so small to not have drawn any regulatory attention. The sharp jump in turnover and the size of the market should have been enough cause to invite scrutiny. The turnover in the currency derivatives segment jumped by over 60% to Rs 446 lakh crore in FY2023.

Source: SEBI Annual Report FY2023

THE SPOILS OF OVERSIGHT

Who gained from this convenient oversight? This is also something to be aware of. No, it’s not just the brokers. Stock Exchanges led by NSE have earned transaction charges on every trade. Even SEBI has got a share of the spoils as has the Government via GST. And all this for years on end from something that is fundamentally illegal. That’s astounding.

#On Brokerage + SEBI Charges + transaction charges | Source: Zerodha.com

TIME FOR INTROSPECTION

Given how things have panned out, it is time for regulators to take a closer look at what is going on under their watch. Are there other areas where norms are similarly being violated at scale? How is it they missed this violation in the currency derivatives market? Do they need to review their supervisory systems and practices?

The currency derivatives mess is not about the death of a market segment on stock exchanges. It is about the complete failure of our watchdogs to ensure that rules under their watch are followed.

We only hope another oversight of such scale won’t occur again.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow