Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CHENNAI
₹ 10 • Pages 12 • Volume 26 • Number 235
RCEP PACT
India yet to make final tariff offer
New Delhi, October 2
Facing stiff opposition from industry and Global markets plunge No MAT credit for firms opting for lower tax: FinMin
farmers to the proposed Regional on or after April 1, 2020, subject lowed to claim setoff for any time of the switch, a onetime
Ford and General Motors ad OUR BUREAU
Comprehensive Economic Partnership BLOOMBERG
New Delhi, October 2 to certain conditions, including broughtforward loss on ac writeoff of MAT credit will be
(RCEP) pact, India has still not extended ded to concern over thinning
The Finance Ministry on Wed that the total income should be count of additional triggered or not. The circular
improved offers on reducing goods tariffs US stocks tumbled to the low profi t margins in the industry.
nesday made it clear that com computed without claiming depreciation. now confi rms that it will.
to the 15 member-countries, despite the est since August after another All 11 S&P 500 sectors fell at least
panies opting for a lower tax of any deduction or exemption.” This could be a huge cost to
fact that most other members are eager to disappointing report fuelled 0.6%, with industries most
22 per cent will not be eligible The provision related to MAT No time-frame some companies which will
conclude negotiations next month, an fears that the American eco sensitive to economic growth
for accumulated additional de was also amended. However, there is one relaxa now perhaps consider continu
official said. p4 nomy is slowing. Treasuries dropping the most. Tech and
preciation and Minimum Al Corporates sought clarifi ca tion. Since there is no time ing under the old regime for the
rose with gold and the yen on industrials plunged 2%.
ternative Tax (MAT) credit. tion on two issues — the allow frame set for opting for a lower time being. This was perhaps
demand for haven assets. The Dow Jones Industrial Av
On September 20, Finance ability of broughtforward loss tax, a company can fi rst set off done to minimise the costs to
PMC BANK CASE The S&P 500 headed for the erage tumbled nearly 500
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on account of additional depre the losses it accumulated and the exchequer for the transition.
Role of auditors under scanner biggest twoday slump in two points, with only two of the 30
had announced the lowering of ciation and the allowability of then go for the lower tax. The
months as private payrolls fell members higher.
Mumbai, October 2 the maximum corporate tax broughtforward MAT credit. same will also be valid for accu In favour of new investors
The recent crisis at PMC Bank has once short of estimates a day after a The hiring numbers pushed
rate to 22 per cent from the On the fi rst issue, the Central mulated MAT credit. “Overall, the new changes are
again brought into focus the role of manufacturing gauge the 10year Treasury yield lower
earlier 30 per cent. An ordin Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the The tax department said that heavily weighed in favour of
auditors, an area where the RBI has taken a slumped to the lowest in a dec for a fi fth straight day as it
ance was promulgated to make apex policy making body for in since the provision of MAT is not new companies and new in
tough stance in the recent past and could ade. pushed below 1.6%. The yen
this cut eff ective from the cur cometax, said that based on the applicable to the companies vestors. The onetime transition
do so again. According to the disclosures The index plunged below rose versus the dollar and gold
rent fi nancial year (assessment insertion of a new section in the opting for a lower tax, the accu costs, requirement for fresh in
made by Joy Thomas, former MD of the 2,900 and took out its average spiked above $1,500. The equity
year 202021). tax law, the total income will be mulated tax credit of MAT paid vestments and other hurdles
bank, the statutory auditors were only price for the past 100 days, rout spread to Europe, where
The ordinance prescribed: “A computed without claiming will also not be available to it. posed for existing taxpayers are
checking incremental advances and not levels it hadn’t breached in a the Stoxx 600 saw its biggest
domestic company shall, at its any deduction such as accumu According to Rohinton Sid signifi cant enough to dent the
the entire operations in all the accounts month. slide in 10 months and the FTSE
option, pay tax at 22 per cent for lated additional depreciation. hwa, Partner at Deloitte India, benefi ts intended in the ori
because of time constraints. p8 Carmakers sank after 100 dropped the most since
any previous year relevant to It means, if a company opts the circular clarifi es an import ginal announcement,” Sidhwa
quarterly sales reports from 2016.
the Assessment Year beginning for a lower tax, it will not be al ant aspect — whether, at the said.
Plastic ban: Lack of clarity leaves e-comm cos in a fix Onion export ban: Farmer bodies in
Centre, States urged to come out All India Plastics Manufactur bottles smaller than 200 ml
Maharashtra threaten to disrupt APMCs
ers’ Association (AIPMA). and disposable and decora
with a uniform nationwide policy Himachal Pradesh has tion items made of plastic. OUR BUREAU X
W harashtra’s Kharif (201920)
banned nonbiodegradable Other States that have Pune, October 2 Farmer leaders said that onion output at 5.46 lakh
MAITRI PORECHA ment, given the spread of e plastic bags and disposable joined the bandwagon are Farmers’ organisations have they would not allow tonnes over 0.42 lakh hec
New Delhi, October 2 commerce operations, ob plastic products. As the en Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar threatened to disrupt the APMCs to function from tares. Last year onion was cul
Ecommerce companies are in served industry sources. forcement has been consist Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pra functioning of Agriculture next week if the Centre tivated on 0.96 lakh hectares.
a fi x, as a decision is yet to be ent, it has seen a decrease in desh, Assam and Meghalaya. Produce Market Committees did not revoke its
taken on a nationwide blanket Alternatives sought plastic pollution. On the other (APMC) in Maharashtra if the decision to prohibit Cultivation affected
ban on singleuse plastic. The Experts say alternatives to The ban has been unevenly hand, in Karnataka, plastic Vague definition Centre sticks to its stand of export of onions The availability of onion in the
companies have been left bubblewrap should be found. implemented PTI bags are still commonly used Experts say the defi nition of prohibiting onion exports market is lower because of the
wondering how they will ship “Even as companies are despite a ban. Punjab has singleuse plastic remains and imposing limits on late monsoon aff ecting cultiv
products from a State that switching to over 50 microns rules,” said CK Mishra, Secret banned singleuse plastic vague. stocks. week if the Centre did not re ation.
does not have a ban, to one of bubblewrap to escape the ary, Ministry of Environment carry bags and containers and “Singleuse plastic cuts Farmers in the onion hub of voke its decision. The Nashik A statement issued by Chief
that does. lens of law, certain franchise and Forests (MoEF). Haryana has banned plastic across a wide range of Nashik said that they would District Market Committee As Minister Devendra Fadnavis’
According to sources, delivery units stretch the MoEF has categorically bags. Kerala has banned the products. Let alone a ban, the agitate against the govern sociation members who met offi ce added: “Compared to
earlier this year, the Maha bubblewrap while packing to stated that there will be no use of plastic bags less than 50 Centre has not even yet ment’s decision as farmers are on Tuesday warned the gov total production of onion in
rashtra Pollution Control increase the size, and the mi ban, but a countrywide cam microns, while West Bengal defi ned what is singleuse facing the brunt. ernment that angry farmers the State, almost 7080 per
Board (MPCB) sent a show crons are automatically di paign against plastic use will has banned bags less than 40 plastic in the fi rst place,” said With onion prices rising, would react to the situation cent has been sold while farm
cause notice to Amazon over minished. Now, how can a be conducted. microns, but implementation Upadhyay, the lawyer. “There is the government had on and the government would be ers and traders in the State are
the use of bubble wrap plastic State regulator monitor such “That decision (banning) is patchy. a huge amount of commodity Sunday prohibited exports responsible for the con likely to have 1015 lakh tonnes
packaging. nittygritties?” said Sanjay Up has to be left to the States, we Sikkim bans plastic wrap packaging, packaging for until further notice and im sequences. of onion”.
The company sought legal adhyay, a senior Delhibased will just fl ag off a drive to re pers, bags and disposable medicines, earbuds, diapers, posed limits on stocks that Farmer leader Santu Patil Meanwhile, onion has
opinion and enhanced the environment lawyer. duce plastic use in a campaign styrofoam; they can be sighted fl exboards and so on. Some of can be held, to prevent hoard said growers, who are already already become an election is
quality of its bubblewrap to Maharashtra and 15 other mode by encouraging citizens in some shops while the ma these items do not even fea ing. As farmers across India facing a major crisis due to wa sue in the State. Nationalist
over 50 microns to adhere to States have banned certain to collect and recycle it,” jority have switched to paper ture under the items banned have opposed the decision, ter scarcity, would be severely Congress Party (NCP) Presid
the State’s Plastic Waste Man singleuse plastic and en Mishra told BusinessLine. bags. by some States,” he added. their counterparts in Maha hit by the government’s de ent Sharad Pawar, speaking in
agement & Handling Rules. forced monetary penalty over While 16 States have imple Delhi has banned all kinds “A proper defi nition and rashtra have taken an aggress cision. He said that the govern Islampur city, said that the
It is crucial for States and their use, but the Centre has mented some measure or the of disposable plastic but the collation of plastics need to be ive stand. ment had no right to prevent government’s decision was
the Centre to work together to no data on fi nes recovered. other against plastics use, the ban has not been taken seri done by the MoEF and the De After a series of meetings at farmers from selling their pro ‘antifarmer’ and the it was
formulate a uniform national “We do not maintain central impact has been limited in ously. Maharashtra has partment of Chemicals and Nashik, farmer leaders said duce and earning a profi t. averse of giving farmers any
policy framework for plastics data on fi nes imposed by most places due to poor en banned plastic carry bags Petrochemicals,” an AIPMA that they would not allow AP The State government, market benefi t.
use and plastic waste manage States for fl outing antiplastic forcement, according to the lesser than 50 microns, PET statement reiterated. MCs to function from next meanwhile, has estimated Ma Also read p6, p9
PM to keep digital tab on babus’ postings ‘Stock price slump due to forced sale of pledged shares’
Portal in the works expected to lead this, the PM can himself OUR BUREAU YES Bank, which were pledged views on YES Bank — the fun September 27, 2019, the bank
monitor who is posted Mumbai, October 2 by Rana Kapoor as security for damentally extraordinary fi n is fi rmly on track to raising
to improved efficiency, governance where, who is retiring Private sector lender YES the said NCD issuance,” said ancial institution...,” it the required growth capital,”
when and who can refi ll Bank on Wednesday attrib the fi ling. stressed. he said recently.
S RONENDRA SINGH istry, according to multiple the position. This way, uted the sharp fall of nearly As on June 30, 2019, Kapoor
New Delhi, October 2 sources in the know. there will no role for a co 23 per cent in its share price YES Bank’s repsonse and his two promoter com Executives sell shares
The message is loud and Currently, the ACC de ordinator in the middle on October 1 to the “forced Meanwhile, in a separate re panies held a 10.6 per cent Meanwhile, BSE data shows
clear: The buck stops with cides appointments to sev and the PM can ensure that sale” of 10 crore equity lease, Rana Kapoor’s pro stake in YES Bank. Kapoor held that senior YES Bank offi cials,
Prime Minister Narendra eral top posts under the the bureaucrats are posi shares, which amount to a moter group companies — a 4.31 per cent stake. including Manish Vora
Modi. The techsavvy PM, government. The commit tioned as per the require 3.92 per cent stake in the Morgan Credits Private Ltd Their combined holding (Senior President), Rajat
who is known for keeping tee comprises the Prime ments,” a senior govern bank. The stake of YES Bank and YES Capital — said that the came down by nearly 4.55 per Monga (Group President and
himself updated on all key Minister (who is the Chair ment offi cial said, copromoter and cofounder pledged shares were sold by cent last month after YES Cap The bank’s scrip was at a 52 Chief Financial Offi cer) and
projects and reviewing the man) and the Minister of requesting anonymity. Rana Kapoor is understood Reliance Nippon Asset Man ital and MCPL sold a 1.8 per week high of ₹ 285.90 apiece Abhay Sapru (President),
performance of ministries, Home Aff airs. Modi re Another offi cial said: to now be at about 1 per cent. agement Company on Octo cent and 2.75 per cent stake, on the BSE on April 3 this year. along with other senior exec
will soon be monitoring cently told the National e “This is more to improve In a regulatory fi ling, it ber 1. respectively via various “The bank would like to utives have sold their hold
the appointments of bur Governance Plan (NeGP), governance. The PM, as he said Milestone Trusteeship “These were shares pledged transactions. confi rm that its fi nancial and ings in the lender.
eaucrats too. under the Ministry of Elec used to do as the Gujarat Services Ltd had invoked by our father Rana Kapoor to YES Bank, which is in the operating metrics remain in Concerned by the falling
A separate portal is being tronics and Information Chief Minister, wants min shares pledged with it, and support the borrowings of midst of a capital raising exer trinsically sound and stable, share price, YES Capital Mor
created for the purpose by Technology (MeitY), to de imum human interface now “the entire pledge MCPL, a company owned by cise, has seen a sharp erosion with its liquidity position well gan Credits Private Ltd has
the Appointments Com velop a portal for all the and wants to use techno stands extinguished and all his three daughters...we are in its share price. in excess of regulatory re also written to the stock ex
mittee of the Cabinet bureaucrats so that he can logy as much as possible to sale under the same duly highly dejected that our fam quirements,” YES Bank said. changes, the Reserve Bank of
(ACC), the Ministry of Ex monitor all the movements look after developments.” completed”. ily shareholding in YES Bank Steep fall Ravneet Gill, Managing Dir India and SEBI raising con
ternal Aff airs (MEA), the of these offi cials in future, Sources said Minister of “We, Milestone Trusteeship was sold at such dismal prices On October 1, the bank’s scrip ector and CEO of YES Bank, cerns over the heightened
Cabinet Secretariat, the Es sources told BusinessLine. Electronics and IT Ravi Services Ltd as Debenture levels,”said a statement by YES fell by 22.8 per cent, to close at had also recently underlined speculation and shortselling
tablishment Offi cer (De “The PM is making a Shankar Prasad at a meet Trustee of a ₹ 950crore issu Capital and MCPL. a multiyear low of ₹ 32 apiece that the bank is set to raise the of the private sector lender’s
partment of Personnel) monitoring system to man ing told the NeGP to de ance of NCDs by Morgan “It is important to clarify on the BSE. required growth capital. “Sub scrip.
and the Law & Justice Min age senior positions. With velop the portal soon. Credit Private Ltd, have in that the sale of shares by us or Its market capitalisation sequent to receiving the go Ashok Kapur family
voked and sold the shares of RNAM in no way refl ects our has fallen to ₹ 8,161.06 crore. ahead from the RBI on expesses faith in lender p8
CM . ...... . .....CH-X
YK
CHENNAI
2 NEWS BusinessLine
THURSDAY • OCTOBER 3 • 2019
CM . ..... . . . ..CH-X
YK
CHENNAI
BusinessLine
THURSDAY • OCTOBER 3 • 2019 NEWS 3
Reliance Jio’s ₹ 699 phone offer Why callring duration matters for Airtel, RJio
OUR BUREAU the Airtel customer calls back X
W
may hit Airtel, VodafoneIdea Mumbai, October 2
Airtel and Reliance Jio are
fi ghting each other over how
much time your phone
to Reliance Jio’s network.
So, for Reliance Jio, what
started as an outgoing call,
has been converted into an in
The goal is not consumer
benefit but revenue for
the company, as the ring
duration has an impact
Nondata users of tariff increase in the near should ring for before it gets coming call. In India, operat on the operator’s
term, with Jio still being in disconnected, if you don’t ors pay interoperator fee, revenue — inter-operator
competitors may market share ‘grab’ phase,” pick up an incoming call. technically known as Inter fee is paid by the
fi nd plan attractive Credit Suisse said in a re While Airtel used to allow the connect Usage Charges. network on which the
search report. ringing to go on for 40 This charge is paid by the call originates
OUR BUREAU RJio had cut the price of seconds, it has now decided to operator on whose network
Mumbai, October 2 JioPhone at its last year AGM cut it short to 25 seconds. Reli the call originates, to the op
Reliance Jio’s (RJio) move to to ₹ 500. However, it still en ance Jio has been disconnect erator on whose network the charges than it receives. RJio operators were to upgrade
drop entrylevel phone price tailed an upfront commit ing calls after 2025 seconds. call terminates. paid out IUC charges of ₹ 851 their networks to 4G, then
to ₹ 699 and bundle the in ment of ₹ 1,095 from the cus The goal is not consumer crore in the June 2019 quarter this issue would be resolved.
strument with data could hit tomer. As part of the current benefi t but revenue for the Mulling options alone. Currently, incumbent oper
incumbent operators, ac promotional off er, Jio seems company, as the ring duration Also, the telecom regulator is By making the ring dura ators like Airtel have legacy 2G
cording to analysts. Report says the offer clearly targets the non-data/2G subscriber to have done away with the has an impact on the operat in the middle of an exercise to tion shorter, Reliance Jio is and 3G networks.
“The off er clearly targets base of Bharti Airtel (42%) and Vodafone-Idea (52% ) requirement of upfront re or’s revenue. determine if IUC charges gaming the system to shift The IUC regime was
nondata/2G subscribers of charges and the exchange of should be brought down to the call traffi c in its favour, brought in to ensure that in
Bharti Airtel and Vodafone report by Emkay. RJio is now customer. “Any aggressive old phones. Inter-operator fee zero. said an Airtel offi cial. There vestments made by the oper
Idea (VIL), which stand at 42 off ering its entry level Jio promotions by Jio can be “With the subscriber losses If a Reliance Jio user calls an This can happen only if the fore, Airtel has also cut down ators to roll out networks are
per cent and 52 per cent (of Phone at ₹ 699 as against the negative for Bharti and Voda of Bharti and VIL starting to Airtel customer and Reliance outgoing and incoming calls the ring call to 25 seconds. recovered.
their total user base), re original price of ₹ 1,500, un fone Idea. With this promo stabilise, Jio has launched Jio reduces the ringing time on all networks are equal. The TRAI has come out with Shifting to 4G would end
spectively. The move is negat der a special off er. The cus tional off er, we believe Jio this off er to attract the low for outgoing calls to 20 Currently, the number of out a consultation paper to re the IUC debate as voice calls
ive for both Bharti and VIL, tomers will also get data be continues to focus on the fea end nondata/2G subscribers. seconds only, the calls may be going calls from Reliance Jio’s view this issue. are carried on the network
and historically, VIL has been nefi ts valued at ₹ 700. Jio will ture phone segment to drive We do not expect any counter cut off even before the Airtel network to the Airtel network Globally, most operators just like data, and there
more susceptible to market add ₹ 99worth of data for the its growth. The recent move off er from incumbents,” said customer has the time to pick is higher. As a result, Reliance have an average ringing time would be no case to pay IUC
share losses,” said a research fi rst seven recharges by the by it also reduces hopes of Emkay Research. it up. Seeing the missed call, Jio ends up paying more IUC of 1520 seconds. If all Indian charges.
TV viewers write to TRAI over high DTH tariffs Telecom regulator to take
VARUN AGARWAL
Mumbai , October 2
a letter to TRAI. Another con
sumer, Ajit Das, said in an
are paying for free channels,
channels they wanted to pay
that are subscribed to by the
consumer, but not frequently
more time on OTT norms
In September 2017, Dhiraj email to TRAI, “In no way has for and channels they were watched or not watched at all, Focus turns to prime focus any more, said the
Wala, a 62yearold retiree, the consumer interest been forced to pay for. are unwanted channels, is a offi cial. “ Largely, it has boiled
bought an annual DTH sub served by the new tariff order. The cable TV association has wrong analysis of consumer lawful interception, down to security issue...ques
scription of Airtel TV for Earlier, consumers used to get also written against the tariff choices,” the Indian Broadcast tions like how the security con
₹ 2,850. In the following year, almost all the channels at a order, accusing broadcasters ing Foundation said in its note.
security issues
cerns can be addressed, how
with increased competition in fi xed price or within a price of misusing the provisions. “In the CP (consultation pa PRESS TRUST OF INDIA other countries have dealt with
the sector, the subscription range, with low value. But the “The broadcasters as a practice, per), TRAI assumes that choos New Delhi, October 2 security concerns. The problem
cost him only ₹ 2,408. consumer is not aware of the have tried to push unpopular ing channels a la carte is the Telecom regulator TRAI will take has become a little limited — it is
But thanks to TRAI’s new tar new process, which comprises channels with a few popular/ consumer preferred and additional time to fi nalise its not as big as it was, when we star
iff order for cable TV and DTH pricing of a single or a bouquet driver channels by off ering friendly route. There is no data views on overthetop norms and OTT usage is also benefiting ted,” the TRAI offi cial said.
operators, Wala now has to pay of channels,” Das said. bouquets at a highlydiscoun provided by TRAI to substanti issues around lawful intercep telcos given the spike in data Last year, TRAI had issued its
nearly 75 per cent more for ted rate, which is against the ate this assumption,” IBF said, tion and security are expected to consumption /ISTOCKPHOTO consultation paper — Regulatory
watching just 26 paid chan Consumer woes cent drop from the 72.44 mil ethos of the new regulatory quoting international studies be the key focus, an offi cial said. Framework for overthetop
nels, as against 400 channels Several consumers, like Wala lion reported in the January framework introduced by the that highlight “unbundling” The Telecom Regulatory Au are some of the popular and communications services’ — to
he was subscribing to earlier. and Das, are now writing to March quarter this year. authority, viz. consumer could have adverse eff ects for thority of India’s deliberations widelyused OTT services. debate whether OTT players
“After the implementation TRAI, sharing their woes post The TRAI tariff order allows choice,” the All India Digital the broadcasting sector and on the issue may take at least one A senior TRAI offi cial said the should be brought under the
of TRAI’s order, the cost of sub the implementation of the consumers to pay only for the Cable Federation said in its re could result in 26 per cent of more month to conclude, as it is regulator wants to take a “prac regulatory regime. Of late, many
scription has increased by at New Tariff Order (NTO) and channels they subscribe to, in sponse to the paper. the current channels becom looking at international prac tical approach” to the OTT issue. of these platforms have come
least ₹ 100 to 150 per month how their cable bills have in stead of being forced to take a Broadcasters’ viewpoint ing unviable. tices and regulations around Moreover, OTT usage is also under intense scrutiny, and the
per subscriber. TRAI has stated creased sharply postNTO. bouquet, which would include Broadcasters, on the other In this battle between the OTTs, particularly on securityre benefi ting telcos given the spike Indian government is also pro
that there are 20 crore cable/ In a report issued on Tues channels that they never hand, say they are being broadcasters and the regu lated aspects. in data consumption and traffi c, posing changes in IT rules to
DTH subscribers. i.e. ₹ 2,000 day, TRAI’s own data showed watch. But broadcasters have wrongly targeted and more lator, consumers are now OTT services refer to applica and hence any argument about seek greater accountability from
crore3,000 crore per month that DTH had an average active ensured that prices of indi changes to the tariff regime forced to cut the cord com tions and services that are ac such services merely riding free these fi rms, in the backdrop of
or an additional burden of subscriber base of around vidual channels are high, so would spell disaster for the pletely and choose video cessible over the internet and on telecom networks is no the apps being used for circula
₹ 24,000 crore36,000 crore on 54.26 million in the quarter that people are forced to take industry. streaming platforms as an ride on an operator’s network. longer as compelling. Economic tion of fake news and
the Indian public,” saidWala in ended June 30, 2019, a 25 per bouquets. In eff ect, consumers “To say that the channels alternative. Skype, Viber, WhatsApp and Hike aspects, therefore, are not the misinformation.
Budge Budge
plant of CESC
Investors fi nd a sleeping beauty in the GAIL Group may miss Nestle sheds
skincare brands
1crore connections target
has the best load
factor in India
Indian online mattress startup space PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
New Delhi, October 2
LPG thus freed can be used
to replace kerosene and forest
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Zurich, October 2
Swiss food giant Nestle said
After Wakefi t, to eliminate the role of The Stateowned GAIL India Ltd wood for cooking in rural and on Wednesday that it has fi
OUR BUREAU middlemen; and ship them and its affi liates have set a tar remote areas. nalised the sale of its skincare
Kolkata, October 2 Sleepycat raises free across the country. They get to provide 11.44 lakh piped Later, the one crore deadline business to a group led by
The 750MW thermal power sta ₹ 11 crore in also off er 100day free trial cooking gas connections in was pushed back by a year to Swedish private equity fi rm
tion of CESC Limited, located at period and full refund within the current fi scal as they chase 2020. But even this delayed EQT and the Abu Dhabi Invest
Budge Budge, West Bengal, has Series A round 100 days. what now looks like a highly deadline now looks ment Authority.
been ranked amongst the best Customers have lapped it improbable target of connect improbable. The purchase price for
in the country in terms of Plant SANGEETHA CHENGAPPA up, as Wakefi t turned profi t ing one crore households with Together with other private Nestle Skin Health was 10.2 bil
Load Factor (PLF). Bengaluru, October 2 able within six months of op environmentfriendly fuel by city gas distribution fi rms, lion Swiss francs (9.4 billion
According to CEA sources, the Sleepycat, an online, directto erations, Sunday in 18 the next year. piped cooking gas users in In euros, $10.2 billion), the group
PLF of Budge Budge generating consumer mattress startup, months, and Sleepycat in just GAIL and its joint ventures, dia rose from 42.65 lakh in said in a statement.
station (3x250 MW) was around has raised ₹ 11 crore in a Series two. All of them sell in up such as the ones that retail March 2018 to over 52 lakh a Nestle had announced in
96.80 per cent in August 2019, A round led by DSG Consumer wards of 1,500 mattresses a CNG and piped cooking gas in year later. This has risen to May that it was in talks to di
for which the latest results have Partners and Sharrp Ventures The $3-billion Indian mattress market, of which 30 per cent is month. Delhi and Mumbai, had 54.17 lakh as on Sept 1, accord vest the business, which is
just been announced, CESC said with participation from organised, is growing at 10-15 per cent annually Founded by Kabir Siddiq in achieved just 60 per cent of ing to the Ministry’s Petro based in Lausanne, employs a
in a release. The fi rst unit of Gemba Capital and other an August 2017, Sleepycat, sold the target to give 11.25 lakh con leum Planning and Analysis workforce of more than 5,000
CESC’s Budge Budge (250 MW) gel investors. tress market, of which 30 per ditional retail and channel 1,500 mattresses last month nections in the 201819 fi scal Cell (PPAC). worldwide and generates an
was commissioned in 1997, fol This makes Sleepycat the cent is organised, is growing driven mattress market in In from its own website and on year, according to company’s Industry offi cials said the nual sales of 2.8 billion francs.
lowed by the second unit (250 second online mattress start at 1015 per cent annually and dia. Inspired by the runaway Amazon.in. It aims to sell target document reviewed by biggest push for piped cook Analysts said the purchase
MW) in 1999 and the third unit up in India to attract investors estimated to grow at 20 per success of American ecom 3,0004,000 mattresses in PTI. ing gas use would come when price for a division widely re
(250 MW) in 2009. in the last nine months. In cent in the next few years, as a merce sleep startups such as festive season this month. In March 2015, Prime Minis entities that have been author garded as noncore was
Haldia Energy, another gener December 2018, BusinessLine whole new generation of mil Casper.com, Leesa.com and “We are excited to partner ter Narendra Modi had ised by Petroleum and Natural higher than expected.
ating plant, of CESC Ltd also fea reported that online mattress lennials get ready to set up Tuft & Needle, these startups with DSGCP and Sharrp on pledged to provide piped nat Gas Regulatory Board in two The activities include Gal
tures amongst the top six per startup, Wakefi t, clinched its their homes. The market is make the entire process of this journey towards building ural gas connections to one bid rounds in the last oneyear derma, which it acquired fully
forming thermal power plants fi rst round of external fund predominantly offl ine and buying mattresses simple and an innovative sleep solutions crore households “in the next start work. in 2014 by buying out former
for August. Haldia Energy had a ing of ₹ 65 crore from Sequoia dominated by Sheela Foam convenient. company,” Siddiq told Busi- four years”. India had about 26 With a licence to retail CNG joint venture partner, French
PLF of 93.32 per cent. According Capital for 31.9 per cent equity. (Sleepwell) and Kurlon. nessLine. He said the capital lakh households using gas re and piped gas to household group L’Oreal.
to Rabi Chowdhury, MD– Gener Meanwhile, another online Besides Wakefi t, Sleepycat A lean business model raised will be invested in ceived from a pipeline in the kitchens given out for 136 geo Nestle Chief Executive
ation, CESC Ltd, in Kolkata today, mattress startup, Sunday, is and Sunday, a clutch of new The New Age startups off er building the online presence kitchen in 2015 and the gov graphical areas or GAs in last Mark Schneider has em
the three coalbased units of exploring a strategic partner players have sprung up, in just two to three mattress of Sleepycat through channel ernment was keen for a one year, the coverage of city barked on a massive shakeup
Budge Budge generating sta ship with a prominent US cluding Wink Nod, Nubliss, models that are designed to partnerships, new product massive expansion of piped gas network would be 70 per of the group’s portfolio of
tion are consistent producers of based, listed mattress fi rm. Durfi , Flo and Springtek, suit diff erent body types; set launches and building out its cooking gas to help cut down cent of country’s population, some 2,000 brands world
electricity. The $3billion Indian mat which are disrupting the tra clear prices; sell them online management team. the usage of subsidised LPG. they said wide.
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4 NEWS BusinessLine
THURSDAY • OCTOBER 3 • 2019
India still wary of committing to final offers Steel industry frets as Govt
Trade Ministers meeting has been called to
allow members to sort out There is wide-scale
X
W over 90 per cent of traded
goods for the ASEAN, Japan
inches closer to signing pact
from member their lastmile diff erences. apprehension that and South Korea over a given SURESH P IYENGAR months of this fi scal, exports The RCEP will include Aus
countries to meet The countries negotiating once the pact is period of time. Mumbai, October 2 dropped 7.5 per cent. tralia, New Zealand and China
the RCEP include the 10 signed, there will be a For China, Australia and The steel industry has ex Interestingly, imports, too, to tap the Indian market duty
in Bangkok on member ASEAN, India, surge in import of
New Zealand, the tariff elim pressed serious concern with have jumped 27 per cent in free, he said.
China, South Korea, Japan, ination demanded is the government inching August, despite apparent
October 12 Australia and New Zealand.
sensitive goods from
between 80 and 86 per cent. closer to signing the Regional slowdown in domestic eco Invest in India
16 member countries,
“At the recent Trade Nego Commerce & Industry Minister Tariff s on about 28 per cent Comprehensive Economic nomy. The most worrying TV Narendran, Managing Dir
including China
AMITI SEN tiations Committee meeting Piyush Goyal of items are to be reduced to Partnership (RCEP), which factor is the steady increase in ector, Tata Steel, told Business-
New Delhi, October 2 in Vietnam, where all mem zero as soon as the RCEP is will open dutyfree imports the share of dutyfree imports Line that the steel industry
Faced with stiff opposition bers were supposed to fi nal dustry and farmers to the gin are adopted, Chinese implemented. into the country from China. from FTA countries such as In has not been much support
from industry and farmers ise their off ers, India parti proposed agreement. goods can easily fl ow into “It is diffi cult for India to Compared to other coun donesia, Japan and Korea. ive of RCEP and it needs to be
to the proposed Regional cipated in a number of “There is a widescale ap the Indian market through meet such steep demand, es tries, steel production cost in In fact, in August, imports kept out of this.
Comprehensive Economic bilateral meetings with indi prehension that once the the territory of other RCEP pecially in the absence of ad India is higher by about $40 a from FTA countries accounted “The fundamental point is
Partnership (RCEP) pact, In vidual members, examining agreement is signed, there membercountries, even if equate safeguards. But it has tonne due to creaky infra for 77 per cent of the overall India is a growing market for
dia has still not extended its items line by line to decide would be a surge in the im we keep barriers for China to make up its mind and give structure, high taxes and ex imports against their share of steel. If anyone wants to parti
improved off ers for redu on where tariff protection port of sensitive goods from high,” the offi cial explained. a revised off er at the Minis pensive cost of capital. The in 58 per cent in FY19. Their share cipate in this market, let them
cing tariff s in goods for the could go. However, fi nally, it member countries, includ Similarly, the autotrigger terial meet later this dustry has urged the in overall imports in the fi ve invest in India and create jobs
15 membercountries, in did not make any concrete ing China. This could lead to mechanism suggested by In month,” the offi cial said. government to provide an ex months of this fi scal was 66 here. Why do you want some
cluding China, despite the off ers,” the offi cial, familiar domestic items being out dia to immediately raise tar The decisionmaking pro port incentive of $40/tonne to per cent. The government had body to borrow money at low
fact that most other mem with the discussions, told priced,” the offi cial said. iff s on goods if imports ex cess has become more diffi put the domestic and global recently rejected the steel in cost and build some plant
bers are eager to conclude BusinessLine. To make matters worse for ceed a threshold level is also cult for Indian negotiators companies on the same foot dustry’s demand to levy safe somewhere and just import
the negotiations next India, the protection in the not being fully implemen due to the fact that RCEP ing before opening up the guard duty. into India,” he questioned.
month, an offi cial has said. Import flows form of autotrigger safe ted. members are not willing to market for global Seshagiri Rao, Joint Man “The argument that coun
At the eighth summit of The reason for the inde guard mechanism and strin Members are trying to re improve their off ers on competitors. aging Director, JSW Steel, said tries that have no raw mater
the RCEP, Commerce & In cision could be attributed to gent rules of origin (ROO) re strict this mechanism to just opening up the markets in Steel exports in August in 200910 when the FTA was ial should make steel and ex
dustry Minister Piyush Goyal the strong opposition ex quirement is being watered a few goods and for a limited services. grew by 37 per cent compared signed that the industry was port, while India with all the
is likely to fi nd himself in the pressed by a large section of down by other members. period of time. Most members, including with the same period last not familiar with its impact, raw material and domestic
spotlight at a meeting of Indian industry, ranging “Almost all members of the ASEAN, are hopeful of year, with companies trying but now, it wants more trig market, is still not trying to
Trade and Economic Minis from copper and steel to pa the RCEP have opposed to Tariff elimination concluding the negotiations to beat the domestic slow gers in RCEP that will levy im support an industry, goes
ters from all 16 countries in per, glass and chemicals, the stringent ROO provisions. The Centre is under pressure before the ASEAN Summit down by exporting more. port duty automatically if im against the opportunity that
Bangkok on October 12. The dairy sector, the marine in Once the relaxed rules of ori to reduce tariff s to zero for next month. However, in the fi rst fi ve ports breach a certain level. we have,” said Narendran.
I-T Dept moves towards greater Preferential location service, space for car parking
transparency with DIN project not part of construction services: West Bengal AAAR
RAHUL WADKE have to be issued to the as SHISHIR SINHA ruling makes it clear that PLS X
W ies, qualifi es as a ‘composite sup use car parking space and com
Mumbai, October 2 sessee or any other person, New Delhi, October 2 cannot be associated with land. While the cost of the ply’, which has now been re mon areas and facilities. “It is a
The IT Department has fi must have a DIN. Preferential location service In other words, while the cost of plot of land on which versed by WBAAAR, denying the composite supply, construction
nally initiated the DIN pro A senior IT offi cial told Busi- (PLS) in a realestate project can the plot of land on which the construction is done is abatement on recovery of such service being the principal sup
ject under which every single nessLine that DIN would im not be treated as a part of con construction is done is exempt exempt from GST, additional charges. ply. Entire value of the compos
document issued by the de prove transparency in the af struction service, West Bengal from GST, PLS is not taxfree. preferential location ite supply is, therefore, to be
partment to taxpayers will fairs of the IT Department. At Appellate Authority for Advance Unlike High Court and Su service is not tax-free The case treated, for the purpose of taxa
have a computergenerated times, tax offi cers issued Ruling (AAARWB) has ruled. It preme Court verdicts, AAAR rul AAARWB heard an appeal by the tion, as supply of construction
Document Identifi cation backdated manual notices to also ruled that the same would ings do not have precedence State Tax Department against service, taxable,” the authority
Number (DIN). taxpayers, after the mandat hold good for the right to use of value, but have persuasive value. settled the issue by bundling ruling by Authority for Advance said in its ruling dated May 2.
The identifi cation number X
W ory time limit prescribed un parking space. Also, many such rulings have be PLC, car parking and other Rulings (AAR) in the matter of After hearing both sides on
will leave an audit trail in all The identification der law for issuing notices PLS helps buyers get direc come the basis for policy charges with the cost of con Bengal Peerless Housing Devel appeal petition, the AAAR held
communications and is ex number will leave an had expired. tional advantage or fl oor rise, changes by the government and struction, the reversal by the ap opment Company Limited. The that the very transaction mech
pected to bring down corrup audit trail in all This was a cause for con and attracts a preferred location the GST Council. pellate authority will be a set key issue was taxability of ser anism of PLS is that the builder
tion in the Department and communications and is cern for taxpayers and was charge (PLC) that is levied for back to property buyers.” vices relating to preferential loc charges a separate considera
reduce harassment of taxpay expected to bring down
encouraging corruption, the units that are better located Experts’ take Similarly, Rajat Mohan, Senior ation and right to use of car tion from the buyer for choosing
ers. the level of corruption
offi cial said. than others in the same Experts feel that the AAARWB Partner at AMRG, said that the parking space. a particular fl oor/location ad
The project is being kicked The CBDT’s circular asked premises, such as the ones fa rulings will impact the claims of ruling rightly held that con AAR, in its ruling, had said that vantage. Thus, the abatement,
off in IT offi ces across the IT offi cers to issue manual cing a park, open area or even fl at owners who have ap struction of a dwelling unit in a the company is providing ser which is allowed on construc
country today. assessment, appeals, orders, notices only under excep corner fl ats. proached builders for refund of residential complex, bundled vice of construction of a dwell tion service with respect to land
A Central Board of Direct exemptions, inquiry, invest tional circumstances, in ac GST charged on PLC. with services relating to the pref ing unit in a residential com on which construction is done,
Taxes (CBDT) circular on Au igation, verifi cation of in cordance with a set of pro Tax liability Harpreet Singh, Partner, erential location of the unit and plex, bundled with services cannot be extended to PLS as it is
gust 14 mandated that all formation, penalty, prosecu cedures and rules, the offi cial This levy is over and above the KPMG, said, “While the earlier right to use carparking space relating to the preferential loca altogether a separate service
communications relating to tion, and rectifi cation, which added. basic sales price (BSP). The new AAAR rulings seemed to have and common areas and facilit tion of the unit and the right to having no association with land.
‘Peaceful’ nuclear capabilities: India seen as a reservoir of talent and R&D BUSINESS OFFER
Other nations can veloped West, has not done world needs a “strong, reli cedent — the Global Compact ulations for collecting funds SHARES / INVESTMENTS
enough in this area — at able, credible, impartial of the UN, which is a volun from the private sector. Return on Investment 20% to 40%
source technology least, this is the perception IAEA” which is led with “de tary initiative to implement The elections to the DG profits in 8 months. Contact Thambi In-
in India. termination and the UN’s sustainability goals. post, which will happen this vestment Co. +917738976164 for fur-
from India, say ther details.
Both Grossi and Zerbo, conviction”. The initiative earlier accep month, are crucial in the
candidates for who spoke to BusinessLine “I think I can provide that ted voluntary contributions context of tensions between COMPUTERS
on phone, stressed that they kind of leadership,” said from business, but now “re nuclear rivals India and
IAEA’s top post themselves are from devel Gross, who has been closely quires” annual contribu Pakistan and between Saudi
Register New (or) Buy Premium Do-
main Names For Your Website or
M RAMESH oping countries. Grossi said associated with IAEA for tions from participating Arabia and Iran, with coun Business. Visit : www.Namerolls.com
Chennai, October 2 he intends to be “extremely many years and has been the businesses. tries like Israel and China
Two of the four candidates active with countries like In Chairman of the Nuclear On the same point, Zerbo looking on.
contesting for the post of dia”. Zerbo noted that he had Suppliers Group (NSG). was more cautious than USbacked Grossi is said to
Director General of the Inter always backed developing On India joining the NSG, Grossi, saying that he saw be the favourite for the post,
national Atomic Energy Lassina Zerbo of Burkina Faso Rafael Grossi of Argentina countries in the CTBTO, both Grossi and Zerbo said partnering with the private but the international media
Agency (IAEA), whom Busi- adding: “I’m sure that the that while it is not up to the sector happening more in have said that Zerbo, with
nessLine spoke to, were eff us retary, also acknowledged In ies have not received enough agency (IAEA) has room for DG to take a stand, they standardsetting until such support from African and
ive about India’s capabilities dia’s capabilities in many support. Feruta, a Romanian, that.” would facilitate time as the members of the many G77 countries, could
in the peaceful use of nuc fi elds including nuclear. is incidentally another can consultations. agency formed rules and reg be a “curveball”.
lear technologies. “Coming from a developing didate for the top post. (The Clued-in candidate
Responding to a viewpoint country, I’m for promoting fourth candidate is Marta Asked why he thought he Funding plans
that India’s nuclear prowess (technologies from) the de Ziakova of Slovakia.) was best suited for the DG On funding for the agency,
has not been acknowledged veloping world,” Zerbo said, post, Zerbo said the IAEA Grossi observed: “The mis
enough by the agency in the adding that such countries Indigenous technologies needs “somebody who is sion is growing, but re
past, Rafael Grossi, currently should be given opportunit For instance, it is believed clued into the global archi sources are not.” The agency
Argentina’s Ambassador to ies to “showcase their tech that the agency could have tecture of nonproliferation” (which has a budget of €592
Austria, noted that India has nical capabilities so that we assisted India in taking its and understands the tech million for the current year)
“a reservoir of talent, a reser compete fairly with others.” indigenous technologies de nical challenges. He said he would need to think creat
voir of R&D which will be ex These views of Grossi and veloped by the Bhabha would make sure that coun ively, he added.
tremely useful for other Zerbo assume signifi cance in Atomic Research Centre, tries like India got their due Grossi has been advocat
countries”. the context of the feeling such as Bharat Kavach, a car place in the agency. ing raising funds from the
On the same point, Lassina among experts in India that bon nanotubebased bullet Responding to the same private sector and pitching
Zerbo, a Burkinabé (from the agency, under Director proof jacket, and Bhabhat question, Grossi observed for publicprivate partner
Burkina Faso) who currently General Yukia Amano, who ron, a cobalt therapy ma that in today’s global situ ships, which the agency has
heads the Comprehensive died in July, and under the chine for treating cancer, to ation, which is getting to be never done before out of a
Test Ban Treaty Organisation incumbent Acting DG, Cor other countries. The agency, “far more complicated” than fear of confl ict of interest.
(CTBTO) as its Executive Sec nel Feruta, India’s capabilit under pressure from the de when IAEA was created, the However, Grossi shows a pre
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BusinessLine
THURSDAY • OCTOBER 3 • 2019 NEWS 5
Dassault SOLIDWORKS LVB additional director Supriya Prakash Sen resigns citing personal reasons
eyes strong double-digit PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
New Delhi, October 2
corrective action against the
private sector lender, on
She had been appointed addi
tional director on the board in
by the confi dence reposed in
me by the board and the share
“However, as discussed,
there has been some recent
Housing Finance had said that
the RBI’s action against it
Suchit Jain, VP, Strategy and Business Development, Dassault
Systemes, at a press conference in Chennai BIJOY GHOSH
G BALACHANDAR grammes to reach out to more
Chennai, October 2 companies, he said.
French technology fi rm “This is my third year in In
Dassault Systemes SOLID dia,” said Suchit Jain, Vice Pres
WORKS hopes to grow in ident – Strategy and Business
doubledigits in India over the Development, Dassault
next four years, supported by Systemes, US. “These startup
strong traction for its solutions things were not happening
in the startup segment, earlier in India. Now, the start
growth in manufacturing up ecosystem in India is robust
units and its various outreach and so many companies have
programmes. ideas that they want to imple
The company expects India’s ment. We work with all incub
growth to be twice that of the ators and accelerators where
world market. “The past four we try to be mentors and help
years have been strong for us in in networking.”
India as we recorded a CAGR of
19 per cent during this period. SME customers
Now, we are looking at a CAGR SOLIDWORKS has about 10,000
of 21 per cent over the next four SME customers in India. Its ma
years,” PM Ravikumar, Senior jor business segments in the
Director, SOLIDWORKS India, country include industrial
Dassault Systemes India Pvt equipment, hightech devices,
Ltd, told BusinessLine on the consumer products and life sci
sidelines of an event here. ences. Life sciences is the fast
SOLIDWORKS, which is fo estgrowing among all
cussed on providing design categories.
solutions for a wide range of in The company sells its
dustries, sees a number of products and solutions
factors helping it grow in through channel partners. It
strong doubledigits in India. has 43 partners with 61
“We hope it is possible be branches across India.
cause of the way the industries It recently introduced
are working in India now. More SOLIDWORKS 2020, the latest
than 300 startups have ap release of its portfolio of 3D
plied to us asking for our li design and engineering applic
cences and 135 we have already ations. By seamlessly connect
been selected. We see this num ing to the 3DEXPERIENCE plat
ber growing drastically,” he form, SOLIDWORKS 2020,
said. Also, the company has which has hundreds of en
signed up 34 incubators to hancements, seeks to address
provide its solutions. It is also emerging trends and business
conducting several pro needs.
TODAY'S PICK
Mangalam Cement (₹ 313.9): Buy
YOGANAND D clusively surpassed a key resist
BL Research Bureau ance at ₹ 280, which later
The Mangalam Cement stock turned into a vital support.
jumped 10.5 per cent with After a minor corrective de
aboveaverage volume on Tues cline, the stock took support
day, breaking above a key bar from ₹ 280 and has resumed the
rier at ₹ 300. This rally provides uptrend.
investors with shortterm per The daily relative strength in
spective an opportunity to buy dex has reentered the bullish
the stock at current levels. zone from the neutral region
In late July, the stock took and the weekly RSI has also de
support at ₹ 210 and reversed cisively entered the bullish
direction. Since then, it has zone. Overall, the shortterm
been in a mediumterm outlook is bullish. The targets
uptrend. While trending up, the are ₹ 326 and ₹ 334. Traders can
stock had decisively breached buy with stoploss at ₹ 307.
its 50 and 200DMAs in mid
September and is trading well Note: The recommendations are
above these levels. Also, last based on technical analysis. There
September, the stock had con is a risk of loss in trading
DAY TRADING GUIDE
11429 • Nifty 50 Futures
S1 S2 R1 R2 COMMENT
₹ 793 • Infosys
S1 S2 R1 R2 COMMENT
₹ 255 • ITC
S1 S2 R1 R2 COMMENT
₹ 128 • ONGC
S1 S2 R1 R2 COMMENT
₹ 256 • SBI
S1 S2 R1 R2 COMMENT
₹ 2059 • TCS
S1 S2 R1 R2 COMMENT
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6 THINK BusinessLine
THURSDAY • OCTOBER 3 • 2019
0
xyz
I
ndia Inc’s debt servicing woes, which chinery was ready. More than 1.2
million people had been evacuated
seemed to be getting better from FY15 to R SRINIVASAN
to prebuilt storm shelters, more
FY19, now seem to be taking a distinct turn than 2.3 million text messages had
for the worse. Data from CRISIL shows that ON THE OTHER HAND alerted others to move out of
the debtweighted ratio of its rating upgrades to harm’s way. More than 9,000 com
F
downgrades deteriorated sharply from 1.65 times irst, credit where credit is munity kitchens kept people fed.
due. India’s planning and The economic impact was still
in FY19 to just 0.25 times in the fi rst half of FY20, administrative machinery enormous, but thousands of pre
with the value of downgraded debt at four times grinds exceedingly slowly, cious lives had been saved.
upgraded debt. This is the fi rst time that this ratio but eventually, it does get there,
has plummeted below one since FY14. While the provided there is a big enough spur, Unpredictable behaviour
and the political will to see changes In the intervening years between
number of upgraded fi rms exceeds downgrades, through. Nothing illustrates this 1999 and Fani, the government had
this is small comfort because the most heavily better than the fallout of two super learnt some valuable lessons. Co
leveraged members of India Inc are obviously fa cyclones of near equal intensity ordination was improved between
cing renewed challenges to debt servicing. CRISIL which struck Odisha 20 years apart. the Centre, the State and the com Timely warning As the official monsoon dates haven’t been changed yet, farmers are left unprepared for a delayed onset
The 1999 Odisha super cyclone munities at risk. Technology was ex
attributes this to the slowing economy, a fall in
was the most intense tropical cyc tensively used to issue adequate severe deviations from “normal.” excess, wiping out large chunks of delayed onset is killing early sow
consumption demand, slower government lone ever recorded in the north In and timely warnings, while extens After the hottest summer on record its plantation economy. Belgavi dis ings, while late fl oods are destroy
spending and constrained credit access. It is also dian Ocean region. With wind ive infrastructure had been built up (each month of the Indian summer trict got 652 per cent of normal ing harvested or harvestready pro
entirely possible that rating agencies, stung by speeds of over 260 kmph, its impact to cope with the displacement was the hottest ever recorded for rainfall. Yadgir district in northern duce. Banks are still releasing (or
strident criticism of their belated reactions to cor on Odisha, which bore the brunt of caused by the storm itself. that month), the monsoons were Karnataka was defi cit by 48 per not, depending on whom you ask)
the cyclone, was nothing short of Cyclones are (nearly) unpredict delayed. Although they hit the Ker cent. credit as per the timetable set in
porate distress, are now getting their acts to catastrophic. The powerful winds able natural disasters. But there is a ala coast with a delay of just three The story was repeated all over In 1941. The Food Corporation of In
gether. Whatever the reasons though, that India caused storm surges of over six more sustained, regular and pre days, the monsoon didn’t progress dia. While the season total now is in dia’s procurement machinery kicks
Inc should face such diffi culties after the Monet metres, smashing seawater as dictable disaster which has been much after that, leading rise to excess of normal and monsoon it into action when crops have either
ary Policy Committee has aggressively cut policy much as 32 kilometres inland. More playing out every year in India. But fears of drought. self is set to retreat only by midOc not arrived or long since been sold
than 1.6 million homes were des since the impact is widespread, tober (the most delayed with at distress prices to traders.
rates by over 200 basis points in the last couple of troyed. While the government’s of spread out over days, weeks or even Agricultural impact drawal on record), large swathes of Policy continues to focus on the
years is troubling. The highly leveraged members fi cial death toll was 9,887, unoffi cial months and occurs with such regu Drought fears even spurred the gov the country, particularly in the kharif crop while the reality is that
of India Inc seem to have limited wherewithal to estimates put the toll as high as larity that simple familiarity has ernment to hike the Minimum Sup North, are in defi cit, while there has the rabi or the winter crop is now
survive any renewed pressure on profi ts from an 30,000. Remember, this was the made it a pattern, this has spurred port Price for the kharif or the sum been late and massively excessive accounting for half the foodgrain
preAadhaar, premobile era. Many little of the kind of response we saw mer crop, by 1 to 9 per cent. As late rainfall in other areas, triggering output for the year and almost all of
extended slowdown.
small, unenumerated settlements after the 1999 cyclone, when politi as the beginning of August, several fl oods. the oilseeds and pulses. And
Apart from fl agging the overall deterioration in simply vanished, along cians, bureaucrats and parts of India were running a defi 2019 has seen a new high in the nobody even talks of the zaid inter
credit ratios, the CRISIL study off ers three key with all their people. the public came to cit of over 30 per cent from the long variations in the spatial and tem season crop which mainly pro
granular takeaways. One, it notes that export Cut to Cyclone Fani, gether to say “never season average. Then came the de poral distribution of the mon duces fruits and vegetables. Even
linked sectors alone held their heads above water which struck Odisha in again”. I am talking luge. Kerala wiped out its defi cit in soons, but it is now part of a pattern corporates take major bets based
May this year, almost ex about the great Indian just one week (from August 18), which has been seen for several on timetables which are no longer
as both consumption and investmentlinked sec actly 20 years after the monsoons. triggering massive fl oods for the years now. But our offi cial ma accurate.
tors slumped. But with brewing trade wars posing 1999 super cyclone. With The monsoon, which, second year in succession and land chinery is yet to wake up to the This needs to change, and
a potent threat to exports, this may not last. Nor sustained windspeeds of since the Indian Meteor slides killed dozens. Neighbouring altered reality. The IMD has been quickly. We need to change crop
will the recent corporate tax cuts, which mainly 185 kmph, gusting up to ological Department Karnataka was worse hit. In the talking about changing the dates cycles, credit cycles, create storage
250 kmph, it was the started recording it, has same week (August 18), Karnataka for the offi cial monsoon for fi ve infrastructure to deal with fl ood
benefi t non capitalintensive sectors, solve this secondmost severe tropical cyc been arriving in India by June 1 and as a whole received 128 per cent of years, but is yet to do it. This means ing, change the type and variety of
problem. A pickup in the private capex cycle, on lone ever recorded. But the impact, departing by September 30 like normal rainfall but it was highly the Agriculture Ministry’s advisory crops that we grow and change the
which the Centre has been pinning its hopes for a in terms of people killed, was dra clockwork, is no longer behaving. concentrated. On August 8, Mysuru (as well as those from its State coun kind of inputs we are using to deal
growth revival, may therefore be deferred well matically diff erent. The death toll While the pattern itself has been received 3000 per cent of its long terparts) hasn’t changed. with the altered reality. Otherwise,
was just 64. Out of the 64 people changing for the past several years, term average rain for that day. Kod This means that farmers are not 1999 will start looking like a good
beyond a quarter or two. Two, while credit ratios
dead, 25 died due to wall collapse, this year perhaps saw the most agu (Coorg) received 700 per cent planting shorter duration crops, so year.
are worsening, the deleveraging of India Inc’s bal
ance sheet at an aggregate level is expected to con
tinue, with the debt/EBIDTA ratio expected to im
prove from 2.97 times in FY19 to 2.71 times in FY20.
Policymakers need to do their bit to help this pro
cess along, by addressing irrational risk aversion
among bankers and ensuring eff ective transmis
Farmers should be central to policy on onions
sion of rate cuts to nonAAA borrowers. Three, In
dia Inc’s debt situation continues to be a tale of A policy focus just on retail prices has hurt farmers’ profits, contributing to output swings. Export and marketing curbs must go
two halves, with some sectors sitting on stockpiles been calculated at around ₹ 8 per suring that the farmer gets a reason have to go. A majority of the crop is
SUBIR ROY
of cash while others fl ounder. Doing away with kilo. This prompted farmers in the able return in keeping with the rise traded through APMCs, where prices
retrograde taxes on dividends and buybacks that major oniongrowing Nashik region in his costs and a reasonable margin. are manipulated by big traders and
VALUE FOR MONEY to tell journalists they would not vote If the farmer is happy, then the con the farmer has to eventually foot the
actively impede the free fl ow of capital between
for the BJP in the coming 2019 elec sumer will be eventually happy and bill for a lot of market levies. The
W
sectors, can help. hen it comes to tions. But they did, and the onion not treated to periodic shocks, as is APMC anachronism has to go. The
Overall, India Inc’s debt problems seem set to onions, it seems economy remains as unstable as ever. the case now. farmer and trader must be allowed to
get worse before they get any better. Should the politicians, of any All that one needs to do is look at deal directly, and corporates with
economic downturn prolong, India’s beleaguered hue, will never learn. Onion economy the way the country’s milk economy deep pockets and a longterm per
Onion prices were hugely up again In the past, high onion prices have has been organised, with the produ spective should be encouraged to in
banks, nonbank lenders, bond market parti lately, touching ₹ 80 per kilo in some been considered to bring about the cer being kept at the centre, ensuring vest in storage infrastructure.
cipants and retail investors may have to brace for parts of the country. In response, the downfall of governments. This was Onion prices Farmer costs overlooked that he recovers his costs and earns a Food processing also needs to
yet another rash of defaults and writedowns, present BJP government has done one of the causes of the Janata Party’s reasonable margin. In the process, come up in a big way, by building of a
even as they’re struggling to come to terms with what other governments did earlier – defeat in the 1980 elections, enabling ranks low in crop yields, with the US the consumer has benefi ted by being capacity for dehydrating onions. The
banned the export of onions and im the return of Indira Gandhi. The de and Korea far ahead, and China also a assured a steady price which moves government and corporates need to
the aftereff ects of the previous NPA cycle. posed rigid stock limits on traders. feat of the BJP in Delhi in 1998 was couple of steps ahead. in step with infl ation; and of course, popularise the consumption of de
This is a kneejerk reaction, and as also attributed to high onion prices. The demand and supply balance in there are no periodic shortages. hydrated onions, and over time, cor
soon as the immediate cause of The inability of the present BJP gov onions is periodically vitiated, with porates should build their own
shortage disappears or a new crop ar ernment to look at the plight of prices peaking and precipitously fall Removing the red tape brands. Those who want fresh pro
rives, the regulatory regime will re onion growers and the problems of ing once every couple of years or so To ensure that both the farmer and duce must pay a premium, and the
OTHER VOICES turn to its traditional stance of doing
nothing. Then, usually after a gap of a
the onion economy is of a piece with
its overall approach to agriculture
for one or more of the following reas
ons — drought or fl ood aff ecting pro
consumer are happy, the govern
ment has to remove policyinduced
pricedriven will periodically choose
dehydrated stock.
couple of years or so, another crisis and persistent rural distress for sev duction (the latter also transporta market imperfections. Restrictions Onions are not like leafy veget
will emerge, and the same traditional eral years. The government neither tion); and acreage being infl uenced on exports, be they through un ables, whose shelf or storagelife is
package of measures will be adopted. understands nor has a plan for reviv by the farmer’s experience in the pre planned hiking of the minimum ex severely limited. Hence drought or
This happens because the govern ing agriculture in a manner such that vious year, leading to shortage or port prices or an outright export ban, fl oodinduced demandsupply im
All must step back amid the rising violence ment responds to the plight of con twothirds of Indians who live in oversupply. In contrast, domestic de have to go. If not, the onion business balances should not be an issue, as
As China celebrated the 70th anniversary of the People’s sumers when retail prices shoot up, rural areas and half of all workers mand has followed a predictable and will not only fail to reap a windfall changes in stocks can even them out.
Republic with a fi reworks display and the largest military but not to the plight of farmers when who earn a living from agriculture steady trend. gain, but also be unable to develop The farmer and the consumer need
parade seen on the mainland, Hong Kong marked National they get a miserable price and suff er get a better deal. The way to put the country behind and maintain credibility with long not suff er. They do because politi
Day with protests, a student in critical condition after being a major loss. Prices for farmers Globally, India is a leading grower this is to change policy from being term buyers. cians refuse to learn.
shot by a police live round as fi ghting and tear gas spread dropped to as incredibly low as ₹ 1 per of onions, the major supplier in its re consumercentric to farmercentric. Simultaneously, restrictions and
across the city. The escalating violence has now reached such a kilo in late 2018, when their cost has gion and the foremost consumer, but The foremost concern should be en impediments in domestic marketing The writer is a senior journalist
dangerous point that there is an urgent need for all to step
back and not to raise the stakes any higher. HONG KONG, OCTOBER 2
LET TERS TO THE EDITOR Send your letters by email to bleditor@thehindu.co.in or by post to ‘Letters to the Editor’, The Hindu Business Line, Kasturi Buildings, 859-860, Anna Salai, Chennai 600002.
Auditor training which explode like minefi elds by the government and stern pre teachings can improve the quality link between hotter oceans and
Trump’s tweets distract, but we can’t ignore them Cooperative banks are a way of dis when not attended to on time. ventive action should be initiated. of human race. His statues in dif stronger cyclones and storms, the
President Trump is promising a civil war within the union he is tribution of fi nancial services and Educating auditors with innovat Schools should be institutions for ferent parts of the globe refl ect international community cannot
supposed to lead. “If the Democrats are successful in removing a tool for reaching out to custom ive exercises would strengthen cultivation of honesty and moral sincere admiration for him, unlike aff ord to remain oblivious to their
the President from offi ce (which they will never be),” the ers in rural and semiurban areas. their capabilities. ity in students, and a proper check in India, where garlanding his imperative need in meeting its
commander in chief tweeted this weekend, roughly quoting the Challenging economic dynamics NK Bakshi of the same should be made at in statues and recalling his values pledged carbon emissions reduc
rightwing pastor Robert Jeff ress on the “Fox & Friends” Sunday call for innovative addressable sys Vadodara tervals. have been reduced to an annual tion targets under the Paris cli
show, “it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from tems, and our country has covered TR Anandan ritual. mate pact.
which our Country will never heal.” The outrageous declaration huge ground on innovative digital Educational purposes Coimbatore YG Chouksey That warming seas has changed
is only one among many disseminated from the digital bully banking in the last fi ve years. Aud The report about a student who at Pune and are changing cyclonic beha
pulpit over the past few days. WASHINGTON DC, OCTOBER 2 itors should go to multiple cooper tempted impersonation at the Gandhi’s values viour; a recent example being Cyc
ative banks for audits. Not only NEET examination to gain admis Apropos ‘BJP is far removed from Climate change impact lone Ockhi (2017), which origin
will it give them wider exposure, sion in medical college has made Gandhi’s legacy of inclusivity’ (Oc The report by the Intergovern ated in Bay of Bengal, travelled
but will also enable them to to fl ag headlines in the media. What is tober 2). The BJP, and in particular mental Panel on Climate Change more than 2,000 km to wreak
alarming signals with better preci disturbing is the revelation of Narendra Modi, appropriated Ma that by 2100, oceans all over the havoc on India’s western coast.
sion. Further, all cooperative more cases of this objectionable hatma Gandhi’s name but not his world will absorb 57 times more This is a grim reality we are ignor
Iraqi government must listen to the people banks’ auditors should have half method being adopted by stu ideology. Gandhi is quoted on for heat than they have done in the ing at our own peril.
One person was killed and more than 200 others were wounded yearly training sessions, where dents in collusion with their par Swacch Bharat, but not for com past 50 years if we do not reduce With climate changedeluge
on Tuesday, Iraq’s Health Ministry said, in a mass protest in they are presented with dummy ents. munal harmony. our emissions trajectory, and this now becoming a norm than an ex
Baghdad that security forces dispersed with a volley of gunfi re cases of fi nancial discrepancies Ideally, the parents should have But then, the Mahatma was would lead to an increase in the ception in several parts of the
and tear gas. More than 1,000 protesters had descended on the and messy accounts. Similarly, RBI displayed a sense of morality and against corruption, but it was dur sea level rising by at least one globe, our focus needs to turn to
capital in the fi rst major demonstration since Iraq’s fragile auditors also could go through the honesty and prevented the chil ing the Congress regime that it metre submerging several coastal wards creating resilient infra
government took offi ce nearly a year ago. Iraqis have long same training with dummy bal dren from pursuing such obnox was at its peak. The tragedy is that cities like Chennai, Kolkata and structure to withstand and mitig
complained of systemic and crippling corruption in their ance sheets of cooperative banks ious and criminal methods. The in even as Gandhi’s own countrymen Surat cannot be taken in a lighter ate destruction unleashed by it.
government and protests have sporadically gripped parts of the to trace diversion of funds and un cident has revealed a new route of are failing to honour him properly, vein. M Jeyaram
nation in the past few years. DUBAI, OCTOBER 2 scrupulously covered accounts, criminality which should be noted the world is appreciating how his Given the proven inextricable Sholavandan
Published by N. Ravi at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002 on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., and Printed by D. Rajkumar at Plot B-6 & B-7, CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin: 603209. Editor: Raghavan Srinivasan (Editor responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). ISSN 0971 - 7528
BusinessLine
THURSDAY • OCTOBER 3 • 2019 THINK 7
T
he Monetary Policy Com est in over six years, refl ected SANTOSH MEHROTRA opportunities, a la HarrisTodaro against a quarter of China’s urban
mittee of the RBI looks weakness in several pockets in the model, 1970) have become greater residents). In other words, the
I
set to continue with its economy. Nominal GDP growth — ndia’s demographic di than the costs and risks that mi missing middle in respect of
“accommodative” mon at around 8 per cent during the vidend cannot be realised if gration entails. urban India will need to be fi lled,
etary policy stance and to deliver quarter — also tanked to a multi young entrants to the labour to attract the migrant population
more rate cuts in the coming quarter low and remains a head force as well as potential mi Structure of jobs to middletier cities.
months. Another repo rate cut in wind for near term business grants from agriculture do not The jobs challenge created by mi
the October MPC meeting is sentiment. gain new livelihoods. Hastening gration will be monumental in The education challenge
widely expected. In fact, the key Given the ongoing rate cuts and of the structural transformation scope. In the manufacturing sec Major rural to urban migration
question is whether the commit liquidity infusion by the RBI, sup brings with it three megachal tor in urban areas, 38 per cent of went hand in hand with the eco
tee will deliver a relatively large portive steps from the govern lenges for policymakers: employ the male workforce is composed nomic growth of the 19th to
repo rate cut (say, 35 basis points ment, and a materially favourable ment of migrants; growing urb of migrant workers, with a similar mid20th century in today’s high
or more) or a smaller one (say, not base eff ect during the latter part anisation; and ensuring better share in modern services. In con income countries. As highin
exceeding 25 bps) in October. of the fi nancial year, growth rates education and vocational train trast to the stereotype of migrants come countries transition to urb
After the RBI’s unconventional in H2 FY20 are expected to move ing for increasing labour force being largely in lowincome occu anised, ageing societies, these
35 bps repo rate cut in August and higher. However, recovery in the entrants. India’s planners must pations like street vending, etc., movements have subsided. Today,
a markedly low Q1 FY20 GDP fi g same will likely be only gradual, manage these three processes they are employed across all sec the largest internal population
ure, expectations for another suggests a host of lead indicators. much better over the next two tors and are essential for manu movements occur in low and
large cut in October had gathered On balance, as against the RBI’s ex decades as India’s demographic facturing growth (see Table). It middleincome countries, partic
strength. However, the govern isting projection of 6.9 per cent, dividend draws to a close by 2040. also contributes to the very high ularly China and India.
ment’s recent announcement of headline GDP growth may come share of informality in India’s When male migrants move,
corporate tax cuts and the possib in close to only 6 per cent during Facets of migration workforce. There is high likeli they leave behind children going
ility of a widerthanbudgeted FY20. Never in India’s postIndepend hood that due to the sharp in to school. If families migrate all
fi scal defi cit have created doubts ence history till 200405 did the crease in construction work, espe together, children must be found
whether the MPC will still deliver a Real rates still high absolute number of workers in cially in urban areas, workrelated schools in urban locales. In India,
large rate cut in October. Real interest rate in India remains agriculture fall; the Lewisian turn migration is turning more short 10.7 million children aged six to 14
Admittedly, the likely wider high; the repo rate is about 220 ing point took over a halfcentury term. Though the proportion of lived in rural households with a
thanbudgeted fi scal defi cit can be bps higher than the CPI at present. to arrive. During 200405 and shortterm migrants is much seasonal migrant in 2013. About
an issue for the MPC to While RBI Governor 201112, nonagri job growth was as lower than longterm migrants, the majority of Asia’s population dia has been locking itself into 28 per cent of youth aged 15 to 19
ponder carefully. How Shaktikanta Das refrains high as 7.5 million per annum. At they are defi nitely drawn from the will be urban. India's urban popu more dispersed patterns of urb in these households were illiter
ever, going by the RBI’s from targeting any par the same time, the number of lower consumption quintiles. lation is expected to grow from anisation. Car ownership is in ate or had not completed primary
fl exible infl ation target ticular level of real in young entrants into the labour There is a certain concentration 410 million in 2014 to 814 million creasing so fast that carbon emis school, compared with 18 per cent
ing mandate, the terest rates, the case for force was only about two million of migrants in specifi c sectors (see by 2050. sions could increase by 2.5 times of the cohort overall. Outof
primary focus of the com lowering the same from per annum. The remaining fi ve table). Moreover, in construction, Rapidly growing cities, increas over current levels in PRC and by school children will need to be di
mittee should still be its current level remains million plus workers were mi the concentration of ST and SC cat ing slum populations, and cor four times in India by 2035 (ADB verted to vocational
growthinfl ation dynam strong at this juncture. grants from agriculture, and were egories is rather high. The SCs rupt offi cials could combine with 2011). Lower densities are leading schooling/training.
ics. In that context, it is of utmost The more dovish policy stance of mostly absorbed in construction tend to be more landless, poorest, high open unemployment to sprawl, which is leading to A diffi culty is that historically,
importance that both infl ation central banks globally also off ers activity. and with the least education. among educated youth and un higher rates of motorisation, lead barely 2.4 per cent of India’s work
and growth trends in India clearly the RBI greater elbow room. Net migrant fl ows at the allIn Hence it is not surprising that deremployment among less edu ing to more sprawl in a vicious force has acquired vocational
off er room for further easing des The government’s big bang cut dia level have averaged close to they are found to be in manual cated adults and can cause violent cycle. skills formally (NSSO 2018). To
pite the government’s recent de in corporate tax rates can poten nine million annually (between work in construction. But NSSO social confl ict. Latin America’s Higher density cities are less ex gether with low levels of general
cision of lowering corporate tax tially be a strong positive over the 201112 and 201617), peaking (2018) data shows that construc wave of urbanisation is roughly pensive on a per capita basis than academic education, the minus
rates. medium to long run. However, it is around 201314, considerably tion generated only 4.4 million 65 years ahead of Asia’s (ADB 2011). are lowdensity cities. Clearly, the cule workforce with any formal
CPI infl ation stayed below the unlikely to act as either as a strong above levels suggested by the new jobs over 201218, compared Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and country needs a far more sophist vocational skills is a mega chal
RBI’s median target of 4 per cent nearterm boost for growth or as a Census (of 6.9 million in 2011). The with 25 million between Venezuela were unable to manage icated planning framework, to lenge if the manufacturing share
for a long time and averaged sub3 major threat for the infl ation tra largest recipient was the Delhi re 20042011. rapid growth of illegal, unser imagine and implement a new of GDP is to rise above 17 per cent,
per cent in the last one year, re jectory in the coming months gion, which accounted for more viced settlements, and failed to urban vision, to ensure that India where it is stuck for the last
fl ecting softer core and food infl a even if the move eventually leads than half of migration in 201516,. Faster urbanisation provide adequate services. In prepares to receive its migrants in quarter century (since 1991).
tion. Despite adverse geopolitical to widerthanexpected fi scal defi This is consistent with our fi nding This migration has been and will, many cases urban gangs fi lled a its burgeoning cities. The three megachallenges will
events, crude oil price was range cit during FY20. that of the fi ve million leaving ag to a greater extent than before, be gap left by weak local govern What governments, both Union be hard enough to handle even
bound and infl ation expectations To sum up, thus, trends in riculture per annum there were accompanied by faster urbanisa ments. The diff erence in the In and State, will have to focus on is with synergy between actions.
stayed anchored. Headline CPI growth and infl ation clearly sug 3.5 million from Uttar Pradesh tion in India. Asia is going dian case will be that the total infrastructure for middletier cit Without urban planning to en
might register some uptick dur gests that room for monetary eas and Bihar alone. through a historic demographic population involved will be much ies, since it will be much too ex sure synergy between actions, the
ing the second half of FY20. How ing is still sizeable, despite the tax Internal migration has been transformation from a rural soci large. This combination, together pensive to invest in the 193 tiny demographic dividend will peter
ever, that will likely be transitory cuts. rising over time, nearly doubling ety to an urban society that is far with delayed action, will be towns with populations below out.
and largely be a refl ection of a in the 2000s relative to the 1990s. larger than any transformation explosive. half a million; but at present,
markedly adverse base eff ect The writer is Chief Economist of This suggests the rewards (pro seen in the past, in any other part Most unfortunately, contrary to these tiny towns are home to half The writer is Professor of Economics
rather than due to demand over Bandhan Bank spective income and employment of the globe (ADB 2011). By 2025, successful cities in the world, In of India’s urban residents (as at JNU
BusinessLine
The importance of being Greta Thunberg TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY
cially) on global warming (which ishing slavery or voting rights for even serious, tangible issues such
JINOY JOSE P October 3, 1999
B The fourth tranche of causes climate change, for women once sounded too good to as climate change is denied by not
Bharat22 Exchange Traded starters). Soon, she captured the be true. But wellmeaning humans just businesses with vested in Marketing margins of oil companies under pressure
Fund (ETF) opens for THE CHEATSHEET imaginations of climate groups have made those possible. terests but also by policymakers Despite the uptrend in prices of petroleum products,
subscription. The government and millions of children (across and leaders such as Donald Trump marketing margins of oil companies have come under
is likely to raise up to ₹ 8,000 Climate change meets Oscar geographies), for the sheer auda Interesting! (who reportedly called it a “hoax” severe pressure, according to oil company offi cials.
crore from investors from this Wilde? city of her campaigns — calling Also, what really matters here is invented by China), young minds Refi ning margins, on the other hand, have improved with
tranche. The investors will get Well, if you remember, The Import- upon people to avoid air transport, the fact that Thunberg has like Thunberg or Helena Gualinga margins in September being higher than in the previous
3 per cent discount over the ance of Being Earnest, the wittiest which according to her is one of brought climate change — a com (17) from the Ecuadorian Amazon, months. As for controlled products including HSD, LPG, MS
issue price. So far, the and arguably most popular play the biggest contributor of carbon plex sociopolitical issue that till or Tekanang (21), from the island and ATF, the marketing margins are fi xed by the
government has raised from Wilde, is the story of people emissions globally — shocked crit date was shuttling between aca nation of Tuvalu, with all their government. The margins, which are revised periodically,
around ₹ 35,000 crore who don fi ctitious identities to ics and supporters alike. demics, scientists, elite global pan blemishes are clearly making a dif have remained unchanged for the last two years.
through Bharat22 ETF. skirt social duties they fi nd hard to els, hawkish politicians ference. Clinton waives farm aid sanctions till October 21
meet. Interestingly, Thunberg, a Yes, she’s a radical. and such — to the street, The US President, Mr. Bill Clinton, has waived until October
B Home Minister Amit Shah Swedish environmental activist Exactly. And that’s why a prompting a giant wave Can’t agree more. We adults 21 sanctions and prohibitions on credit, credit guarantee
will fl ag off who has become the de facto face section of her critics in of mass protests in have failed them. or fi nancial assistance provided by the Department of
the New of the global campaign on climate clude climate activists as volving millions of par As Oscar Wilde has put it, “The Agriculture to support the purchase of food or other
DelhiKatra change, has jolted us all out of our well, who think tradi ents, children, teachers truth is rarely pure and never agricultural commodities in India and Pakistan. An
Vande genetic lethargy and reminded us tional ways work better and other volunteers call simple.” But let’s not get into la executive order to this eff ect was issued here on Thursday,
Bharat how we have been shrugging off with such issues and her ing for groundlevel ac ments here. The children need our according to an offi cial press release. The sanctions were
our duty as citizens, freewilled in extreme, “hyperbolic” tion to check impacts of support. The fact that a little girl imposed immediately after India's 1998 nuclear tests but
Express on
dividuals and thinking inhabit statements can endanger the cam climate change, which creates with Asperger’s Syndrome has subsequently, the Congress gave powers to the President to
its inaugural
ants of Planet Earth. paign’s spirit. They argue that call refugees across the globe, robs called our bluff , accusing us of waive them in national interest.
run. Katra is the base for
pilgrims visiting the Vaishno ing for a boycott of air travel runs millions out of livelihood, triggers damaging the planet and imper LTCM may go out of business
Devi temple in Jammu and Agreed, climate change the risk of going against modern fl oods, famines, droughts and illing the future, might seem a LTCM, the huge US investment fund that almost single
Kashmir. The train will not campaigns badly needed a ity and the inventions that helped other calamities that impact the little uncomfortable and even in handedly threatened to bring down the world fi nancial
have dynamic pricing. face. being the world together, aiding lives of millions of vulnerable timidating at the outset, but this system last year, is about to fold, the US central banker who
Yes; in fact, the entry of the 16year trade, travel and enabling faster people. phase in history off ers us a chance oversaw its hurried rescue said. The near collapse of Long
old on the global climate change exchange of ideas and people. to introspect and join these young Term Capital Management, which specialised in highly
B The World Economic risky investment bets, last year prompted its main creditor
movement is kind of epochal and True. How many of us have Avengers to build a better, habit
Forum’s India Economic banks to come up with a $3.5 billion salvage package. The
welltimed. Thunberg was shot Isn’t that a valid observation? really been following the UN able planet. We may not have a
Summit will begin in New deal was arranged by the New York Federal Reserve
into global fame in 2015 with her To be frank, labelling such remarks climate summits, I wonder! dream. Seems they have one.
Delhi. The 33rd edition of the President, Mr. William McDonough, amid fears that the
climate strike outside the Swedish “ecofascist”or “utopian”, as some You said it. In an era where misin
Summit will focus on artifi cial fi rm's demise could devastate the entire global fi nance
parliament, calling for stronger ac critics have termed Thunberg’s de formation spreads through social A weekly column that helps you ask
intelligence, environmental system.
tion (from governments, espe mands, is a little too much. Abol media like wildfi re and as a result the right questions
reforms, infrastructure,
innovation and South Asian
economic outlook. Bangladesh
PM Sheikh Hasina will cochair
the event alongside Singapore
Deputy PM.
easy bl two-way crossword 1459 not so easy
ACROSS DOWN ACROSS DOWN
B The World Women’s Boxing
01. Car, top of which may be 02. Work machinery (7) 01. Sort of car Cinderella's 02. Surgeon will work with tape or
Championship
lowered (11) 03. Smoke; bad smell (4) pumpkin might have been start to explore possibly (7)
will begin in
07. Rent, crack (7) 04. Not heavy (5) (11) 03. Evil smell smoke makes (4)
Russia. The
09. Matured (4) 05. Jeer at (5) 07. Chink, or Chinese leader 04. Not having made enough tricks
Indian
contingent 11. Former European currency 06. One doing no work (5) concerned with depravity (7) isn't serious (5)
comprisesfi ve unit (5) 08. Encompassed (8) 09. Old silver will fi nish if there's 05. Deride one who will eat so
debutants and 12. Push way through crowd (6) 10. Calculates (8) no nitrogen (4) greedily (5)
two veterans — Mary Kom and 14. Facepatches (6,5) 13. Potato seedbud (3) 11. Old money from abroad and 06. He might get riled, but he does
Sarita. Sixtime champion Mary 18. Ornamental case hung from 15. Trifl ing (7) one place it came from nothing about it (5)
Kom is also in the running to neck (6) 16. End of play (5) endlessly (5) 08. Uncle did wrong but was not
become a member of the 20. Thread; wind together (5) 17. Be on the brink of (5) 12. Jo lets it out to elbow her way left out (8)
International Boxing 22. Bargain occasion (4) 19. The Virginian quail; boy's through the crowd (6) 10. Calculates cost and puts me up
Association’s fi rstever athletes 23. Taking chances (7) name (5) 14. Lovely bits of scenery, as to it (8)
commission. 24. Briefl y, concisely (2,1,8) 21. Corrode, eat into (4) applied to faces (6,5) 13. Observe part of needle one has
18. Ornamental case one is to thread (3)
B Public sector banks will soundly advised to use key on 15. Hearing involving four or six of
launch the fi rst phase of (6) very little account (7)
‘customer outreach initiative’, 20. Half the eleven is about to 16. Shut up about being so mean
SOLUTION: BL Two-way Crossword 1458
covering nearly 50 districts. come fi rst with the string (5) fi sted (5)
During the fourday event, ACROSS 01. Capable 05. Cynic 08. Reenter 09. Agent 10. Absentees 22. Some antique landlord ejected 17. Grieve about losing one on the
loans will be provided for retail, 12. Eel 13. Topic 17. Art 19. Populated 21. Swoop 22. Tribune 24. Taper starts auction (4) roadside (5)
agriculture, vehicle, home, 25. Plaudit 23. Being adventurous, 19. The Virginian quail got for a
MSME, education and personal DOWN 01. Carnal 02. Pressed 03. Bit 04. Eerie 05. Classical 06. schoolmaster goes back to pound in hard money (5)
needs. The programme is Niece 07. Cattle 11. Notepaper 14. Astound 15. Basset 16. Advent 18. the ruler (7) 21. To chafe for nothing that's
aimed at increasing ease of Troop 20. Put up 23. Ida 24. Where to fi nd Hazel missing and eat the heart out
customer access and delivery of encapsulated (2,1,8) (4)
services at the doorstep.
CM . . ... .. .....CH-X
YK
CHENNAI
8 BANKING BusinessLine
THURSDAY • OCTOBER 3 • 2019
QUICKLY
Religare to sell stake in RFL for ₹ 330 cr
New Delhi, October 2
PMC Bank case highlights Mega bank merger: PNB
will hold EGM on Nov 4
role of statutory auditors
Religare Enterprises is selling its entire stake in
NBFC arm Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL) to TCG KR SRIVATS
Advisory Services for ₹ 330 crore, according to a New Delhi, October 2
regulatory fi ling on Wednesday. Religare Punjab National Bank (PNB)
Enterprises (REL) said in the fi ling that a share has convened an extraordin
purchase agreement has been signed with TCG Auditors must go through accounts in In the case of banks, the accounts ary general meeting (EGM) of
for selling stake in RFL, which is an SMEfocussed are automated and they also have its shareholders on November
NBFC and also owns a majority shareholding in a more detailed manner, regardless of CBS. So, audit is all about being able 4 to consider approval of the
housing fi nance provider, Religare Housing time constraints, say experts to read and analyse the data,” said amalgamation of Oriental
Development Finance Corporation Ltd (RHDFCL). Ameet Patel, Partner, Manohar Bank of Commerce (OBC) and
REL, in July 2019, signed a binding term sheet with SURABHI / K RAM KUMAR tion at PMC Bank is completed in Chowdhry and Associates. United Bank of India (UBI)
TCG Advisory Services to sell its NBFC and housing Mumbai, October 2 the next few days, and they did not The RBI has, in the past, taken a with itself. Managing Director and CEO of
fi nance businesses. According to the fi ling, REL is The recent crisis at Punjab and Ma rule out enforcement action by the strict view on the responsibility of Allahabad Bank, as the next
divesting its entire stake in RFL for ₹ 330 crore. The harashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank RBI. auditors. In June this year, it barred Deferred AGM MD and CEO of Punjab Na
transaction is subject to receipt of statutory and has once again brought into focus “The RBI has been taking a strict EY member SR Batliboi & Co LLP This EGM, which was to be held tional Bank, replacing incum
regulatory approvals and fulfi llment of other the role of auditors, an area where view on the role of auditors and has more detailed manner, irrespective from carrying out statutory audit on October 22, had recently bent Sunil Mehta, who demit
conditions. PTI the Reserve Bank of India has taken been giving approvals after careful of the size of operations. “There is assignments in commercial banks been deferred. It has now been ted offi ce on Monday on
a tough stance in the recent past consideration. The problem at PMC often huge pressure on auditors be for a year for “lapses identifi ed in a decided to hold the EGM on superannuation.
BoB signs MoU with Indian Army and could do so again. Bank was clearly a failure at many cause of the massive size of busi statutory audit assignment carried November 4 at the bank’s head
New Delhi, October 2 According to the disclosures levels, including at the level of stat nesses. But it is their responsibility. out by the fi rm”. offi ce, sources said. Government investment
Bank of Baroda (BoB) has made by Joy Thomas, former Man utory auditors,” said a source who The EGM is also expected to Meanwhile, PNB, on Septem
signed a Memorandum of aging Director at PMC Bank, its stat did not wish to be named. approve the Centre’s capital in ber 30, received from the gov
Understanding (MoU) with
Indian Army, under which the
utory auditors were only checking
the incremental advances and not
PMC Bank’s auditors Lakdawala
and Co, in their annual report 2018
CA Institute initiates disciplinary proceedings fusion of about ₹ 18,000 crore
in PNB through preferential al
ernment a capital infusion of
₹ 3,000 crore towards the
bank will offer customised the entire operations in all the ac 19, certifi ed that during the course OUR BUREAU latory agencies, including the lotment of equity shares. Centre’s contribution in the
services, along with a host of counts because of time constraints of their audit, they had not come New Delhi, October 2 RBI and the Registrar of Cooper The earlier EGM date of Octo preferential allotment of
facilities to account holders. and the increasing size of opera across any suspicious transactions. The CA Institute has initiated ative Societies, Maharashtra, ber 22 had to be postponed as equity shares (special securit
The MoU includes free personal accident tions. The auditors then merely val In its annual general meeting disciplinary proceedings in the sources said. ICAI has also writ the bank was going through a ies/bonds) of the bank.
insurance cover, free air accident insurance cover idated the incremental loans and that was scheduled for September PMC Bank case following its col ten to the statutory auditor of leadership transition and a It may be recalled that PNB
of ₹ 15 lakh to ₹ 50 lakh, and an overdraft facility advances and scrutinised the ac 28 and was subsequently cancelled, lapse. Besides writing to the co PMC Bank pertaining to fi nan new Managing Director and had, in Septemberend, given
up to three times of the monthly net salary, the counts that were shown by the PMC Bank had proposed to appoint operative bank, the Institute of cial years 201718 and 201819, CEO was to be appointed, it is its approval for raising capital
public sector bank said in a statement. The bank. statutory auditors for 201920. Ex Chartered Accountants of India seeking clarifi cation on the learnt. of up to ₹ 3,000 crore in the
features are also applicable for pensioners of According to sources, there will perts point out that statutory audit (ICAI) has also written to regu matter, they added. The Centre, on Tuesday, ap form of Additional TierI Basel
Indian Army up to the age of 70 years, it said. PTI be more clarity when the inspec ors should go through accounts in a pointed SS Mallikarjun Rao, IIIcompliant perpetual bonds.
Student housing, co-living, retirement homes Credit Guarantee Fund Trust includes Ashok Kapur family
expresses full
are new realty growth drivers: HDFC chief scheduled co-op banks as members OUR BUREAU ing was the highest at 29 per
faith in YES Bank
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA dent housing is a very big PropTiger, coliving spaces have Mumbai, October 2 X
W cent. Mumbai, October 2
New Delhi, October 2 growth area, and it has taken emerged as a “real estate gold Recognising the signifi cant This will help SUCBs avail The eligibility criteria for The Ashok Kapur family, on
Confi dent the real estate sector off well. Many universities, col mine” that remains largely un role they play in fi nancing guarantee cover for inclusion of SUCBs as MLIs Wednesday, affi rmed full sup
will do well as long as there are leges and educational institu tapped. micro and small enterprises credit facilities include demand and time li port to YES Bank, following co
“right developers, right pricing tions are now selling their own The study added that it has (MSEs), the Credit Guarantee extended by them to abilities (DTL) of not less promoter Rana Kapoor’s near
and right unit size”, eminent housing to raise money to the potential to turn into a $93 Fund Trust for MSEs MSEs not covered than ₹ 750 crore on a con complete exit from the private
banker Deepak Parekh said that build more classes, facilities,” billion market annually on (CGTMSE) has included by collateral security tinuous basis for one year; sector lender. “We stand fi rmly
a number of new growth said Parekh. rising demand from students scheduled urban cooperat capital to risk weighted as behind YES Bank and have com
drivers are also emerging in the “The other growth area right and professionals. ive banks (SUCBs) as mem fund based) extended by eli sets ratio of minimum 12 per plete and full faith in the leader
form of student housing, retire now is coliving. People, includ On the other hand, the co ber lending institutions gible lending institutions to cent; continuous net profi t ship and management of the
ment homes, and coliving ing foreign investors, have also Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC working space is also seeing (MLIs). new as well as existing MSEs, for the previous three years; bank,” said Ashok Kapur’s
projects. started talking about rental huge growth. According to This will help SUCBs avail including service enter gross nonperforming assets daughter Shagun Gogia.
housing. And many are also facilities available for senior cit Knight Frank, coworking oper guarantee cover for credit fa prises, with a maximum of 5 per cent or less; and no The family’s ownership is
Warehousing business building projects for senior cit izens, and places such as Delhi ators leased 4 million square cilities extended by them to credit cap of ₹ 2 crore, are eli major regulatory and super over 8.7 per cent and very minis
He said that foreign investors izens, including some being NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai feet of offi ce space across eight MSEs not covered by collat gible to be covered up to 85 visory concerns. cule part of it is pledged, she
have also been investing in a built by people themselves. We Pune region have started see major cities during the fi rst eral security. per cent of the sanctioned Meanwhile, CGTMSE has said. The level of the pledge,
big way in good commercial are funding some of them actu ing such projects. half of 2019 to meet rising de According to CGTMSE, any amount of the credit facility. also included newage which has proven to be the un
projects, while warehousing is ally,” said the Chairman of According to a recent study mand from corporates and collateral/ thirdparty guar As per RBI data for 201718, fi ntech NBFCs, registered doing for the Rana Kapoor fam
another segment where they HDFC Ltd. Retirement homes conducted by News Corp and startups. This marks a growth antee free credit facility the share of MSE advances with RBI and lending to ily, has been unchanged for the
are showing keen interest. “Stu are like hostels with all kinds of Softbankbacked realty portal of 42 per cent over H1 2018. (both fund as well as non within priority sector lend MSEs, as MLIs. last decade, she added.
Rupee to stay volatile ahead of RBI panel meet No let up in pressure on credit
CURRENCY CALL
cent for the month. However,
the steel sector recorded a
growth of 5 per cent. But the
leased by the RBI. The current
account defi cit (CAD) for Q1
FY20 narrowed to $14.3 billion
period of the preceding year.”
After net selling ₹ 12,419
crore and ₹ 17,592 crore worth
to 102 in a short period of
time. More volatility can be
expected in the coming days
quality of domestic companies
AKHIL NALLAMUTHU overall index contracted by from $15.8 billion during the of equities in July and August, ahead of the talks between OUR BUREAU ratings of 266 entities, refl ect ies, housing fi nance companies
BL Research Bureau 0.5 per cent, compared to 4.7 same quarter last year. foreign portfolio investors trade representatives of the Mumbai, October 2 ing a downgrade rate of 14.6 per as well as banks, have seen a
After a gradual rise in Septem per cent expansion registered As a percentage of GDP, CAD (FPI) were upbeat in Septem US and China. Further Ratings of India Inc saw a sharp cent (annualised), which was downgrade of their debt by rat
ber, the rupee came under in August 2018. dropped to 2 per cent against ber as they pumped ₹ 7,548 strength in the dollar will downgrade in the fi rst half of signifi cantly higher than the ing agencies.
pressure this week. The cur The Nikkei Markit Manufac 2.3 per cent in the same crore in to equities. take the index higher, and it 201920, with analysts high past fi veyear average of 8.8 per Crisil also remained cautious
rency marked an eightweek turing PMI for September, period last year. Trade defi cit, In the debt segment, the will weigh on the Indian lighting rise in pressure on the cent,” it said in its roundup for about the fi nancial sector and
high of 70.35 but slipped be which was released on Tues the largest component of picture was diff erent as FPIs currency. credit quality of domestic the fi rst half of the fi scal, said challenges persist for
low 71 against the dollar. day, was unchanged from Au CAD, came in without any ma net sold ₹ 990 crore during fi rms. adding that the instances of up those with wholesaleoriented
Even though the govern gust at 51.4. It is the slowest jor change at $46.2 billion in September. In July and Au Technical outlook Rating agency Crisil, on Tues grades, at 170, witnessed a de loan books. It also expects non
ment has stayed with the bor pace of expansion in the past Q1 FY20, compared with $45.7 gust, the net investments in In the last two sessions, the ru day, said that as much as ₹ 1.38 cline, as did the upgrade rate of performing assets for banks to
rowing plan (₹ 2.68lakh crore 16 months. billion in Q1 FY19. debt stood at ₹ 9,433 crore and pee gave up the gains it pos lakh crore of debt has been 9.4 per cent (annualised), further decline to about 8 per
in the second half of FY20), These data points, along However, the improvement ₹ 11,672 crore. The combined ted during the past month. downgraded in the fi rst six which was relatively lower than cent to 8.5 per cent by March
the rupee continued to trade with low infl ation levels, are in CAD was largely driven by net infl ow of ₹ 6,582 crore into On Tuesday, it closed at 71.08, months of the current fi scal, the past fi veyear average of 10.2 2020 from 9.3 per cent at the
weak on Tuesday. It closed at fuelling market expectations higher invisible receipts of equity and debt instruments near the 38.2 per cent Fibon making it the highest since the per cent. end of 201819.
71.08, falling by 0.3 per cent of a deeper rate cut by the $31.9 billion, compared to for September eased pressure acci retracement level of the fi rst half of 201516. “The value It, however, noted that as The agency said that the
over Monday. Monetary Policy Committee $29.9 billion a year ago, ac on the Indian currency. past price swing, and moved of debt downgraded more than credit quality pressures en credit quality pressures intensi
of the Reserve Bank of India cording to the RBI. The demand for dollar below an import support of 71. trebled to ₹ 1.38lakh crore in dured, and instances of down fi ed for India Inc in the fi rst half
Macroeconomic data when it meets this Friday. But “ Foreign exchange reserves picked up ahead of the US If the weakness continues, the fi rst half of fi scal 2020, from grades increased, this wasn’t ac of the fi scal due to a variety of
Data released recently does a steep repo rate cut will put increased by $14 billion dur China trade talks. it could depreciate towards ₹ 39,000 crore in the fi rst half of companied by an increase in factors, including global and
not augur well for the Indian downward pressure on the in ing AprilJune 2019, against a The dollar index has been the support band between fi scal 2019. That’s the highest the overall default rates, which domestic economic slowdown,
currency. According to the terest rate diff erential, which, decrease of $11.3 billion dur moving up for the past one 71.4 and 71.6. for any half since fi scal 2016,” it softened to 2.5 per cent (annu sharp fall in consumption de
monthly data of core sectors in turn, will make debt invest ing AprilJune 2018. week and is currently trading Below those levels, it could said in its ratings roundup for alised) in the fi rst half of 2019 mand, and slower government
released on Monday, fi ve out ments in India less attractive, “Forex reserves in nominal at 99 levels, retesting its fall to 72. On the other hand, if the fi rst half of 201920. 20, compared to the past fi ve spending.
of eight industries shrank in prompting foreign investors terms (including valuation ef September high. the rupee manages to gain ICRA said it downgraded year average of 3 per cent. “Constrained access to fund
August 2019, compared to the to exit. fects) increased by $17 billion Beyond this level, the pro from the current levels, it ₹ 5.2lakh crore of debt in the The comments come at a ing also aff ected the credit pro
previous year. The coal sector However, there was some during AprilJune 2019, spect for the index crossing could retest 70.35. Expect fi rst half of the fi scal, against time when several players in fi les of entities across sectors,
was hit the most, registering a relief looking at the balance against a decrease of $18.8 bil the allimportant level of 100 higher volatility as we move ₹ 3.2lakh crore in the whole of the fi nancial sector, including especially nonbanks and real
negative growth of 8.6 per of payments (BOP) data re lion in the corresponding is high, and it could accelerate closer to the RBI decision. 201819. “ICRA downgraded the nonbanking fi nance compan estate,” it noted.
‘We recognise customers now reside in digital ecosystems’ ‘Most banks fail
climate change,
KR SRIVATS
New Delhi, October 2
been ranked No 1 in our Net
Promoter Score (NPS) survey
We recognise customers
now reside in digital ecosys
for example, earlier this year,
we launched a unique off er
the average. We believe this
occurs because customers see
cards are sourced digitally,
and we want to continue
the credit cards industry, in
its bid to gain business
human rights
Citibank India has been in India for the last four years, tems. Thus, going forward, we ing called Citi Pay with Points. the value from using their growing our base via digital volumes, handed out policies test’
enjoying pole position among reinforcing this leadership believe that better customer This is a solution that enables credit card, such as deferred channels. cards to even those who
foreign banks in the Indian position. Among foreign value is provided by a partner customers to redeem their re payments, discounts, re The cornerstone of the were not creditworthy? PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
credit card space. In an banks, we are the No 1 credit ship between issuers and the ward points directly for a pur wards. And with 86 per cent of strategy, going forward, is di We believe the Indian con New Delhi, October 2
interaction with BusinessLine, card issuer in India by far. ecosystem. We pioneered that chase transaction, simply via transactions still done in gitisation – the card trans sumer lending industry is far Most Indian banks fail when it
Arjun Chowdhry, Head of Credit trend with our recent part a few clicks on the mobile cash, there is plenty of room forms into the app. The Citi more evolved, and a lot more comes to policies on environ
Cards, Payments and Have cards in force nership with Paytm; Paytm phone. We will be extending to grow for credit cards. customer has seen a slew of responsible than it was in ment and human rights and
Unsecured Lending, shared his increased for Citibank First Credit Card is India’s this, and will also open up features being brought on 200809. Access to data and this inaction leaves the Indian
views on the secret behind in recent years? Could fi rstofitskind – digitally de new segments for customers How has the journey been line and on to the Citi app – re its analysis gives us the oppor banking sector vulnerable to
Citi’s success. Excerpts: you please share livered, an unlimited cash to redeem their reward points so far for Citi in the deeming rewards, taking tunity to try new approaches investment risks that arise due
What is the current some data points? back card, with automatic digitally. credit cards space in loans against the credit card to manage risk. to climate emergencies, accord
O
standing of Citi in the We have been judi statement credits and integ India? What are the itself, and even setting limits ing to the fi rst edition of Fair
Indian credit card cious in our market ration with the partner’s eco How is the demand for aspirations, going forward? for overseas spending. Our Finance Guide India scorecard.
industry segmentation, and system. credit cards playing out In a word, this journey has strategy is rooted in the be The scorecard is an assess
pecking order? have continued to in India? Is it muted been, and continues to be ex lief that superior digital ex ment of policy disclosures of a
Citi is a preferred grow in our target What new innovations because of the slowdown, hilarating. Citi India has been perience will be the key diff er sample of eight banks – State
credit card brand, with lead segments. The cards in force and offerings can one or has thedemand a pioneer in the card industry entiator in the future, and we Bank of India, Federal Bank,
ership position in terms of have grown around 5 per cent expect from Citi in the for credit cards gone up? – from launching the fi rst are developing our usage of Punjab National Bank, Bank of
preference. According to RBI every year over the last few next six months in We believe the trajectory for credit card to introducing the fers and propositions, and India, Indian Overseas Bank,
data, the average amount years. For us, the important the credit cards space? growth of India’s credit card fi rst cobranded credit card the entire card lifecycle, on IDFC Bank, HDFC Bank, and YES
spent per card is 1.4 times yardstick is customer engage We recently introduced the has a long runway ahead. and providing instant loans that premise. Bank. As per the scorecard,
than that of the industry. In ment measured by spends Paytm First credit card, India’s Credit card penetration in In on our credit cards. Approx Are we moving to a three out of eight Indian banks
terestingly, the driver for this and transactions per card, fi rst credit card with 1 per cent dia is still very low, relative to imately 40 per cent of our 2008-like situation where scored high on parameters of
is better customer engage since that indicates the value universal unlimited cash the market and in compar fi nancial inclusion and corrup
ment – our cards are used clients derive from our back. In the next few months ison to other countries, even Z
Y tion. However, seven out of
Our strategy is rooted in the belief that a
twice as often as the industry products. We have main you will see other off ers and after the rapid growth seen in eight banks scored zero on the
superior digital experience will be the key
average in terms of transac tained a 1.4 time spends per schemes with iconic brands, the last threeplus years. themes of climate change and
tions per card/month. card versus the industry aver bringing value for all the Today, there are4.9 crore differentiator in the future environment. The banks also
We achieve this through age, and transaction fre spending needs of customers. credit cards in circulation, ARJUN CHOWDHRY scored poorly on the themes of
Head of Credit Cards, Payments and Unsecured Lending,
our product structures and quency at two times the in Our transformation of the and this set of customers con Citibank labour rights and human
partnerships. Citi has also dustry average. card to the app will continue – tinues to spend higher than Z
Y rights.
CM . . . .. . . ...CH-X
YK
CHENNAI
BusinessLine
THURSDAY • OCTOBER 3 • 2019 COMMODITIES 9
India banned onion exports; now, Asia has eye-watering prices Raw sugar hits highest level
since Aug as deficit fears grow
REUTERS local prices jumped to ₹ 4,500 In response to the crisis, the gov 280300 Sri Lankan rupees ($1.7) per
Mumbai/Dhaka, October 2 ($63.30) per 100 kg, their highest in ernment of Bangladesh has initi kilogramme. REUTERS funds are getting scared and
From Kathmandu to Colombo, it's a nearly six years, due to the delay in ated sales of subsidised onions For other countries, there may be London, October 2 producers are happy to hold
kitchen nightmare: Onion prices summersown crop arrivals through the staterun Trading Cor little option but to sit tight and Raw sugar futures on ICE hit out (for higher prices). The
have gone crazy. triggered by longer, heavier rains poration of Bangladesh (TCB). hope for the best. their highest level since mid next contract expiry is not till
That’s because India, the world’s than usual. “We are looking for all possible Malaysia, the secondbiggest August on Wednesday as March so they've got time,”
biggest seller of the Asian diet Since the ban, countries such as options to import onions. Our tar buyer of Indian onions, expects the funds covered large net short said a dealer. “At 13.50 cents
staple, has banned exports after ex Bangladesh have turned to the likes get is to import in the shortest pos ban to be temporary and sees no positions on concerns this we might see more appetite
tended Monsoon downpours of Myanmar, Egypt, Turkey and sible time,” said TCB spokesman Hu reason to panic, said Sim Tze Tzin, season's global market defi cit to sell.” December white
delayed harvests and supplies shriv China to increase supplies in a bid mayun Kabir. But the shipments deputy minister of agriculture. may be bigger than initially sugar was down $1.9, or 0.6
elled. And dedicated buyers across bring prices down, government offi from elsewhere — Iran and Turkey But even India has been import forecast. Cocoa edged per cent %, at $342.10 a
the region, like Nepalese housewife cials and traders said. are also potential suppliers — that ing onions from Egypt in an eff ort to higher again after top tonne after peaking at
Seema Pokharel, are fl ummoxed. But the hefty volumes lost will be authorities in countries across the calm prices. And there won’t be any producer Ivory $347.20 on Monday,
“This is a terrible increase,” said hard to replace. region are investigating will all take meaningful drop in prices before Coast said earlier the highest since
Pokharel, out shopping for veget India exported 2.2 million tonnes time. summersown crops start to hit the this week that it early March.
ables in Kathmandu. “Onion prices of fresh onions in the 2018/19 fi scal India exported 2.2 million tonnes of “It takes one month when it market, said Ajit Shah, president of planned to cap December New
have more than doubled in the last year ended March 31, according to fresh onions in the 201819 comes from Egypt and about 25 the Mumbaibased Onion Exporters’ production. March York cocoa was up
month alone.” data from India’s Agricultural and days from China, while it takes only Association. raw sugar was up $13, or 0.5 per cent,
Whether it’s Pakistani chicken Processed Food Products Export De Bangladesh capital, consumers are a few days from India,” said Dhaka That’s not expected until mid 0.01 cent, or 0.1 per at $2,465 a tonne.
curry, Bangladeshi biryani or Indian velopment Authority. That's more now being asked to pay 120 taka trader Idris. November, meaning the export ban cent, at 12.89 cents per March London cocoa
sambar, Asian consumers have de than half of all imports by Asian ($1.42) per kilogramme for their The need for alternative imports isn’t going away in the near term. lb by 1106 GMT after peaking was up £13 pounds, or 0.7%,
veloped a serious dependence on In countries, traders estimate. prized onions twice the price a fort is so severe, though, that countries “India could resume exports once at 12.93 cents, its highest since at £1,880a tonne.
dian onion supplies for goto dishes. night ago and the highest since like Sri Lanka have already placed prices drop, but it will take time,” Auguat 12. Also underpinning December arabica coff ee
Shorter shipment times than from ‘Taking advantage’ December, 2013. orders with Egypt and China, said G said Shah. “Until India resumes ex sugar prices, only 175,000 fell 0.7 cents, to $1.0065 per lb.
rival exporters like China or Egypt Rising prices of alternative supplies “Prices are going up elsewhere in Rajendran, president of the Essen ports, supplies will remain limited tonnes of raw sugar were de November robusta coff ee was
play a crucial role in preserving the will add to the headache for import Asia and Europe,” said Idris. “Other tial Food Commodities, Importers in Asia.” livered against the October down $3,at $1,308 a tonne. Top
taste of the perishable commodity. ers trying to get the vegetable from exporting countries are taking ad and Traders Association. For now, consumers like Kath contract, which expired on coff ee producer Brazil expor
But last Sunday New Delhi elsewhere, said Mohammad Idris, a vantage of the Indian ban” to raise Onion prices in Sri Lanka have mandu shopper Pokharel are hav Monday, far below the more ted 2.69 million 60kg bags in
banned all exports from India after trader based in Dhaka. In the their asking price. risen by 50 per cent in a week, to ing to change habits across Asia. than 2 million delivered at the September down from 2.99
previous expiry. “I think the million bags a year ago.
CM . . .... . . ...CH-X
YK
CHENNAI
10 TECHNOPHILE BusinessLine
THURSDAY • OCTOBER 3 • 2019
I
t isn’t surprising that the iPhone else is generously paying for it, you 11 Pro models. The iPhone 11 has no fi nish is glossy, as we’ve known iPhone 11 has the fi rst two but not the
11 has been fl ying off the shelves will naturally be wondering which of smaller version so you don’t have the iPhones to be, and the device needs third. You can do a software zoom
in India even before it got to the the iPhones to choose. The two choice of getting a more easytohold to go into a case because it will really but not one that is supported by
stores. Online preorders were iPhone Pro models are almost device if you opt for it. You do have a smudged. sheer optics. All three phones have a
snapped up so promptly that one can identical to each other except for size nice choice of colours though The two iPhone 11 Pro phones have OLED displays with much higher new and impressive night mode,
see the confi dence customers place and a scaling down of such things as because that’s one thing the Pro two sizes to choose from and come in resolution and pixel densities. But excellent clarity and colour and are
in the Apple brand and the specifi c battery and screen to go with a new matte fi nish that is glass but the iPhone 11’s screen does so well acknowledged to be the best for
product. The iPhone 11’s predecessor, the size. They’re feels like metal. Fingerprints are less with its specs that it’s easily one of video. The diff erence in cameras can
iPhone XR, did so well it gave Apple a the two evident on these and you can get the best LCD’s and more than enough be soon on the back of the phones
leap ahead in market share. That more away with using no case though for most people — unless they’re where on the Pro models there’s a big
phone will still be available and is Rs vulnerability to damage from falls reviewers who stare and compare. square holding all three lenses. On
39,999 for the base model in some and knocks doesn’t change. The Pro phones do have much the iPhone 11, there are two lenses
places online right now but of course The colour choices are greater brightness range however. prominently displayed.
there are customers picking up the silver, gold, space grey All three new iPhones work on the
brand new iPhone 11 at Rs and a colour that new A13 Bionic chip, capable of iPhone 11 vs iPhone XR
64,900 (base model) and people have really liked, handling augmented reality tasks, There are more choices than these
a lot less depending midnight green. It’s gaming and artifi cial intelligence two, the least expensive of this year’s
on the scheme one actually only subtly powered activities equally well. So and last year’s lineups, but for now it
chooses. diff erent from the grey the Pro phones are by no means looks like the XR is available at
The iPhone 11 is a and only looks green at more powerful. reduced prices and still isn’t a
smartphone that some angles. What the iPhone 11 Pro models smartphone you could consider
feels rather On the inside, the have to their advantage is three obsolete by any means. It’s still a
substantial in the iPhone 11 has a 6.1 camera lenses instead of just two on great phone and has in common
hand. It weights inch LCD screen with the iPhone 11. At the same time, with the new iPhones, iOS 13, which
194 gms and a 1792x828pixel photography quality has been means the same software experience
certainly is not resolution at 326 improved on all of these. The main for the most part, and the same new
for those looking for a ppi density. The “Wide” camera on the iPHone 11 Pro features such as Dark Mode, new Siri,
featherlight slim phone. iPhone Pro phones is a 12MP sensor with f/1.8 extensive new Photo features,
Instead it’s for someone who phones have aperture, and optical image updates to keyboards and more.
T
MALA BHARGAVA like to fl y about the screen with their thumbs, but he megapixel camera Now for the cameras. Apart from
you can customise it and join it up, change the race is well and truly the 64 MP primary sensor, the
S
amsung’s Galaxy Fold so caught the world’s colour theme etc to suit your own style. I was happy back on smartphones. other three lens are the same as
attention when it was announced in to see you can also swipetype across both sections if But this time, it’s nice to that on the 5 Pro — for wideangle,
February this year that customers eagerly you like that method of input. It can also be used see midrange phones drive it macro, and depth. This means that
prebooked it and waited for it to get to the when you change the phone’s orientation. rather than the topend ones, camera features stay more or less
store shelves. The ambitious and interesting new The 7.3inch AMOLED screen immediately looked putting better cameras in the the same — no wide angle video,
device, a phone that folded in two down the middle, of typical Samsung quality. Launching the camera hands of the masses. good macro given the price point,
hit a snag when users peeled off an outer covering app, it was rather nice to shoot a photo with that If Xiaomi brought the 48 MP and portrait shots that are
which was not as was thought, the usual plastic nice big ‘viewfi nder’ of a screen. Both rear and front camera fi rst to the country with functional. The diff erence is when
paper you get on all phones but a special protective cameras seemed to be doing a good job, on the basis the Redmi Note 7 Pro, Realme has you shoot at the full 64 MP.
layering for the screen. of that fi rst glance we got at it. The cameras work decided to be fi rstpastthepost The bumpup in the sensor gives
After reviewers found quite a number of problems whichever way you turn the smartphone. this time around, bringing a you better clarity on zooming,
with the screen and hinge, Samsung halted the roll When folded up, which the device does whopping 64 MP lens to its quad more detail in the picture, and
out and went back to the drawing board to fi x the uncomplainingly, closing up with a little click, it’s camera set on the new Realme XT. sharperlooking landscape shots.
issues. They put in new materials on the screen, surprisingly narrow and easy to hold in one hand. The quad camera set was just seen Switch HDR on and shoot at 64 MP
moved the protective layer where it can’t be reached, You can go into that mode to take phone calls or on the Realme 5 and 5 Pro. That’s and you get huge image sizes, but
and changed the hinging mechanism by putting in quick actions. Both modes let you pull down quite a slew of devices and lenses useful ones in case you want to
what they’re referring to as interlocking gears. notifi cation trays from top to bottom and an app from the Chinese brand, which zoomin post shooting and get into
Spending a brief spell of time with the Fold at the drawer from bottom to top. You can launch has stepped out from under the the details and crop stuff out. It also
India lunch event, I found the form factor an diff erent apps and position them on the screen Oppo shadow. The front is pretty much the same makes lowlight photography slightly
interesting and and even drag and drop information While the XT’s nomenclature is like fare from Realme. I personally feel its better and the Nightscape helps you
intriguing one. It between the windows. There’s also a Realme’s ‘fl agship’ X, it is much closer time for smartphonemakers to ditch shoot in the dark and the results are
didn’t feel diffi cult to continuity between apps on the top in look, feel, specs and operation to the the weirdlooking drop notch. Maybe a decent, like they were on the 5 Pro.
hold — light and screen and the opened up display, but I’ll Realme 5 Pro, with the big diff erence slight bumpup in price and a popup The 16 MP front camera is also
balanced have to spend more time with the Fold to being a 64 MP lens instead of a 48 MP. selfi e camera could have worked better similar fare, and Realme says that it
enough when see how well that works. Quite obviously, The drop notch, quad camera strip on for the Realme XT. will get the Nightscape soon too, via an
open and not too this is a smartphonetablet hybrid for the the back, lovely patterns and gradients, The phone also uses the Snapdragon OTA update. This is good news.
thick or unwieldy ultimate multitasker who thrives on are very similar to the 5 Pro. 712 chipset, a la Realme 5 Pro. The Is the Realme XT worth the few
when folded shut. productivity. There have still been reports of the Special mention for the XT’s back, version we reviewed had a massive 8 GB thousands more you would shell out,
Compared with the device’s fragility however. There are a number of however. The Pearl White review unit RAM and 128 GB+ storage. The 712 is a compared to the Realme 5 Pro? Well,
fi rst version of the warnings about how to handle the phone and was a thing of beauty, with light very capable performer and seems depends on how serious you are about
device, the second care is obviously going to be required from its bouncing off and also giving shape to perfect for phones in this range, given your social media photography cred.
take opens up users. The Fold defi nitely can’t be treated with the gorgeous patterns on the phone’s back. that they may fi nd a diverse target 64 is larger than 48, after all. And the
much fl atter, not confi dent carelessness with which today’s regular The way it looks belies its price point audience. Gamers or those watching megapixel race is heating up again.
looking reluctant smartphones are. and to the uninitiated, this could well movies/videos will not face glitches. Your move, Xiaomi.
as it did before. Galaxy Fold comes with 12GB of RAM and 512GB look like a phone that is at fl agship There is some warming up of the back
You can certainly internal storage, and will be available in black at level prices. The camera assembly juts panel on prolonged gaming, however. Price: ₹ 15,999 onwards
see a slight ₹ 164,999. Prebookings for Galaxy Fold in India out, but there’s a case in the box to do For regular users, it is smooth sailing Pros: Consistent performer,
indentation open on October 4 and deliveries will begin on away with that awkwardness. However, and the 4,000 mAh battery also keeps looks great, camera is fun to use
October 20. Galaxy Fold will be available for pre the case robs the back of some of its up with the day. Realme’s VOOC fast Cons: Too similar to the cheaper
booking online on Samsung’s estore, Samsung sheen, which is a pity. If you are not charging ensures quick juicingup. The Realme 5 Pro, camera features
Shop, and offl ine in 35 cities across select 315 outlets, butterfi ngers, try doing without one if phone gets USB Type C connectivity, like could have seen upgrades
including the Samsung Opera House in Bengaluru. you want to fl aunt it. the 5 Pro.
OnePlus 7T: 90Hz super screen, updated chip and three cameras
A mid-lifecycle refresh out as gives the impression of being I fi nd them looking about as good as The OnePlus 7T’s screen has a the 7 Pro is a faster, more advanced an inch away from the subject. If the
heftier and not quite as sleek and each other. negligible notch which soon processor, the Snapdragon 855 Plus. light is good, it does this quite
brings in a variant slim as the other OnePlus devices, stopped annoying me. This With that you get 8GB of RAM while nicely. In the end, the OnePlus
between the but in fact, it’s really the same form Fast fluid display means it lacks the pop up the 7 Pro goes up to 12GB and either camera, as is evident on the 7T, has
factor except for a very prominent One coveted feature the camera from the 7 Pro, but 128GB or 256GB of storage. It also come a long way and though it isn’t
Oneplus 7 and 7 Pro circular camera assembly of three OnePlus 7T has is the that’s not diffi cult to live doesn’t lack other specs either such quite as good as the top few, the gap
lenses and a fl ash sitting proudly in most talked about 90Hz with as I fi nd popups can get as the faster UFS 3.0 storage which is no longer that huge.
MALA BHARGAVA the centre at the back of the device. refresh rate on the 6.5 a bit distracting with their means faster working with saving The main camera on the 7T is a
Obviously, some prefer a quiet AMOLED HDR10+ screen popping up. The screen also fi les. It also comes with Android 10 48MP with an f/1.6 aperture and
O
nePlus has this tradition looking set of cameras but of the OnePlus 7 Pro. This is thankfully fl at and not to begin with and even beats the optical image stabilisation which
of bringing out a ‘T’ personally I like the look of is now apparently to curved into the sides like the Pixel 4 on that front. Other phones does a great job on video. We took it
version of its phone. After prominent cameras as they give me come to all future 7 Pro’s and this is something running the newest version of for a bumpy ride and found every
all, how boring would it the feeling photography on the OnePlus phones. The I fi nd quite universally Android are using beta versions for jerk smoothened out very nicely on
be to have just one phone for the device is bound to be good. The back upcoming Pixel 4 may welcomed. A curved screen now, awaiting updates. playback. The 12MP telephoto lens
whole year while other phone of the OnePlus 7T is smooth glass, also have it, if rumour is doesn’t do that much for OnePlus has also refreshed its leads to 2X zoom (not 3X as on the 7
makers grabbed all the new tech. So very much like the OnePlus 7 Pro to be believed. The high viewing pleasure while it OxygenOS to level 10 bringing a few Pro) and performs adequately with
right on cue, or rather, a little early and almost like its Nebula Blue but refresh rate means that leads to countless accidental new features and refi nements. One an f/2.2 aperture. The 16MP ultra
in the day, OnePlus released the lighter in a shade the company calls everything is faster and touches sending these very of these is an upcoming feature that wide angle lens is going to be
OnePlus 7T for a price of ₹ 37,999ava. Glacier Blue. Another colour variant smoother. To many, it fast phones doing will classify SMS messages for better enjoyable for most people. It has a
For now, this new device sits is Frosted Silver. It doesn’t show really makes no something you never handling. A special chromatic 117 degree fi eld of view. There’s
between the topend OnePlus 7 Pro fi nger smudges half as much as diff erence for intended them to before you reading mode for instance is really pretty nice night mode.
(₹ 48,999 for 6GB RAM 128GB storage, glossy glass does. But you’ll need a phones can think of stopping them. nice and makes the screen really
₹ 52,999 for 8GB RAM 256GB storage, case, if nothing else but to protect that are so comfortable to use. Yet another Price: ₹ 37,999 for 8GB128GB;
₹ 57,999 for 12GB RAM 256GB the camera lenses a bit more though fast in any Packed with specs advantage on the 7T is its faster ₹ 39,999 for 8GB256GB
storage) and the regular OnePlus 7 OnePlus has looked into that with case, but Another thing charging which OnePlus calls Warp Pros: Fast and future proof,
for ₹ 32,999. That’s a lot of OnePluses the glass protection for it and also ut OnePlus devices the OnePlus Charge 30T. This charges the phone zero lag screen, macro lens a
to confuse us and who knows a metallic rim around it so it doesn’t are a favourite with 7T has 18 per cent faster than already fast nice addition to the three
whether there’ll be more coming touch a surface directly. the tech savvy, and so it over charging OnePlus phones, notching cameras, excellent software
but it also means more choice. Once you put it into a case, a slim happens to be a really up its 3,800mAh battery to 70 per experience, very fast charging,
A bit strangely, the new OnePlus 7T one like the sandstone case, for popular feature. The 7T actually cent charge in just half an hour. more improvements coming
has a feature or two that tops the example, the cameras recede into has a lower resolution than the 7 The OnePlus 7T has three with software updates
topoftheline OnePlus 7 Pro, the protection of the case. With all Pro’s screen. That’s 1440x3120 while cameras, not just two like the Cons: Nothing in particular at
making the choice a little more three from the 7 series sitting in the 7T is 1080x2400, but it’s really OnePlus 7. In addition it has the the price
confusing. It’s a bit of an odd one front of me in the same type of case, not that noticeable. ability shoot macro from about
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THURSDAY • OCTOBER 3 • 2019 NEWS 11
POLL POURI
National ID card
Do we really need another omnibus national
ID card?
Modi vows to build a new India of Bapu’s dreams
Says Swacch Bharat follow the ideals of Sabka Saath, through the Swacch Bharat Mis
22% 75% 3% Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas. sion, there is a positive impact
Yes No Can't say
Mission has delivered These principles of Bapu will be on the economy to the tune of
₹ 20lakh crore our guiding light to achieve our ₹ 20lakh crore. This includes
goal of a New India.” employment generation for
TODAY’S POLL economic benefi t over 75 lakh, of which most are
Barrier for eco-drive Open-defecation free brothers and sisters from vil
Are upfront costs a big deal for RUTAM VORA Addressing a gathering of over lages. In addition to it, there is
electric vehicles? Ahmedabad, October 2 20,000 people from diff erent also visible improvement in the
Cast your vote at: Marking the 150th birth an parts of the country, Modi an education of children and our
www.thehindubusinessline.com
niversary of Mahatma Gandhi nounced that the people of rural productivity,” he said.
on the banks of the Sabarmati India have declared themselves
river in Ahmedabad, Prime Min free from opendefecation. Rural push
ister Narendra Modi vowed to “Our country has achieved Speaking at the Sabarmati river
create a New India that lives up this milestone, while a journey front, Modi equated his govern
QUICKLY to Gandhiji’s dream. still continues to maintain the ment’s policies and missions to
Appealing to the audience to momentum for Swachchagrah,” Gandhi’s vision of strengthen
participate in building a New In he said. ing rural society and economy.
LPG and ATF prices hiked dia, he identifi ed the character On arrival at the Ahmedabad “Gandhiji has shown us the
New Delhi, October 2 istics of his vision on the lines of airport, the Prime Minister was ideals of truth, nonviolence,
Prices of cooking gas and aviation turbine Gandhiji’s dream for India, given a rousing welcome fol satyagraha and selfreliance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani (left) and Deputy Chief Minister
fuel have been hiked effective October 2. “which is clean and environ lowed by a tour to Sabarmati Today, we need to walk on these
Nitin Patel, in Ahmedabad, on Wednesday PTI
An IndianOil statement said the price of mentallyfriendly, where every Ashram, where he paid tribute ideals to achieve a dream of New
unsubsidised LPG cylinders of 14.2 kg had individual is fi t and healthy, to the Father of the Nation. In ing a goal of open defecation Later in the evening, Modi ad He quoted UNICEF data to India that is clean, healthy, pros
been hiked by ₹ 15 in Delhi. An where every mother, child is his visitor remarks at the free India... I pray that each of dressed a gathering of Village show the positive impact on perous and strong,” the PM said
unsubsidised LPG cylinder will now cost nourished, where every citizen Ashram, Modi wrote in Gujarati, our steps match Bapu’s foot sarpanchs from Gujarat and public health, economy and at the rally, which was also atten
₹ 605 in October. ATF price was hiked to feels safe; an India which is free “I fi nd myself fortunate to be a steps, and may we live and real across India to mark the achieve standard of living of people liv ded by Gujarat Chief Minister Vi
₹ 64,909.67 per kilolitre from ₹ 63,295.48 in from discrimination, and has witness in realising Gandhiji’s ise the dreams that Bapu ment of a major milestone in his ing in villages. “UNICEF data jay Rupani, Governor Acharya
September. OUR BUREAU harmony. An India which will dream of clean India by achiev nurtured..” ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’. shows that in the past fi ve years, Devvrat and other State leaders.
Victims of a ‘mindset’, women seafarers few and far between ‘Single-use plastic not to be
P MANOJ
Mumbai, October 2
Great Eastern Shipping Co
Ltd, Essar Shipping Ltd and
tion that “they might have
problems employing fe
The guidelines framed by
the DirectorateGeneral of
incharge of Fleet Personnel
department at SCI.
allowed near monuments’
Top Indian fl eet owners have Synergy have a robust males” and also due to lack of Shipping cover recruitment OUR BUREAU eously till October 13 for
been hiring women in key genderneutral hiring policy policies and guidelines and placement of women sea First lady recruit New Delhi, October 2 promoting tourism, was
roles to run ships for many in place. against gender discrimina farers, maternity leave and re Radhika was SCI’s fi rst lady re In a bid to rid the premises declared open by the Minis
years now, but a recent set of tion, she said. joining, basic needs on board cruit onboard a ship, way of historical monuments of ter of Petroleum & Natural
guidelines issued by mari Training institutes “Now that the policies and for women seafarers, on back in 1991. From 2003, the singleuse plastic, Tourism Gas and Steel Dharmendra
time administration will give Maritime training institutes guidelines are in place, we board complaints and re ship owner started training Minister Prahlad Patel said Pradhan.
it further fi llip and also are “not discriminating” are hoping that more em dressal system to deal with lady cadets. Currently, more that plastics will not be al This year’s festival is ded
nudge those who have shied against women, Radhika said ployers will come forward to sexual harassment, and than 65 women seafarers are lowed near the icated to the 150th birth an
away from recruiting women New norms cover recruitment over phone from her ances hire women. Unless it comes gender sensitisation. sailing on SCI ships. monuments. niversary of Mahatma
in the maledominated pro of women seafarers, maternity tral home in Kodungallur, a as an enforcement through The guidelines say that “Nearly 5 per cent of the of Gandhi. During this period,
fession. leave and basic needs on board port city in Kerala’s Thrissur the government, things ship owning companies fi cers on our fl eet are women, Tourism festival events such as story telling,
“There are ship owners em district, where she is spend won’t happen. Things should should not discriminate on compared with a world aver “Single use plastic will not theatre and music concerts
ploying women and there are (IMO) award for ‘Exceptional ing time after getting off start moving now,” she ad the basis of gender in em age of only 2 per cent. We take be allowed within the are being organised at dif
owners who are not employ Bravery at Sea’ in 2016. from a ship on September 14. ded. ployment, wages and promo a lot of care when a lady is on monument and even ferent tourist sites in all the
ing them at all. I do not blame Radhika joined State “They are taking a lot of Captain Suneha Gadpande tions. . board and we have well set within a 100metre radius States.
those who don’t because in owned carrier Shipping Cor girls. There are 5060 girls said it is the male of the in “At SCI, we have clear sys procedures,” Mathews said. of the monuments,” said Some of the highlights of
the absence of a clear direct poration of India (SCI) as a ra passing out of training insti dustry who needs to be tems in place. There is an in “We have had women of Patel, who is also in charge the Delhi leg of the event
ive or guideline, it is natural dio offi cer in 1991 before tutes every year, but the op trained. ternal complaints committee fi cers working on our fl eet for of Culture Ministry, while being held at Rajpath
that any potential employer quickly switching over to the portunity to appear for inter “There is no other way you as well as shipboard com many years now, including as speaking at an event mark lawns from October 2 to 6
would be hesitant,” said Cap nautical side and has been view and get selected is very can be changing things in the plaints procedures. We are Chief Offi cers,” a spokesper ing inauguration of are theme pavilions of 31
tain Radhika Menon, the fi rst sailing since then. In 2018, less for women,” she said. industry if your colleagues already following the proced son for The GE Shipping, In Paryatan Parv (tourism fest States, food courts with a
Indian captain in the mer she joined the ship manage Hiring of women requires are not accepting you on ures and the new guidelines dia’s biggest private fl eet ival) here on Wednesday. total of 59 stalls and a kit
chant navy and the fi rst wo ment company, Synergy a “change in the mindset of board a ship. We have to are for those who are not fol owner, said. The fi rm cur The festival, which will chen studio by the Institute
man ever to win the Interna Group. employers.” Usually, this change the mindset of col lowing,” said Captain Philip rently has two women be held in diff erent parts of of Hotel Management, New
tional Maritime Organization Apart from the SCI, The mindset is based on some no leagues,” she said. Mathews, general manager Second Offi cers. the country simultan Delhi.
‘Need a four-pronged strategy to attract more women to seafaring’ ‘Gram swaraj will be a reality in AP’
OUR BUREAU ariat. The Chief Minister said
P MANOJ ted. It needs a defi nite course Y
Z facilitate her role as a leader in Have we done enough to one has at least got the fi rst Visakhapatnam, October 2 500 diff erent kinds of services
Mumbai, October 2 correction. the maritime industry. If we promote women seafarers? shipboard berth for women. Village secretariats, set up by would be available at the door
We need a defi nite course take care of all these four I’m afraid we have not done the Andhra Pradesh govern step in villages and any griev
correction to attract more How do we go about it? stages with a defi nite strategy, I enough but some small steps How do you ensure that the ment, will usher in a remark ance lodged or petition from
women seafarers, says Director We need a fourpronged see no reason why participa have been taken to encourage guidelines are able transformation, and gram the people would be addressed
General of Shipping Amitabh strategy for that. We fi rst need tion of women in this industry women. Some scholarships implemented? swaraj, envisaged by Gandhiji, within 72 hours. Village volun
Kumar. Excerpts from a to encourage women to join cannot be increased. Again, have been launched by the We intend to make the will become a reality, said State teers would work in coordina
conversation. maritime training, and that is this cannot be done only by Maritime Training Trust. It’s a guideline compulsory for all Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan tion with the secretariat staff .
possible only when we com policy; this needs detailed de small amount and doesn’t Indian vessels. We will also re Reddy. He said the government was
What is the strategy to municate more with women. liberations within and outside take care of all their require quest the recruitment and He was speaking at Karapa vil working towards total prohibi
attract and promote more We need to inform them that the industry. ments, but it is a step shown by placement service providers to lage near Kakinada, the district tion. Unauthorised liquor out
women to seafaring? this is one industry where it is We need to inform There are enough options the Maritime Training Trust. communicate this guideline headquarters town of East Go lets and permit rooms have
We need to attract more and possible for women to parti women that seafaring is for everyone in the larger mari Now, other trusts, unions and to other shipowners who have davari, on Gandhi Jayanti day been shut. The Staterun AP
more women into the work cipate. Once we manage to get one industry where it is time community... lawyers, fi n large companies need to fol been employing Indians. after unveiling a pylon to mark Beverages Corporation had
force and the same is them into the mari anciers, classifi cation societies, low suit and make sure that the launch of a village secret taken over the liquor business.
O
possible for women to
true for the shipping in time training insti participate. government training insti some kind of encouragement What should be done on the
dustry also. For the ship tutes, then the tutes, recruiters and ship man is given to women to allow re-focusing part?
AMITABH KUMAR
ping industry, the prob second strategy is to DirectorGeneral of Shipping agers. them to join in larger In terms of refocus, there is a
lem is bigger — women retain them. Z
Y All these require men and numbers. complete gap. You need to
have not been participating in We know that retention of refocusing, because there will women who are educated and In terms of shipboard train have a strategy for accommod
the shipping industry. Either both men and women in the be a stage in a woman’s career experienced. If there is a line of ing, we don’t have a compre ating women when they tend
the industry never encouraged industry is heavily dependent when she will have to take a communication between all hensive strategy to retain to take rest for a few years; we
women to participate or the on providing on job seaboard break for maternity or other these segments of the mari them once they have entered need to fi nd shorebased em
job requirements were projec training berths. This is another purposes. time sector, then a proper ca this fi eld. We have been talking ployment for them during this
ted to be so tough that women area where employers’ bias And once she takes a break reer path can be designed for to a lot of employers and basic period when we cannot ask
opted out of this industry. comes into play, and there is a from maternity, then the in women. ally prodding them to take them to go onboard. It may be
Globally, the percentage of wo need for a detailed strategy on dustry needs to provide her al Once we design a proper ca more and more women, and possible for them to work in a
men in seafaring is around 3 providing shipboard berths ternative career options for reer path for women, more give more and more berths to related fi eld on shore during
per cent. But in India it is less for women candidates, so that those 12, 18 or 24odd months and more women will come women. There is still some re this period, and if they remain
than 1 per cent. So, we are those who have entered the in that she would not be in a posi forward, and they can be re luctance but some have come connected to the shipping in
much below the global aver dustry are retained. tion to go on a vessel. tained and their skills utilised forward. In the last three years, dustry, then the gap that is felt
age and this needs to be correc The third strategy relates to And, the fourth strategy is to by the maritime community. data suggest that almost every today will not be there.
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12 BusinessLine
THURSDAY • OCTOBER 3 • 2019
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