The Gross Value Added (GVA) in agriculture and allied activities is projected to clock its best growth in FY23 during the October-to-December quarter, at 3.7 per cent, on the back of a strong kharif harvest, according to the second advance estimates of national income. In the third quarter of FY22, GVA in the sector was 2.3 per cent at constant prices. At current prices, the growth in the third quarter of this financial year is projected at 8.6 per cent, which is almost at the same level in the corresponding quarter of FY22.

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Sebi to probe within two months allegations of stock price manipulation by the Adani group and any lapses in regulatory disclosures, and also set up a panel to look into protection of Indian investors after a damning report by a US short seller wiped out more than USD 140 billion of the conglomerate’s market value. The top court while directing the setting up of a six-member committee headed by former apex court judge Justice A M Sapre for the assessment of the extant regulatory framework and for making recommendations to strengthen the process said it was appropriate to set up such a panel of experts in order to “protect Indian investors against volatility of the kind which has been witnessed in the recent past”. The court-appointed Justice Sapre panel, which will be provided assistance by the Centre and other statutory agencies including the Sebi chairperson, will have to submit its report in a sealed cover within two months, said the bench which comprised Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Thursday allowed a petition filed by lenders of Reliance Capital seeking another round of auction for the debt-ridden firm undergoing insolvency process. A two-member bench set aside an order passed by NCLT and said the Committee of Creditors (CoC) has the power to negotiate and call for a higher bid. The appellate tribunal permitted the CoC to continue with the challenge mechanism and invite bids after two weeks.

Philanthropic contributions made by India’s ultra high networth individuals (net wealth of over Rs 1,000 crore), also known as UHNIs, have fallen sharply to Rs 4,230 crore in FY22, from Rs 11,821 crore the previous financial year, according to the India Philanthropy Report 2023 by Dasra and Bain and Co, which was released on Wednesday. The report says that the dramatic fall, almost by a third, was due to the fact that contributions by the Azim Premji Foundation dropped by Rs 9,000 crore due to a share buyback of Wipro, which helped the foundation to access liquidity directly. However, the report laments that even excluding the Premji Foundation’s contribution, “Indian UHNI contribution has not kept pace with wealth creation” and is “below par, with a 5 per cent contraction in FY2022”.

Share pledging by promoters rose during the October-December quarter (third quarter, or Q3) of 2022-23 (FY23) in the midst of a 6 per cent gain in the benchmark Nifty index. According to a report by Kotak Institutional Equities (KIE), the value of promoter-pledged holdings – as a percentage of promoter holding – rose to 1.61 per cent in Q3FY23, from 1.57 per cent in the July-September quarter of FY23. The value of total pledged holdings by promoters stood at Rs 2.2 trillion, or 0.83 per cent of the total market capitalisation of the BSE 500 Index.