If there was one event that made the month of August stand out, it was a strengthening of the dollar index to levels last seen only 20 years ago, as the Federal Reserve dispelled all doubts about its intention to continue raising interest rates. Predictably, most currencies suffered against the US unit, with the bulk of the losers belonging to the emerging markets pack. Amid the volatility, the rupee, however, has displayed significant resilience and fared much better than most of its peer currencies.
Posts tagged Rediff
Moody’s cuts India’s GDP forecast to 7.7% for 2022 (01-09-2022)
Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday slashed India’s economic growth projection for 2022 to 7.7 per cent, saying that rising interest rates, uneven monsoon, and slowing global growth will dampen economic momentum on a sequential basis.
Core sector output dips to 6-month low of 4.5% in Jul (31-08-2022)
The output of eight core infrastructure sectors contracted to six-month low of 4.5 per cent in July against 9.9 per cent in the year-ago period, according to official data released on Wednesday. The output of these infrastructure sectors expanded by 13.2 per cent in June, 19.3 per cent in May, 9.5 per cent in April, 4.8 per cent in March, 5.9 per cent in February and 4 per cent in January. The production growth of eight infrastructure sectors — coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity — was 11.5 per cent in April-July this fiscal against 21.4 per cent a year ago.
Rupee to remain under pressure, may test new levels (31-08-2022)
Indian rupee, which earlier this week touched an all-time low, is likely to remain under pressure and may test new levels as a fallout of the US Federal Reserve indicating more interest rate hikes, experts said. The aggressive rate hikes will dampen demand and increase the possibility of a recession in the US. This could accelerate the pace of capital outflows, weaken the rupee and raise the threat of imported inflation.
Tata Sons shareholders vote for BIG change (31-08-2022)
Tata Sons shareholders have approved a resolution to have separate chairpersons for the company and its largest shareholder — Tata Trusts. An amendment to the articles of association (AoA) of Tata Sons, which sought to prevent a single person heading Tata Sons as well as Tata Trusts simultaneously, was passed at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) held on Tuesday. With the special resolution being passed with requisite majority of 75 per cent at the AGM, it will now be legally binding for Tata Sons and Tata Trusts to have separate chairpersons.
GDP grows at 13.5% in April-June quarter (31-08-2022)
India’s economy grew by 13.5 per cent in the first quarter of the current fiscal, mainly due to the base effect, official data showed on Wednesday. The gross domestic product (GDP) had expanded by 20.1 per cent in the corresponding April-June period of 2021-22, according to data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO). Many analysts had projected the Indian economy will expand at a double-digit growth rate due to the base effect.
Credit card spends touch all-time high of Rs 1.16 trn (31-08-2022)
Credit card spends touched an all-time high of Rs 1.16 trillion in July, registering a growth of 6.5 per cent on a month-on-month basis and 54 per cent year-on-year, latest data put out by the Reserve Bank of India revealed. Spends have topped the Rs 1 trillion level for five consecutive months now. Industry participants are expecting further tailwinds in credit card spends with the onset of the festive season, where spends typically remain at an elevated level.
Cybercrime against women up 28% since 2019 (31-08-2022)
The number of cybercrime incidents in 2021 has gone up by 18.4 per cent since 2019, but the number of such cases against women has risen at a significantly steeper 28 per cent, data released by the National Crime Records Bureau showed. Of the 52,974 incidents reported in 2021, 10,730 – 20.2 per cent – were reported as cases of crime against women, the data revealed. Cybercrimes against women primarily include instances of cyber blackmail, threatening, cyber pornography, posting/ publishing of obscene sexual materials, cyber stalking, bullying, defamation, morphing, and creation of fake profiles.
After a lull, economic offences increase 19% in 2021 (31-08-2022)
After a dip in 2020, the number of economic offences rose 19.4 per cent to 174,013 cases in 2021, according to the Crime in India report by the National Crime Records Bureau. The data shows that there was a marginal dip in the pendency of cases in 2021 at 96.6 per cent compared with 96.8 per cent in 2020, but this was still three percentage points higher than 93.6 per cent recorded in 2019. Economic offences include all offences of criminal breach of trust, counterfeiting, forgery, cheating, and fraud.
Businessmen suicides outnumber farmers’ for 2nd year (31-08-2022)
The states recording the highest number of such deaths include Karnataka (14.3 per cent), Maharashtra (13.2 per cent), and Madhya Pradesh (11.3 per cent). Tamil Nadu (9.4 per cent) and Telangana (7.5 per cent) were the other two in the top five.