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☆ US working with India on platform to speed energy transition - Yellen
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Aftab Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen addresses the media, along with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on the sidelines of a G20 meeting at Gandhinagar, India, July 17, 2023. REUTERS/Amit DaveGANDHINAGAR, India, July 17 (Reuters) - The United States is working with India to develop an investment platform to lower the cost of capital and increase private investment to fast-track India's energy transition, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday. The visit is Yellen's third to India this year, indicating the growing closeness between the two countries. Australia and Japan are hoping to make progress during the G20 meeting on the global minimum tax. Yellen will visit Vietnam after the G20 finance meetings end on July 18.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Nirmala Sitharaman, Amit Dave GANDHINAGAR, Yellen, Sitharaman, Narendra Modi's, Swati Bhat, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Christian Schmollinger, Lincoln, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: . Treasury, Indian Finance, REUTERS, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Gandhinagar, India, United States, U.S, Gujarat, Washington, Australia, Japan, Vietnam

☆ US working with India on platform to speed its energy transition - Yellen
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Aftab Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GANDHINAGAR, India, July 17 (Reuters) - The United States is working with India to develop an investment platform to lower the cost of capital and increase private investment to fast-track India's energy transition, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday. The visit is Yellen's third to India this year, indicating the growing closeness between the two countries. Yellen said the two nations have been collaborating across a range of economic issues, including commercial and technological collaboration and strengthening supply chains. "In particular, we look forward to working with India on an investment platform to deliver a lower cost of capital and increased private investment to speed India's energy transition," she said. Yellen will visit Vietnam after the G20 finance meetings end on July 18.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Nirmala Sitharaman, Narendra Modi's, Yellen, Swati Bhat, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Treasury, Thomson Locations: GANDHINAGAR, India, United States, U.S, Washington, Vietnam, Lincoln

☆ Canadian pensions funds keen to invest in India, Indian government says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW DELHI, July 16 (Reuters) - Canadian pensions funds would be keen to explore investing in infrastructure funds in India as the country offers a stable investment climate, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Sunday, according to an Indian government statement. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, meeting Freeland on the sidelines of gathering of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers in northwest India, discussed progress on bilateral trade negotiations, Sitharaman's office said in a tweet. Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chrystia Freeland, Nirmala Sitharaman, Freeland, Manoj Kumar, William Mallard Organizations: Finance, Indian, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India

☆ Indian online gaming companies' shares fall on 28% tax blow
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, July 12 (Reuters) - Shares of Indian online gaming firms Nazara Technologies (NAZA.NS), Onmobile Global (ONMO.NS), and Delta Corp (DELT.NS) slid on Wednesday, a day after the government imposed a 28% tax on the funds collected by online gaming companies from customers. The tax will not differentiate skill-based games from those based on chance, Maharashtra state minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said on Tuesday. Shares of Nazara Technologies and Onmobile Gaming fell as much as 14.2% and 8.9% before they trimmed some losses. Delta Corp slipped 10% to hit its lower circuit. Nazara and Delta have risen 21.6% and 15.9%, respectively, so far this year as of Tuesday's close, while Onmobile has fallen 11.9%.

Persons: Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Onmobile, Varun Vyas, Savio D'Souza, Sonia Cheema Organizations: Nazara Technologies, Onmobile, Delta Corp, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Maharashtra, Bengaluru

☆ India hits online gaming industry with 28% tax
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Nikunj Ohri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

International investors have also been drawn to the industry, with Tiger Global backing Indian gaming startup Dream11, the lead sponsor of India's national cricket team. India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who chairs the goods and services tax (GST) council, comprising state finance ministers, said the decision to tax online gaming was reached after extensive discussion. "The implementation of a 28% tax rate will bring significant challenges to the gaming industry. This higher tax burden will impact companies' cash flows," Aaditya Shah, chief operating officer at the gaming app IndiaPlays, said. Roland Landers, CEO of The All India Gaming Federation, said the decision was "unconstitutional (and) irrational".

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Nirmala Sitharaman, Shah, Roland Landers, Sudipto Ganguly, Aftab Ahmed, Mark Potter, Jane Merriman, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Tiger Global, national cricket team, India's, Industry, The, India Gaming Federation, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India

☆ Indian minister scoffs at Obama comment on protecting Muslims
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, June 26 (Reuters) - India's finance minister has derided comments by former U.S. President Barack Obama that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government should protect the rights of minority Muslims, accusing Obama of being hypocritical. Obama said that without such protection there was "a strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart". Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said she was shocked that Obama has made such remarks when Modi was visiting the United States aiming to deepen relations. "He was commenting on Indian Muslims ... having bombed Muslim-majority countries from Syria to Yemen ... during his presidency," Sitharaman told a press conference on Sunday. The U.S. State Department has raised concerns over treatment of Muslims other religious minorities in India under Modi's Hindu-nationalist party.

Persons: Barack Obama, Narendra Modi's, Obama, Joe Biden, Nirmala Sitharaman, Modi, Sitharaman, Biden, Sakshi Dayal, Robert Birsel Organizations: U.S, CNN, Indian, U.S . State Department, Modi's, Biden, Thomson Locations: DELHI, United States, India, Syria, Yemen

☆ India working to rein in inflation- finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NEW DELHI, May 6 (Reuters) - Inflation in India is slightly above the "tolerance limit", and the government is taking steps to control it, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. "Because we took a very calibrated approach, today we have an inflation which is slightly above the tolerance limit, but which is constantly being worked at so it can be brought down," she said. India's annual retail inflation for March rose at the slowest pace in nearly 15 months and was below the central bank's upper tolerance level for the first time this year, on the back of softer food prices. Reporting by Nidhi Verma and P JayshreeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ World Bank steering committee, Yellen urge more reforms at lender this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"They expect the Board of Executive Directors and World Bank Group management to finalize a work plan with detailed actions to be taken," the committee's chair said in a statement. Members underscored their commitment to "ensuring that the World Bank Group has adequate financial capacity to respond to development challenges and support its expanded mission." Yellen said upcoming events could be leveraged to keep momentum strong for the evolution of the World Bank. Malpass told the committee he felt the bank had responded with "vigor and speed" to Yellen's call for reforms. Development Committee members thanked Malpass for his leadership of the WBG during a historically challenging period, including an unprecedented surge in financing in response to multiple crises.

☆ India says G20 members see need for global crypto regulations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday there was a greater acceptance among Group of 20 member countries that any new regulations on the crypto assets need to be globally coordinated, and said crypto assets not backed by central banks can fall and cause macroeconomic instability. "The G20 and its members agree that it's not going to be possible to have an independent, standalone country dealing with the crypto assets," Sitharaman told a news conference after a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors. Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Yellen says vigilant to downside economic risks, but don't 'overdo the negativism'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzWASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday said she remained vigilant to downside risks facing the global economy, given Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and banking pressures, but the overall outlook was "reasonably bright." Yellen, speaking at a news conference, pushed back against warnings by the International Monetary Fund of bigger risks associated with severe financial tensions. "I wouldn't overdo the negativism about the global economy," Yellen said, when asked about a slightly trimmed IMF global growth forecast for 2023 which warned that a flare-up of financial system turmoil could slash output to near recessionary levels. She said the U.S. banking system remained sound, with strong capital and liquidity positions, and the global financial system is resilient due to the significant reforms enacted after the 2008 financial crisis. Yellen told reporters the global economy was in a better place than projected last fall, with energy and food prices having stabilized and supply chain pressures continuing to ease.

☆ Indian govt has 54 Chinese investment proposals pending - finance minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 27 (Reuters) - The Indian government has received about 54 foreign direct investment proposals from China since last year that are pending for approval, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "54 FDI proposals received during the past year and current year with investor/ beneficial owner from China/Hong Kong are pending for decision with government as on March 21, 2023," Sitharaman informed lawmakers on Monday. The Indian government is not considering easing restrictions put in place a few years ago on foreign investments from countries that share land border with India, Sitharaman said. The restrictions called for beneficial owners of a country sharing a land border with India to seek its government's approval for investments. The step was taken to prevent hostile takeovers of Indian companies when the country was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

☆ U.S. pick for World Bank, Ajay Banga, to meet with Modi in native India
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Treasury said Banga will visit New Delhi on March 23 and 24, where his likeness has already been posted on billboards. "These discussions will focus on India’s development priorities, the World Bank, and global economic development challenges," the Treasury said in a statement. The World Bank will accept nominations from other countries until March 29, but no competitors have been announced. The World Bank has been led by an American since its founding at the end of World War Two, while the International Monetary Fund has been led by a European. In India, Banga will also visit a vocational skills development institute funded in part by the World Bank, the Treasury said.

☆ Indian startups have deposits of about $1 billion in SVB, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, March 17 (Reuters) - Indian startups had deposits worth about $1 billion with embattled Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) and the country's deputy IT minister said he had suggested that local banks lend more to them going ahead. California banking regulators shut down Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) on March 10 after a run on the lender, which had $209 billion in assets at the end of 2022. "The issue is, how do we make startups transition to the Indian banking system, rather than depend on the complex cross border U.S. banking system with all of its uncertainties in the coming month?" Hundreds of Indian startups had more than a billion dollars of their funds in SVB, according to his estimate, Chandrashekhar said. Indian banks could offer a deposit-backed credit line to startups that had funds in SVB, using those as collateral, Chandrashekhar said, citing one of the suggestions he had passed on to the Finance minister.

☆ India's push to regulate crypto gains IMF, U.S. support at G20
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationBENGALURU, Feb 25 (Reuters) - A push by Group of 20 (G20) president India to regulate cryptocurrencies gained support from both the International Monetary Fund and the United States on Saturday as finance chiefs of the bloc wrap up two-days of talks. "We haven't suggested outright banning of crypto activities, but it is critical to put in place a strong regulatory framework," Yellen said. Earlier, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters after co-chairing a meeting with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman that banning crypto should be an option. The Reserve Bank of India has said that cryptocurrencies should be banned as they are akin to a Ponzi scheme. On Thursday, the IMF laid out a nine-point action plan for how countries should treat crypto assets, with point number one a plea not to give cryptocurrencies legal tender status.

BENGALURU, Feb 25 (Reuters) - There are some disagreements over restructuring debt for distressed economies, the chief of the International Monetary Fund said on Saturday on the sidelines of a G20 meeting, adding that banning private cryptocurrencies should be an option. "On debt restructuring, while there are still some disagreements, we now have the global sovereign debt roundtable with consideration of all public and private creditors," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters after the roundtable she co-chaired with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Apart from restructuring debt, regulating cryptocurrencies is another priority area for India, which Georgieva agreed with. "We have to differentiate between central bank digital currencies that are backed by the state and stable coins, and crypto assets that are privately issued," Georgieva said. "There has to be very strong push for regulation... if regulation fails, if you're slow to do it, then we should not take off the table banning those assets, because they may create financial stability risk."

☆ India finance minister and U.S. Treasury's Yellen discuss debt, crypto
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks during a side event on the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, 14 July 2022. Made Nagi/Pool via REUTERSBENGALURU, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discussed strengthening multilateral development banks, global debt vulnerabilities and crypto assets on the sidelines of the G20 finance chiefs meeting on Thursday, the finance ministry said. India is hosting the first major G20 event under its year-long presidency at the summer retreat of Nandi Hills near tech hub Bengaluru. "The two leaders discussed their perspectives on strengthening MDB (multilateral development banks), global debt vulnerabilities, crypto assets besides the Just Energy Transition Partnership," New Delhi's finance ministry said in a tweet. Under the partnership, the United States and its allies, as well as multilateral development banks and agencies, provide funding to developing economies to move away from coal production and consumption.

☆ India finance minister: RBI will take action as required to keep inflation within expected limits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Feb 20 (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of India will take necessary steps to manage inflation within "expected limits,' Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. "In emerging markets, the situation is unique to each of the countries. In that I think, RBI is watching the Indian economy and taking a call as and when it is required," Sitharaman said. Sitharaman was speaking in a post budget industry event in Jaipur. Reporting by Nikunj Ohri; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India setting up $4 bln fund to backstop corporate debt market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jayshree Pyasi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 17 (Reuters) - India is setting up a fund worth 330 billion rupees ($4 billion) to provide liquidity to its corporate debt market during bouts of stress, to help stem panic selling and ease redemption pressures, an SBI Mutual Fund executive told Reuters. During times of stress, the backstop fund could step into the market to buy relatively illiquid investment grade bonds. "This backstop facility fund comes out of Indian market peculiarity that the bonds are investment grade and still illiquid," said Anubhav Shrivastava, partner, Infinity Alternatives, an alternate investment fund (AIF). "The market for secondary corporate bonds is thin which is why we need the buyer and seller of last resort, the backstop fund will do this." The fund is small relative to 39 trillion rupees ($471 billion) Indian corporate bond market, but its size could be increased later, the source said.

NEW DELHI, Feb 16 (Reuters) - G20 finance and central bank chiefs meet in India next week at the first-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine to discuss rising debt troubles among developing countries, the regulation of cryptocurrencies and the global slowdown. The Feb. 22-25 meeting in the Nandi Hills summer retreat near Bengaluru is the first major event of India's G20 presidency and will be followed by a March 1-2 meeting of foreign ministers in New Delhi. As global borrowing costs rise, India - whose neighbours Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh have all sought International Monetary Fund support in recent months - wants to put debt relief at the forefront of discussions at the finance talks. "Crypto assets are by definition borderless and require international collaboration to prevent regulatory arbitrage," India's Ministry of Finance told parliament this week. Neither the Russian finance minister nor the central bank chief were expected to attend the meeting.

☆ India stock markets have been volatile. Analysts say these sectors are worth watching
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In particular, some are bullish about the construction sector and say an infrastructure push could benefit cement stocks. Investors can consider playing the country's infrastructure sector through domestic cement names, Garre said. Cement: UltraTech, AmbujaBernstein likes UltraTech Cement — a company Garre said has the capacity to keep up with the growing number of real estate projects coming up in India. Shares of UltraTech Cement was trading at about 7,123.05 on Wednesday, lower by 0.21%. Engineering: ABB India, Siemens India and moreEngineering companies that focus on infrastructure and construction are also good buys, IIFL Securities said.

☆ Indian tycoon Gautam Adani dismisses market volatility as 'temporary'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Art school teacher Sagar Kambli gives final touches to a painting of Indian businessman Gautam Adani (L) highlighting the ongoing crisis of the Adani group in Mumbai on February 3, 2023. Indranil Mukherjee | Afp | Getty ImagesIndian billionaire Gautam Adani has downplayed the recent market volatility of Adani Group's shares as "temporary." The Adani Group has denied those accusations, and said it was a "calculated attack on India." Adani flagship earningsOn Tuesday, Adani Enterprises reported a profit after tax of nearly $100 million for the October to December quarter. Shares of Adani Enterprises last traded about 3% higher Wednesday on National Stock Exchange of India.

☆ Indian market regulator to update finance minister on Adani probe this week, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

India's market regulator will provide an update on its investigations into the Adani Group's withdrawn follow-on public issue this week, two sources familiar with the matter said on Monday. The board of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is scheduled to meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Feb. 15, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they are not allowed to speak to the media. SEBI's board will brief the finance minister on surveillance measures taken by the regulator during the recent rout in Adani group stocks, the sources said. The Indian conglomerate's listed entities have lost more than $100 billion in market value since a scathing report by a U.S. short seller in late January. An update on investigations into offshore fund flows into Adani Group entities is also likely, the sources added.

☆ Indian market regulator to update finance ministry on Adani probe this week - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Jayshree Pyasi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, Feb 13 (Reuters) - India's market regulator will update the finance ministry this week on its investigation into the Adani Group's withdrawn $2.5 billion follow-on public issue, two sources familiar with the matter said on Monday. The SEBI board will brief the minister on surveillance measures taken by the regulator during the recent rout in Adani group stocks, the sources added. An update on investigations into offshore fund flows into Adani Group entities is also likely, the sources added. The regulator had undertaken a series of surveillance actions to ensure that the volatility in the Adani group companies' share prices was contained. This will be a part of the brief to the finance minister on Wednesday, the sources said.

☆ G20 exploring cryptocurrency regulation, India's finance minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Nikunj Ohri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 11 (Reuters) - The Group of 20 (G20) big economies is exploring whether the group could collectively regulate cryptocurrencies, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. Given the sophisticated technologies involved with these virtual assets, countries must discuss whether a given regulation is needed, said Sitharaman, whose country is this year's G20 president. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has for several years debated drafting a law to regulate or even ban cryptocurrencies but has not made a final decision. India will host G20 finance ministers and central bank governors this month. The Reserve Bank of India has said that cryptocurrencies should be banned as they are akin to a Ponzi scheme.

☆ MSCI’s Adani cut signals fat tail risks for India
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Hindenburg founder Nathan Anderson sees MSCI's move as a validation of his group’s findings of “stock parking” by Adani. The Securities and Exchange Board of India, headed by former banker Madhabi Puri Buch, acknowledged unusual price movements this month, but without naming the Adani group. But the longer the controversy drags on, there will be a fat tail risk for Adani and all his stakeholders. CONTEXT NEWSGlobal index provider MSCI on Feb. 9 cut its determined free floats for four Adani companies. It reduced those of Adani Enterprises, Adani Total Gas, Adani Transmission and ACC, and said any resulting changes will be implemented at the close of Feb. 28.

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