8 December 2023

Introduction Indian companies are raising record amounts of funds through private placement of corporate bonds. This has major implications across industries and for retail investors. Analysis for Layman Private placement allows companies to raise money by selling bonds directly to select investors instead of through public exchanges. This allows customized terms and lower costs. India […]

Introduction: A recent Vivo sponsored study indicates parents in India spend almost 8 hours daily on phones, with heavy social media use. This overuse is linked to worsening parent-child relationship quality. Analysis for a Layman: Smartphone brand Vivo had a research study conducted on how increased phone and social media use by parents affects interaction

Introduction: Paytm will cut back small postpaid loans under ₹50,000 to align with RBI consumer lending directives. This adjustment to Paytm’s product mix affects short-term growth projections for the payments and fintech leader. Analysis for a Layman: Paytm offers fast small-ticket “postpaid” loans tied to users’ accounts. However, the central bank recently established guard rails

Introduction: Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is increasing its investments into highly-rated corporate bonds from large non-bank lenders and conglomerates like Reliance Industries. This has ramifications across finance and industry. Analysis for a Layman: LIC is India’s largest institutional investor deploying policyholder funds. It is buying more corporate bonds – tradable debt instruments issued

Introduction: Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently commented that quality control orders (QCOs) are not meant to stop imports but rather ensure high quality and safety standards for products sold domestically or imported into India. This has implications across many industries. Analysis for a Layman: QCOs are government orders that set mandatory quality standards and

Introduction: A handful of large metro areas account for a dominant share of bank deposits, skewing the geographic distribution. Private banks show greater concentration than public sector peers. Analysis for a Layman: RBI data shows over 60% of bank deposits are from just 6 major metro areas like Mumbai and Delhi. These cities have higher

Introduction: AB Insurance Brokers (ABIBL), part of Aditya Birla Capital, is being acquired by private equity firm Samara Capital. The deal has sparked an executive exodus at ABIBL unhappy with new leadership under Samara. Analysis for a layman: ABIBL is an insurance broker providing services to retail and corporate customers as well as reinsurance solutions.

Introduction: The article discusses traditional fuel retailers like Indian Oil, HPCL, BPCL, and Shell setting up electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at over 10,000 fuel outlets pan-India to address range anxiety as EV adoption accelerates. Analysis for layperson: OEMs refer to automotive original equipment manufacturers. CNG refers to compressed natural gas used as cleaner automotive

Introduction: The article discusses Coal India subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL) potentially expanding an upcoming thermal power plant in Odisha to 4000MW capacity in two phases, as India pushes coal-fired generation to meet surging power demand. Analysis for layman: MCL is a Coal India subsidiary focused on coal mining operations in Odisha. Thermal power plants use

Introduction: The article discusses SpiceJet’s board considering options to raise capital through equity or convertible bond issuance to infuse liquidity, as the airline deals with a strained cash position and multiple lessor lawsuits over unpaid dues. Analysis for layman: Preferential allotment refers to a listed company issuing shares or convertible bonds to select investors rather