Early data from FY26 indicate potential for a turnaround in foreign investment flows says DEA
Early data from FY26 indicate the potential for a turnaround in foreign investment flows. flows. Gross FDI inflows grew by 5 per cent (YoY) in April-May FY26 and stood at USD 15.9 billion. There are notable improvements in equity inflows and a lower incidence of repatriations, signalling fresh confidence in India's long-term growth prospects, particularly in sectors like digital infrastructure and manufacturing. On the portfolio investment side, net FPI amounted to USD 0.4 billion during Q1 FY26.
While the debt segment witnessed outflows of USD 4.1 billion, these were offset by inflows of USD 4.5 billion in the equity segment. This suggests that global investors are selectively re-entering Indian equities, driven by expectations of stable inflation, credible fiscal consolidation, and ongoing growth in domestic demand. The government noted that during July 2024 to mid-July 2025, there has been a cumulative inflow of USD 7.5 billion through the Fully Accessible Route (FAR).
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The Hindu
30 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Leak of complaint submitted to CPI(M) Polit Bureau triggers political controversy
A political controversy appears to be brewing over the media leak of a 'confidential complaint' purportedly submitted to the Polit Bureau (PB) of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] by a Kozhikode-based businessperson. The controversial letter reportedly implicated a group of CPI(M) leaders, including former Ministers, in financial scams centred around a U.K.-based businessperson from Kerala. The complaint emerged in the public domain on Sunday after the NRI businessperson adduced it as evidence in a libel suit filed by him against his rival and some sections of the media in a Delhi court. Graft charges The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seized on the somewhat knotty controversy riddled with accusations of financial shenanigans, corruption, money laundering and nepotism in an attempt to put the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government on the defensive. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan demanded a clarification from the party and the government on the veracity of the accusations raised by the Kozhikode-based businessperson. Mr. Satheesan said the crux of the litigation appeared to be bitter feuding between two business rivals for the patronage of powerful CPI(M) leaders. He noted financial transactions involving the next of kin of CPI(M) leaders might be at the root of the scandal. Nevertheless, Mr. Satheesan stated, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan owed the public an explanation. He said the presence of the U.K.-based businessperson at the CPI(M)'s 24th party conference in Madurai in April, and his attendance at the Kerala Loka Sabha conference added to the political intrigue. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph, MLA, stated that the sensational leak was mystifying and appeared to signal that 'something was rotten' in the CPI(M) 's State leadership. He said the scandal had the contours of official corruption with international ramifications and hidden rivalries within the CPI(M) leadership. Mr. Joseph demanded an investigation. 'Calls for inquiry' BJP former State president K. Surendran said the accuser had alleged in the letter that the NRI businessperson's paper company registered in Chennai had profited from government projects. 'If the accusations are true, they warranted an inquiry under the anti-money laundering and foreign exchange management laws,' he said. The CPI(M) was yet to formally react to the BJP and Congress's accusations.
Indian Express
32 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Corporate loan growth slows in April-June quarter as firms delay investments, shift to cheaper debt market
Corporate loan growth by domestic banks slowed down in the first quarter of FY26, as companies put off investment decisions. This was largely due to uncertainty around tariffs, weak demand that held back private capital spending, and a shift towards cheaper funding options in the corporate bond market. Additionally, many companies continued to reduce their debt levels, which further dampened loan demand. Between April and June 2025, bank lending to industries grew at the slowest pace in over three years, signalling muted credit demand from the corporate sector. According to RBI data, loans to industries — including micro, small, medium, and large enterprises — rose by 5.49 per cent year-on-year to Rs 39.32 lakh crore, marking the weakest growth since March 2022. In Q1 FY26, the country's largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), reported a 5.7 per cent Y-o-Y growth in its corporate loan book, but saw a fall of 3 per cent on a Q-o-Q basis. Private sector lenders ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank posted Y-o-Y growth of 7.5 per cent and 1.7 per cent, respectively, in their corporate loan portfolios, but witnessed sequential declines of 1.4 per cent and 1.3 per cent, respectively. A banking analyst noted that this reflects a phase of growth without fresh investment in the economy. The industrial growth as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) slowed to 2 per cent in April-June 2025, compared to 4 per cent in the previous quarter. According to SBI chairman C S Setty, the tepid growth in the corporate loan book was mainly on account of delay in investment decisions by corporates due to uncertainties caused by the higher tariff announcement by US President Donald Trump in April this year, shift in borrowing from banks to other alternate sources and higher prepayments of loans by corporates. While state-run Bank of Baroda's corporate loan book expanded by 4.2 per cent Y-o-Y , it registered a sharp dip of 10.2 per cent Q-o-Q. Corporate advances of Union Bank of India and Bank of India rose 2.68 per cent and 4.49 per cent y-o-y, respectively, though their books declined 4.83 per cent and 1.5 per cent sequentially in April-June 2025 quarter. Canara Bank and Punjab National Bank's corporate book grew flat at 0.48 per cent and 1.1 per cent, respectively, on a Q-o-Q basis in June 2025 quarter. Bank of Baroda's chief economist Madan Sabnavis attributes weak credit demand from corporates to the slowdown in investments as companies await a revival in demand. The US President had initially announced to impose a 26 per cent tariff on imports of Indian goods, but later declared a 90-day pause, which resulted in corporates holding back on expansions and new investments. He subsequently doubled the tariff on India to 50 per cent. 'An important factor to consider is the uncertainty in terms of how these tariffs are going to play out and how quickly this is going to be addressed. Due to this uncertainty, a lot of investment decisions could be delayed and people will postpone their spending. This is the second order impact of tariffs,' Setty said during a press conference post the declaration of the Q1 FY26 results. Easing rates in the debt market following the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) 100 basis points (bps) reduction in the repo rate since February has prompted corporates to shift from banks to debt market instruments. 'Some large corporates are accessing the commercial paper (CP) market to replace working capital limits. This is expected because there is a good amount of liquidity (in the CP market). The rates are much more affordable (in the CP market) compared to borrowing from banks,' Setty said. The lender has seen working capital limit utilisation by corporates in his bank falling to 58 per cent from 62 per cent in Q1 FY25. Total funds raised through CP increased to Rs 4.51 lakh crore in April-June 2025 quarter, compared Rs 3.8 lakh crore in same period of FY25, and Rs 4.38 lakh crore in January-March 2025 quarter, according to Besides CPs, companies are also tapping the corporate debt market for cheaper funds compared to bank loans, which has impacted corporate loan growth of banks. In the first quarter of the current fiscal, corporates mobilised Rs 3.42 lakh crore through private placement of bonds, data from showed. 'We believe that funds raised through the bond market are being largely used by corporates to support ongoing business needs rather than for long-term capital investment,' said Saswata Guha, senior director, Financial Institutions (Banks), Fitch Ratings. 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'While lenders are trying to be more prudent in ensuring that their risk-adjusted returns on corporate exposure are justified, they can do so because retail and small business lending continues to grow healthy,' he said. Banks are hopeful of a stronger growth in corporate advances from the third quarter of the current fiscal. While SBI expects its corporate loan book to grow by 10 per cent in Q3 of FY26, Bank of Baroda is confident of achieving a 9-10 per cent growth in the segment during FY26. 'The shift (for funding from banks to the debt market) has happened, but I think these shifts keep happening. Once the rates stabilize on the bank side, they (corporates) will come back to utilization (of their working capital limits),' the SBI Chairman said. Setty said SBI has a robust visibility on the corporate loan pipeline in terms of proposals under discussion, and on sanctions which are yet to be disbursed. The bank has a total corporate loan book pipeline of Rs 7 lakh crore. For large-scale capex-led funding requirements, corporates will have to return to the banks, as the bond market alone will not be adequate to fulfill those needs, Guha said.
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Fresh heritage precinct proposal for KMC
1 2 3 4 Kolkata: Calcutta Architectural Legacies (CAL) and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) that have been nudging the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to accord heritage precinct status to historic neighbourhoods in Kolkata with significant built architecture have again submitted the proposal on Dalhousie Square and Bow Barracks. In addition, work on a dossier is underway to demarcate two other localities — Lake Temple Road and College Street — as precincts as well. The proposal on Dalhousie Square, now known as BBD Bag, had earlier been submitted to KMC in Sept 2024. CAL and INTACH resubmitted the proposal last week following a request by KMC commissioner Dhaval Jain. The dossier was prepared by architects Partha Ranjan Das and Kamalika Bose to give shape to a demand that CAL founder and writer Amit Chaudhuri has been raising to declare heritage precincts so that the city's unique built heritage can be preserved. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Gold Rates Today in Kolkata | Silver Rates Today in Kolkata "We need to declare zones as heritage precincts to retain the character of these localities instead of focusing just on individual buildings," said Chaudhuri. INTACH that has been promoting heritage conservation in the city for decades has lent its weight to the proposal. INTACH and CAL had moved Calcutta High Court in 2019 with a PIL on the unilateral delisting of heritage buildings and later argued for the declaration of heritage precincts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo The HC had in Jan 2025 issued an order asking the state to approve the draft KMC rules for heritage buildings within 8 weeks. But there has been no headway on the issue yet. "Since the HC deadline has lapsed, KMC needs to urgently take it up with the state government and act on the matter," said GM Kapur of INTACH. Several other Indian cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Pondicherry, have heritage precincts that ensure that any new development does not alter the character of the zone. Speaking to TOI, conservation architect Das said the proposal maps the heritage precinct of Dalhousie Square and Bow Barracks and spells out building rules that will govern addition and alteration to existing buildings and addition of a fresh building in the precinct. "The proposal is not anti-development but regulated development so that the inherent character of the neighbourhood or precinct is retained," explained Das. CAL, which was set up around a decade ago by a group of like-minded citizens united in the common goal of working to prevent the disappearance of our city's distinctive residential neighbourhoods and other marks of modernity unique to Kolkata, has been advocating the need to declare zones as heritage precincts to retain the character of these localities instead of focusing just on individual buildings. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
