&w=3840&q=100)
Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company files for initial public offering
India's Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company has filed for an initial public offering, draft papers showed on Tuesday, with its existing shareholders looking to sell their stake.
Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company is a joint venture promoted by India's state-owned Canara Bank, which owns a 51 per cent stake, and HSBC Group's HSBC Insurance (Asia Pacific) Holdings, which holds 26 per cent.
The insurance firm, which manages more than ₹40,000 crore ($4.7 billion) in assets, did not detail the size or timing of the IPO but said it will not issue fresh shares.
Canara Bank will sell up to 137.75 million shares via the listing, according to the draft papers, while HSBC Insurance (Asia-Pacific) Holdings will sell up to 4.75 million shares.
Punjab National Bank (PNBK.NS), the company's only other shareholder holding the remaining 23 per cent stake, plans to sell up to 95 million shares.
The listing comes at a time when rising global market volatility, driven by flip-flops by the US on tariffs, is forcing companies to recalibrate IPO ambitions to avoid weak demand or failed listings.
India was the world's second-largest market by IPO proceeds in 2024. However, listings are down nearly 15 per cent this year, data compiled by LSEG showed.
Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company reported a profit after tax of ₹113 crore in fiscal year ended March 2024, 24.3 per cent higher than the year earlier, its draft prospectus showed. Revenue, however, was marginally lower by 1 per cent over the same period. It is yet to report results for fiscal 2025.
This is the second IPO by a Canara Bank-backed company in recent times, following last week's filing by Canara Robeco Asset Management Company.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
He wants to speak to me: Donald Trump on plans to speak to Musk on phone
US President Donald Trump has said he has no immediate plans to speak with tech mogul Elon Musk, amid their escalating feud over the Republican-backed tax and spending bill. However, Trump also hinted he was open to a conversation, telling reporters, "If I were him, I would want to speak to me".Asked whether a phone call with the Tesla and SpaceX chief was on the horizon, Trump responded, "Umm I haven't really thought about it actually. I would imagine he wants to speak to me. Maybe he's already called. You'd have to ask him. Ask him if he's already called. But I'd have no problems with it".advertisementThe latest comments come after a dramatic fallout between Trump and Musk, once considered allies, following Musk's vocal opposition to a Republican tax-cut package championed by the White House. Though Musk hasn't directly addressed Trump in recent days, he has continued to slam the legislation, which included key components of Trump's domestic economic agenda. The rift became public last week when Musk, who had informally advised Trump during his first term, criticised what the president called the "Big, Beautiful Bill". Trump had initially remained silent, but later told reporters aboard Air Force One that he was "very disappointed" in the billionaire a sharp escalation, Musk declared that Trump would have lost the last election without his backing and even floated the idea of impeachment. The tech mogul, who reportedly spent nearly USD 300 million on Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, had previously vowed to reduce his political donations and called for the ouster of lawmakers who "betrayed the American people".advertisementIn response, Trump suggested his administration could sever government ties with Musk's companies, including lucrative contracts involving SpaceX and its satellite internet wing, the height of the standoff, Musk even threatened to withdraw SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft from NASA missions to the International Space Station, a move that would jeopardize the US space program. He later walked back the strained relationship threatens to ripple through Republican circles ahead of the crucial midterm elections next year. With Musk hinting at pulling financial support and other Silicon Valley donors watching closely, the Republicans risk losing a critical source of influence and InMust Watch
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
3 hours ago
- First Post
Pakistan to give its military more money, ignoring its real tension: Economy, not India
Despite facing record-high debt and a struggling economy, Pakistan plans to raise its defence budget by nearly 18 per cent in 2025–26, taking it over Rs 2.5 trillion (around $14 billion). The move comes after its military setback in a recent four-day conflict with India read more Pakistan has never come out of the notion that by spending more on military, it can eventually be able to counter India in the battlefield. Reports from Pakistani media say that the country is set to increase its defence budget by nearly 18 per cent in the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year. This would raise its defence spending to over Rs 2.5 trillion (about $14 billion), despite facing its highest-ever public debt and deepening economic challenges. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The decision to hike military funding comes against the backdrop of the battering the Pakistani forces received during the f our-day conflict with India in May in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were massacred by Pakistan-backed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir in April. The decision also follows multiple bailout fundings by international loan agencies to aid Pakistan in dealing with its fiscal and economic challenges. That came under stringent conditions. And those agencies would be monitoring Pakistan's military budget hike as historically such moves have meant more funding to terror outfits. Budget increase and security context Media reports from Pakistan say that the coalition government, led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has agreed on the significant defence outlay increase. They cite a 'war-like situation' with India. The 2024-25 defence budget stood at Rs 2,122 billion, already up nearly 15 per cent from the previous year. This year's budget hike would mean close to 35 per cent incremental hike in two years. Reports quoting sources also said the actual defence spending may rise even higher in the final quarter of the current fiscal year due to heightened military activity. Pakistan's Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal confirmed the hike, linking it to India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and 'water aggression' through upstream dam projects. He also said work on the $14 billion Diamer-Bhasha Dam — a strategic infrastructure project with the help from China — would be expedited. Soaring debt and fiscal risks This comes against a ballooning public debt that reached a record level of PKR 76 trillion — the highest for Pakistan — as of March, according to its Economic Survey. It has nearly doubled from Rs 39.8 trillion in 2020-21 and increased five-fold over the past decade. The debt includes PKR 51.5 trillion in domestic liabilities and Rs 24.5 trillion in external borrowings. The Economic Survey warns that excessive debt and poor management pose serious risks to fiscal sustainability and economic security. Despite securing a $3.5 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier this year, Pakistan faces skepticism from international observers, including India, which questions whether IMF funds might indirectly support military spending rather than economic recovery. Pakistan's finance ministry officials argue that the defence budget increase was communicated to the IMF and Asian Development Bank (ADB) before the bailout and that the government is balancing security needs with fiscal responsibility. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan's real tension: Economic and social challenges Economists warn that the rising defence expenditure, combined with ambitious infrastructure projects like Diamer-Bhasha, could crowd out social spending and derail economic reforms. Inflation remains high, threatening to touch 40 per cent (over 38 per cent), and Pakistan continues to struggle with unemployment and poverty. Pakistan observers have been cautioning against diversion of funds for defence establishment. They argue that diverting funds to defence and megaprojects risks leaving ordinary citizens to bear the economic burden, potentially exacerbating social inequalities. Pakistan's upcoming 2025-26 budget clearly reflects a mis-prioritisation of the military establishment in the name of security while leaving concerns about fiscal prudence and long-term economic stability unaddressed. India and international financial institutions will closely monitor Pakistan's budget execution and debt management in the coming months. Pakistan's argument has been that its security threat emerges from India, a narrative that suits its military establishment to corner a huge chunk of the country's national budget while keeping the population in abject poverty. But if Pakistan's narrative is accepted, its defence spending would still be no match to India's. While Pakistan is pushing more money into its military establishment, the core backer of terrorism for decades, India remains the world's fifth-largest military spender at around $86 billion annually — nearly nine times Pakistan's outlay. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan's defence spending surge is bound to cause more economic strain on its social welfare programmes and fuel regional tensions as India would definitely take into account the growing military push in its neighbourhood, which is also the source of terrorism on its land.


Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Indian Express
Paraguay president's X account likely hacked in Bitcoin scheme
Paraguay's government on Monday said that President Santiago Pena's X account had likely been hacked after the leader appeared to promote trading of cryptocurrency Bitcoin. 'The president's official X account has presented irregular activity which suggests possible unauthorized entry,' the government said in a statement. A post on Pena's account in English, with a Spanish-language statement purporting to be from the government, had declared that the Latin American country had made Bitcoin legal tender and that it would roll out a $5 million Bitcoin-backed reserve fund. The government asked citizens to ignore posts from the account until official confirmation was made available. Paraguay's national cybersecurity team was working with X to investigate the situation, the government added. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.