Latest news with #Systemically
Finextra
3 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
Standard Chartered and OKX launch collateral mirroring programme
Standard Chartered and OKX, a leading cryptocurrency exchange and global onchain technology company, today announced the launch of a ground-breaking, world-leading collateral mirroring programme, enabling institutional clients to utilise cryptocurrencies and tokenised money market funds as off-exchange collateral for trading. 0 This initiative significantly enhances security and capital efficiency for institutional clients by using a Globally Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB) as the custodian for their collateral. Margaret Harwood-Jones, Global Head of Financing and Securities Services at Standard Chartered said: 'We understand the critical importance of robust and secure custody solutions, especially in the evolving digital asset landscape, and our collaboration with OKX to enable the use of cryptocurrencies and tokenised money market funds as collateral represents a significant step forward in providing institutional clients with the confidence and efficiency they need. By leveraging our established custody infrastructure, we are ensuring the highest standards of security and regulatory compliance, fostering greater trust in the digital asset ecosystem.' The collateral mirroring capability has been launched as a Pilot within the Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority's (VARA) regulatory framework, and it allows clients to benefit from enhanced protection against counterparty risk, a significant concern in the current digital asset markets. Standard Chartered acts as the independent, regulated custodian in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority, ensuring the safe storage of the assets used as collateral, while OKX through its VARA regulated entity, manages collateral and facilitates transactions. Franklin Templeton will be the first in a series of money market funds that will be offered under the OKX-SCB programme. Hong Fang, President of OKX, said: 'As the digital assets ecosystem becomes more ingrained within traditional finance, we strive to both drive growth and safeguard client assets in the most capital efficient manner. By leveraging Standard Chartered's position as a top custodian globally, as well as OKX's market leadership in cryptocurrency trading, the partnership sets an industry standard for current and potential institutional clients to deploy trading capital at scale in a trusted environment.' Franklin Templeton, a recognised leader in tokenisation and real world assets (RWA), continues to innovate by leveraging blockchain technology to deliver cutting-edge solutions to customers and clients. Through this collaboration, OKX clients will gain access to on-chain assets developed by Franklin Templeton's Digital Assets Team, seamlessly integrating them into their financial and operational structures. Roger Bayston, Franklin Templeton Head of Digital Assets, says: 'Leveraging blockchain technology, our platform is built to support the dynamic and ever-evolving financial ecosystem. We take an authentic approach, from directly investing in blockchain assets to developing innovative solutions with our in-house team. By ensuring assets are minted on-chain, we enable true ownership, allowing them to move and settle at blockchain speed - eliminating the need for traditional infrastructure.' Brevan Howard Digital, the dedicated crypto and digital asset division of Brevan Howard, a leading global alternative investment manager, is among the first few institutions to onboard onto this pioneering programme, highlighting the importance of such capabilities being offered by a leading international cross-border bank and a highly reputable global exchange. Ryan Taylor, Group Head of Compliance at Brevan Howard and CAO of Brevan Howard Digital, commented: 'This programme is the latest example of the continued innovation and institutionalisation of the industry. As a significant investor in the digital assets space, we are thrilled to partner with industry leaders to further grow and evolve the crypto ecosystem globally.'
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
UPSC Prelims 2025 Special: Revision Checklist for important Economy topics — tick off in your current affairs notes (Part 2)
Are You Prelims Ready? The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 is scheduled for May 25. Many of the questions from the economy are either based on current affairs or indirectly linked to the news. Here's a Part 2 of the must-check list of key economy topics for your final day revision notes. (1-20 were covered in Part 1 of Economy Checklist) — The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) retained the State Bank of India, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs). — Systemically Important Banks (SIBs) are perceived as banks that are 'Too Big To Fail (TBTF)' and their continued functioning is crucial for the uninterrupted availability of essential banking services to the real economy. — Banks are classified into distinct categories based on their systemic importance score. The RBI has classified SBI into bucket 4, HDFC Bank in bucket 3, and ICICI Bank in bucket 1. — A D-SIB must meet additional common equity requirements depending on the bucket in which it is put. The additional capital requirement ranges from 0.20 percent to 0.80 percent of risk weighted assets, depending on which bucket D-SIBs are plotted in. — The RBI stated that SBI's additional common equity tier 1 (CET1) requirement as a percentage of Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) is 0.80%. The additional fund requirement for HDFC Bank is 0.40 percent, whereas for ICICI Bank it is 0.20 percent. — If a foreign bank with a branch in India is a Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB), it must maintain an additional CET1 capital surcharge in India proportionate to its Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) in India, i.e., additional CET1 buffer prescribed by the home regulator (amount) multiplied by India RWA as per consolidated global Group books divided by total consolidated global Group RWA. — D-SIBs are segregated into different buckets based on their systemic importance scores, and subject to loss absorbency capital surcharge in a graded manner depending on the buckets, in which they are placed. A D-SIB in the lower bucket attracts lower capital charge and a D-SIB in higher bucket attracts a higher capital charge. — The livestock census is conducted every five years and counts the number of domesticated animals, poultry, and stray animals in the country. — The census collects data on the species, breed, age, gender, and ownership status of animals. — There have been 20 livestock censuses since 1919, the most recent of which was conducted in 2019. The enumeration for the 21st census will take place from October 2024 to February 2025. — The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying will collect information on sixteen animal species during the 21st census. Cattle, buffalo, mithun, yak, sheep, goat, pig, camel, horse, ponies, mule, donkey, dog, rabbit, and elephant are a few examples. — A dry port, or inland container depot (ICD), provides a logistics facility away from a seaport or airport for cargo handling, storage, and transportation. It acts as a bridge between sea/air ports and inland regions, facilitating efficient movement of goods. — The best part of a dry port is that it handles customs clearance procedures, reducing congestion at seaports/airports. — As of April 2022, the maximum number of dry ports is in Tamil Nadu and Haryana, with 11 dry ports. — India has added 15 GW of solar capacity in 2023-24, bringing the total to 90.8 GW by September, a significant increase from just 2.8 GW in 2014. — In 2023-24, India imported solar equipment worth $7 billion, with China supplying 62.6 per cent. China's dominance in global solar manufacturing—controlling 97 per cent of polysilicon production and 80 per cent of solar modules—makes it challenging for other countries to compete. — Solar Power (Cumulative) Contribution from different sources (90.76 GW) (i) Ground Mounted Solar Plant: 70.05 GW (ii) Grid Connected Solar Rooftop: 14.30 GW (iii) Hybrid Projects(Solar Component) : 2.63 GW (iv) Off-Grid Solar: 3.78 GW — The financial sector can play a pivotal role in mobilising resources and their allocation thereof in green activities/projects. Green finance is also progressively gaining traction in India. — A green deposit is a fixed-term bank deposit that allows investors to fund ecologically friendly projects. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched the Green Deposit Scheme in June 2023. — If regulated companies (REs) want to raise green deposits from their clients, they must follow the structure outlined therein. Regardless of how the funds are allocated or used, REs must pay interest on green deposits to their customers in accordance with the agreed-upon terms and circumstances and the aforementioned guidelines. — There is no restriction on the premature withdrawal of green deposits. ( — India signed the US-led 14-member Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) bloc's agreements on a clean and fair economy. — The agreements signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US are aimed at facilitating the development, access, and deployment of clean energy and climate-friendly technologies. They also aim to strengthen anti-corruption measures and promote tax transparency within member countries. — The agreement on a fair economy intends to create a more transparent and predictable business environment, which can spur greater trade and investment in the markets of member countries. — IPEF also provides platforms for technical assistance, concessional funding, and viability gap funding. — There are 14 IPEF members: Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States. — Section 45ZB of the modified RBI Act of 1934 establishes an empowered six-member monetary policy committee (MPC) to be appointed by the Central Government via announcement in the Official Gazette. — The primary goal of monetary policy is to maintain price stability while also promoting growth.' — The present MPC members, as notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette of October 5, 2020, are as under: — Governor of the Reserve Bank of India—Chairperson, ex officio; — Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, in charge of Monetary Policy—Member, ex officio; — One officer of the Reserve Bank of India to be nominated by the Central Board—Member, ex officio; — Three other members having knowledge of economy will hold office for a period of four years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. — The MPC calculates the policy repo rate needed to meet the inflation objective. — The MPC is required to meet at least four times per year. The MPC meets with a quorum of four members. — Each MPC member has one vote, and if there are equal votes, the Governor has a second or casting vote. ( — Gold ETFs are units representing physical gold which may be in paper or dematerialised form. — One Gold ETF unit is equal to 1 gram of gold and is backed by physical gold of very high purity. They combine the flexibility of stock investments and the simplicity of gold investments. — Gold ETF schemes can only invest primarily in gold or gold-related products that have been approved by SEBI. — The government is likely to come up with mandates for blending of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for domestic flights only after the global mandates for international flights kick in from 2027. — SAF is a biofuel that is produced from sustainable feedstocks and has chemistry similar to conventional ATF or jet fuel, which is derived from crude oil. — This means that existing aircraft engines can easily use the SAF-ATF blend. For instance, Airbus claims that all its aircraft are capable of flying on a maximum 50 per cent blend of SAF and conventional fuel. — SAF is incredibly expensive due to high technological and manufacturing costs. — The year 2027 will be a watershed moment in the global adoption of SAF, when the mandatory phase of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) begins. — India, while not a participant in the voluntary phases of CORSIA, will have to comply with the mandatory phase starting 2027. In line with the CORSIA mandate, the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) has set the initial indicative targets for blending SAF with jet fuel from 2027 onwards, starting with international flights. The indicative targets are: 1 per cent blending in 2027 and 2 per cent in 2028. — The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme intends to create an ecosystem in India for the production of high-efficiency solar PV modules, reducing reliance on imports in the renewable energy sector. The objectives of the PLI scheme are: — To build up the solar PV manufacturing capacity of high-efficiency modules. — To bring cutting-edge technology to India to manufacture high-efficiency modules. — To promote the setting up of integrated plants for better quality control and competitiveness. — To develop an ecosystem for sourcing local materials in solar manufacturing. — Employment generation and technological self-sufficiency. ( — Money market transactions are generally used for funding the transactions in other markets, including the G-Secs market and meeting short-term liquidity mismatches. — The money market is for a maximum tenor of one year. Within one year, depending upon the tenors, the money market is classified into: (i) Overnight market – The tenor of transactions is one working day. (ii) Notice money market – The tenor of the transactions is from 2 days to 14 days. (iii) Term money market – The tenor of the transactions is from 15 days to one year. (Source: — SCOMET stands for Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment, and Technologies. Dual-use goods are categorised under the SCOMET list in India. — This list includes dual-use things, such as goods, technology, chemicals, organisms, and so on, that have the potential for both civil and military applications and can be used as weapons of mass destruction. — The SCOMET items are classified under 9 distinct categories: Nuclear materials, Toxic chemical agents and other chemicals, Micro-organisms, Materials Processing Equipment and related technologies, Nuclear-related other equipment and technology, Aerospace systems, Munitions list, Reserved, and Special Materials and Related Equipment, Material Processing, Electronics, Computers, Telecommunications, Information Security, Sensors and Lasers, Navigation and Avionics, Marine, Aerospace and Propulsion. ( — UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits-Gateway to Access Information) is an internet site developed by the RBI. — It allows registered users to seek unclaimed deposits/accounts from numerous banks in a consolidated manner. — The UDGAM portal allows you to look for all unclaimed deposits/accounts held by the RBI's Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund. — Project Nexus is conceptualised by the Innovation Hub of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). — It seeks to enhance cross-border payments by connecting multiple domestic instant payment systems (IPS) globally. It is the first BIS Innovation Hub project in the payments area to move towards live implementation. — The Reserve Bank of India has been collaborating bilaterally with various countries to link India's Fast Payments System (FPS) – UPI, with their respective FPSs for cross-border Person to Person (P2P) and Person to Merchant (P2M) payments. While India and its partner countries can continue to benefit through such bilateral connectivity of FPS, a multilateral approach will provide further impetus to the RBI's efforts in expanding the international reach of Indian payment systems. — Benefit: Project Nexus is designed to standardise the way IPS connect to each other. Rather than a payment system operator building custom connections for every new country that it connects to, the operator can make one connection to the Nexus platform. This single connection allows a fast payments system to reach all other countries on the network. Nexus could significantly accelerate the growth of instant cross-border payments. — Members: Project Nexus aims to connect the FPSs of four Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) — Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand; and India, who would be the founding members and first mover countries of this platform. To read more: What is Project Nexus that RBI has signed up for? — The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences 2024 to three US-based economists — Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A Robinson. — Three US-based economists — Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A Robinson have been awarded Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences 2024, also known as 'Nobel Prize in Economics', for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity. The Nobel citation states the three economists 'have helped us understand differences in prosperity between nations'. — This year's laureates in the field of economic sciences have provided new insights into why there are such vast differences in prosperity between nations. One important explanation is persistent differences in societal institutions. To read more: Knowledge nugget of the day: Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences 2024 — An EFF is a financial assistance package offered by the IMF to countries facing severe balance of payments issues due to structural weaknesses that cannot be resolved in the short term. It is meant to help the borrowing country implement medium-term structural reforms. — The IMF said that the EFF 'aims to capitalise on the hard-won macroeconomic stability achieved over the past year by furthering efforts to strengthen public finances, reduce inflation, rebuild external buffers and remove economic distortions to spur private sector led growth.' — However, the package does not include plans to restructure the country's external and internal debt. — Commercial banks (except regional rural banks, payment banks, and local area banks) with prior digital banking expertise are eligible to open Digital Banking Units (DBUs) in tiers 1–6 centres. — The services include savings bank accounts under various schemes, current accounts, fixed deposits, and recurring deposit accounts, digital kits for customers, mobile banking, Internet banking, debit cards, credit cards, and mass transit system cards, digital kits for merchants, UPI QR code, BHIM Aadhaar, and point of sale (PoS). — Other services include submitting applications and onboarding customers for specific retail, MSME, or schematic loans. — Digital banking entails moving all traditional banking activities online, eliminating paperwork such as checks, pay-in slips, and demand drafts. a. India and Australia — The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced that export utilisation under the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) has reached 79% after two years of implementation, while import utilisation is at 84%. — Trade utilisation of a free trade agreement (FTA) reflects the degree to which trade benefits from the agreement. It also gives information on whether enterprises are effectively using the FTA or find its concession procedures cumbersome. — However, commerce between India and Australia has declined in the current fiscal year. Official trade data revealed that goods exports to Australia totalled $3.99 billion in the six months from April to September 2024, down from $4.89 billion in the same period last year, representing an 18% decrease. — Imports plummeted 18% during the same period, to $6.7 billion this year from $8.3 billion the previous year. This has resulted in a smaller trade imbalance. Read more about Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement b. India-U.S trade — The US is India's largest trade partner, with bilateral trade reaching almost $120 billion (bn) in FY24 — slightly higher than India's China trade. — India's dependence on the US has grown over the past decade. According to official 2022-23 data, the US accounts for 18% of India's exports, compared to 10% in 2010-11. India's export basket to the US is well-diversified, benefiting industries ranging from textiles to electronics and engineering. — India's export to the United States: 2021-22: 43.31 bn, 2022-23: 50.86 bn and 2023-24: 42.19 bn. — India's trade deficit with the United States: 2021-22: 32.85 bn, 2022-23: 27.68 bn and 2023-24: 35.32 bn. c. India and Switzerland — The Railways ministry renewed an existing pact with the transport department of Switzerland for technological collaboration, track maintenance, and infrastructure modernisation in the rail sector. — A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by video conference with the Swiss Confederation's Federal Department of Environment, Transport, and Communications (DETEC). d. India and Russia — According to Commerce Ministry data, India's total exports to Russia increased by 40% in 2023, topping $4 billion, with engineering goods nearly doubling to $1.32 billion from $680 million in 2022. — India is boosting its exports of machineries, car parts, steel and aluminium goods, internal combustion engines, pumps, and other items to Russia. Exports in the 'engineering goods' category nearly doubled, exceeding $1 billion in 2023. e. India and the EU — The EU is India's largest trading partner in goods, and bilateral commerce has expanded by 90% over the last decade. — In fiscal year 2023-24, bilateral trade in goods totalled $135 billion, with India exporting $76 billion to the EU and importing $59 billion. Bilateral trade in services in 2023 was $53 billion, with Indian exports of $30 billion and imports of $23 billion. — Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows from the EU totalled $117.4 billion between April 2000 and September 2024, accounting for 16.6% of overall FDI equity inflows. — Between April 2000 and March 2024, Indian FDI outflows to the EU were valued at around $40.04 billion. a. Mumbai High field — Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) expects its partnership with UK-based energy giant BP to raise production from the Mumbai High field to add up to $10.3 billion to its revenue over the 10-year contract period. — The Mumbai High field, located in India's Mumbai Offshore basin in the Arabian Sea, was found in 1974. Hydrocarbon production commenced in 1976. — In 1989, it reached its highest production of 476,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and 28 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas. Since then, production has continuously decreased. The field's current production levels are approximately 134,000 bpd of petroleum and 13 bcm of natural gas. b. Vadhvan port — A 32-km long road connecting the proposed Vadhvan Port in Maharashtra's Palghar district to the national highway 48 has been approved by the Union cabinet. — The Arabian coast at Vadhvan, located north of Mumbai, is excellent for developing a new port due to its natural depth of 20 metres at a distance of around 4.5 nautical miles. — The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) is building the Vadhvan Port. JNPA and the Maharashtra Maritime Board will jointly implement this port, with 74% and 26% ownership, respectively. — The development of a port in Vadhvan was planned as part of the Sagarmala Programme, a government initiative to supplement port-led development and coast-line development in order to contribute to India's progress. — The goal is to expand and develop Green Field Ports to meet the growing traffic demand of Major Ports on the West Coast. — The new Vadhvan port will have a deep draught to accommodate large container, bulk, and crude vessels. — A natural water depth of 20 metres is available at a distance of 10 kilometres, while a 15 metre contour is available at 6 kilometres from the shore, allowing next-generation vessels to travel safely and dock. ( a. Alfisols and vertisols — India's drylands include a wide range of soil types. Alfisols and vertisols predominate in semiarid locations, while inceptisols and entisols (alluvial soils) can be found in river basins and desert regions. — Crops cultivated in alfisols are prone to severe drought stress, but crops grown in vertisols are less vulnerable to drought due to their higher water holding capacity. ( b. Opinion trading — Opinion trading services allow users to wager on the fate of future events. The business is expanding rapidly, attracting money and an estimated 5 crore users, but it appears to have mostly flown under the radar in India, unregulated. — Opinion trading systems look to be betting platforms, and some in government share this perspective. However, investors and creators say that making money on these platforms requires a significant amount of skill. — India's sector includes companies such as Gurugram-based Probo and MPL Opinio. The former asks questions about a wide range of topics, including sports, elections, and cryptocurrency, whereas the latter exclusively asks about cricket matches. — India currently lacks a law that can deal directly with opinion trading platforms such as Probo and MPL Opinio – however, in foreign markets such as the United States and Australia, where this industry is more mature, governments have decided to treat wagers as securities, putting the responsibility for regulation on the stock market regulator. b. Wilful defaulter — A staggering 2,664 corporates have been classified as wilful defaulters, failing to repay bank loans despite having the means to do so, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). — According to RBI data, the number of wilful defaulters increased from 2,154 in March 2020 to 2,664 in March 2024, while the amount due increased from Rs 1,52,860 crore to Rs 1,96,441 crore over the last four years. — A wilful default happens when the borrower has not utilised the finance from the lender for the specific purpose for which finance was availed of, and has diverted the funds for other purposes, or siphoned off funds, or disposed of or removed the movable fixed assets or immovable property given for the purpose of securing a term loan without the knowledge of the bank. c. Gross fixed capital formation — Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), commonly known as 'investment,' is defined as the acquisition of created assets (including the purchase of used assets), as well as the production of such assets by producers for their own use, without disposals. d. De-dollarization — It involves reducing dependence on the dollar instead of replacing the US dollar in global trade. e. Windfall tax — A windfall tax is a levy imposed by governments on specific industries when economic conditions allow them to generate significantly higher-than-average profits. — Windfall taxes are primarily applied against enterprises in the targeted industry that have gained the most from the economic windfall, which are typically commodity-based businesses. — The tax is levied in the form of Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED). The tax rates are reviewed every fortnight based on average oil prices in the previous two weeks. ( f. Indexation — The changes in the long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax regime, particularly the withdrawal of the indexation benefit, have emerged as one of the most contentious decisions announced in the Union Budget for 2024-25. — Indexation is the process of adjusting the original purchase price of an asset or investment in order to neutralise the impact of inflation on it. — Inflation diminishes the value of money over time; thus, when an asset is sold or an investment is redeemed, indexation aids in determining the cost of acquisition while accounting for the impact of inflation throughout the holding period. g. Vertiports — Aviation watchdog DGCA issued guidelines for vertiports that can be used for operating aircraft that can take off and land in a vertical manner. — The government is looking to push for eVTOL (electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft as part of advanced air mobility solutions. Edited by Manas Srivastava Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. The UPSC articles of Indian Express is now on Telegram. Join our Telegram channel- Indian Express UPSC Hub and stay updated with the latest Updates.
