RBI should roll back steps after rupee stabilises: SBI

New Delhi, July 16: Bankers today said that the liquidity tightening measures announced by RBI are temporary and hoped that they will be rolled back once the rupee stabilises. “These measures are temporary, to calm down volatility. We are not taking that these measures will be long-term. I think once the rupee stabilises, these steps should be largely rolled back,” SBI Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri said.

The Reserve Bank of India had last night announced a slew of measures like raising the cost of borrowing by banks by 2 per cent to 10.25 per cent and announcing sale of bonds worth Rs 12,000 crore through open market operations to suck liquidity to check the rupee slide. The rupee had earlier this month touched a life-time low of 61.21 to a dollar. On the impact of RBI measures on interest rates, Chaudhuri said: “Impact on loan growth depends on how long these measures stay. Deposit rates do not have such a close correlation with the money market.’’ RBI’s measures strengthened the rupee to 59.20 against the dollar in noon trade against the previous close of 59.89.

“RBI action is towards the forex side of market and to contain volatility in rupee,” Bank of Baroda Chairman S.S. Mundra said, adding that it would be too early for RBI to change the policy stance. RBI is scheduled to announce its first quarter monetary policy review on July 30. UCO Bank Chairman Arun Kaul said RBI’s step is a temporary measure and the bank has to wait for some more time to decide on the impact of this move. “The objective of RBI action is to compress liquidity. The implications are same as repo rate hike. RBI has opted for that time which is slack in terms of credit demand,” Kaul said.

PSU banks decide not to hike rates

Jaipur/ New Delhi/ Mumbai, July 16: You need not worry about an increase in your equated monthly instalments after RBI’s late night action on Monday. The finance ministry has leaned on public sector banks that control around 70% of the business against raising rates to keep a large constituency of middle class and corporate borrowers pacified ahead of key elections. After all, for over a year now, the finance ministry has been prodding RBI to cut rates, while the central bank has refused to toe the government line. Instead, on Monday it signalled a reversal in policy to offset the impact of the weakening rupee by announcing several measures that will push up the cost of funds for banks.

While there were expectations of banks responding with hikes in the coming days, the finance ministry swung into action and impressed upon banks to maintain status quo.

By evening the impact was visible as banks started issuing statements, saying rates will not go up. “The measures taken by RBI are designed to curb speculation in the market and are not seen by SBI as indicative of any systemic problem or deeper malaise. It is, therefore, expected that the position in the market will stabilize shortly. Hence neither the management nor the board of SBI that met on Tuesday in Mumbai felt that this requires any adjustment of lending,” State Bank of India said in a statement. Taking a cue from the largest lender, others including Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda and IDBI Bank followed suit.

Earlier on Tuesday, finance minister P Chidambaram seemed to lay down the ground rule. While kicking off a pre-election campaign on government schemes, Chidambaram said he did not expect banks to raise interest rates. “These measures are intended to quell excessive speculation in the forex market, reduce volatility and stabilize rupee. They should not be read as a prelude to any policy rate changes,” he said. Admitting that the high current account deficit has made the rupee weaker, the finance minister said, “Given the current account deficit and the inflation, some depreciation of the rupee is expected. But sometimes there is excessive speculation in the foreign exchange market and the role of RBI is to ensure that volatility is cut.

The tight liquidity situation due to the recent measures raised concerns of growth being impacted. But the finance minister allayed such fears. “These measures will in no way affect our commitment to growth. We must increase credit delivery and stimulate growth.” He reeled off a number of reforms and initiatives taken by the government in the last four months to revive growth and reverse the policy paralysis that has stalled projects approvals.

Repco Home Finance Limited Recruitment

Repco Home Finance Limited has issued notification for the filling up of Graduate Trainee vacancies in Pune Branch of RHFL on contract basis. Eligible candidates can apply through prescribed application format on or before 16-03-2013. For more details age limit, educational qualifications, selection process and how to apply are mentioned below.

RHFL Vacancy Details: Name of the Post: Graduate Trainee
Age Limit: Candidates age should not exceed 25 years as on 01-03-2013.

Educational Qualifications: Candidates must possess any graduation, preferably B.Com, 10+2+3 format through regular class room from a UGC Recognized university. Graduates from Open University will not be considered.

Selection Process: Candidates will be selected based on Interview.

How to Apply: Candidates can download the prescribed application form from the website and send the filled in application form to PIMPRI, Mr. Rama G Handa, Branch Manager, Repco Home Finance Ltd, PIMPRI Office No.16 & 17, first Floor, Hira Moti Fortune, Mumbai Pune Highway, Above Indian Bank, Chinchwad Station, Pimpri ,Pune – 411 019 so as to reach on or before 16-03-2013.

Last Date for Submission of Bio-Data Form: 16-03-2013
For more details regarding age, qualifications, selection and other information click on the below link.

Click her for Recruitment Advt

Click here for Application form

SBI clarification on education loan

Mumbai, October 5: State Bank of India (SBI) authorities on Thursday clarified that the application for an education loan received at the Tiruvalla branch of the bank the other day was returned as it didn’t comply with the existing norms laid by the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and Union Government for sanctioning loans. 

Reacting to media reports, an SBI press note maintained that as per the existing model education loan scheme in vogue since August 2011, admissions under the management quota are to be kept outside the scope of the Education Term Loans (ETLs) scheme.

Banks Plan Common Job Interviews

20 banks may give IBPS the interview mandate;

SBI will not be part of it

 Kolkata, September 26: It may become a lot easier to get a job at nationalised banks. Banks are planning to have a common interview that could open up opportunities in one go in many banks for candidates, who now have to give multiple interviews for jobs in various banks. Public sector banks, which recruit about 30,000-40,000 people a year on an average, expect to save time and cost once this common interview becomes a reality. As many as 20 banks are expected to give the mandate to Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, or IBPS, to conduct the common interview on their behalf. IBPS also conducts common written test for these banks.

Senior bank executives said the governing body of IBPS had come up with the suggestion and the member banks gave their in-principle consent to the proposal at a meeting held on September 14. Banks are now required to get the respective...

SBI tops ATM expansion in non-metros: Assocham

Mumbai, September 19: Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) is more aggressive in expanding its ATM (automated teller machine) network in the non-metro and semi-urban centres as compared to its peers, according to a study by Assocham. "Unlike other banks, the State Bank of India (SBI) is expanding its ATM network in non-metro and semi-urban centres, faster than expansion in the metros," the study based on the recent Reserve Bank data said. As compared to the 5,783 ATMs in metro cities, SBI has 7,511 and 6,419 ATMs in non-metro urban areas and semi-urban areas, respectively, the Assocham statement said.
SBI's peer in the state-run banks space, Punjab National Bank is the only other bank which has more ATMs in non-metro cities than the metros, it said. The objective of financial inclusion can be better achieved by the usage of technological interventions, including ATMs, and public sector banks have an important role to play in the objective, Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat was quoted as saying.
Overall, the private sector banks, led by Axis Bank have gone about expanding their network through ATMs in a much more aggressive way than their public sector peers.  Be it, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank or HDFC their bias and preference for ATMs is for the metro cities, followed by tier two cities.Among the private sector banks, Axis Bank has the largest (10337) ATM network, followed by HDFC Bank with 9709 such machines and ICICI Bank - 9366 ATMs.
Excepting the SBI, the other banks have to go a long way before achieving the financial inclusion in the semi-urban and rural areas.
“The Finance Ministry is rightly very keen of achieving the financial inclusion of a large number of people in rural areas.  This can best be achieved by leveraging of technology and use mobile telephony and ATMs. Somehow, the public sector banks will have to take a lead in these areas. Even their brick and mortar branch network is wider in the rural and semi-urban areas than the private sector banks,” ASSOCHAM Secretary General D S Rawat said.
He said while a good beginning has been made, pooling of technology resources like the ATMs should be encouraged so that optimum use can be made to the advantage of the people. The ASSOCHAM quoted honourable Finance Minister Mr P Chidamabaram who recently noted how even the trade has not been fully brought into the banking network.
“As was pointed out by the Finance Minister, today traders are not able to deposit their cash of sales proceeds at night in any bank. In the process, they have to keep it either in the shop premises or at home taking the risks of theft and other insecurity issues. We must have technology-driven day and night banking so that a wider section of the informal economy is brought into the banking network,” Mr Rawat said. While the RBI has been expressing concerns over regulatory issues over the mobile banking, sooner or later different technology platforms have to converge and the regulators need to equip themselves to deal with new challenges and opportunities.
The ASSOCHAM said a large number of Indians still remain outside the banking network.  It is because of lack of the organized banking that the gullible people in semi urban and rural areas fall prey to unscrupulous money-lenders. “The institutions of micro-finance did make a good beginning. However, because of certain corporate governance issues, the entire experiment has become rather overshadowed by controversies. The use of technology to reach out to the bottom of the pyramid promises a lot of scope,” the ASSOCHAM Secretary General said.

State Bank of India is now most valued bank

Mumbai, September 21:  SBI today reclaimed its position as the country’s most valued bank with a total market valuation of over Rs 1.48 lakh crore, surpassing private sector player HDFC Bank. Shares of State Bank of India surged 4.3 per cent to close the day at Rs 2,212.6, taking its market value to Rs 1,48,475 crore, making it the overall seventh most valued company.

On the other hand, shares of HDFC Bank gained 3.02 per cent to Rs 625.25. In the process, the market capitalisation (m-cap) of the private bank rose to Rs 1,47,444 crore. HDFC Bank had on July 27 toppled SBI to become the country’s most valued lender in terms of market cap.

Meanwhile, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) continued to remain at the number one position with a m-cap of Rs 2,74,987 crore, while TCS was at second place with Rs 2,55,084 crore value. It was followed by ONGC (Rs 2,50,975 crore), Coal India (Rs 2,34,905 crore) and ITC (Rs 2,05,254 crore). Among the top-10 on the...