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State Bank of India (SBI) reported a record profit of around USD 9.2 billion for the fiscal year ending March 2025, making it only the third Indian company—after Reliance Industries and ONGC—to feature in the Global Top 100 ranked by net profit. Despite this remarkable achievement, much of SBI’s profits are generated by a relatively small digital cohort, as highlighted by Rajendra Srivastava, considered India’s Philip Kotler, in a post on medium.com, as reported PTI.The bank’s exceptional profitability is largely attributed to its strategic shift towards digital banking, particularly through the YONO app. Launched in November 2017, YONO has become a cornerstone of SBI’s growth strategy, initially created as a response to rising fintech competition. Today, the app boasts over 74 million registered users, positioning it as one of the largest digital banking platforms in the country.Since its inception, YONO has enabled more than Rs 3.2 lakh crore in loan disbursements and has become a significant contributor to the bank’s retail loan book. The app now sees over 10 million daily logins, and approximately 65% of SBI’s savings account transactions are conducted through it.However, despite its success, YONO accounts for a small portion of SBI’s overall customer base. While the bank services over 500 million accounts, only about 14% (approximately 74 million) are active users of YONO. Srivastava pointed out that this represents a paradox: the bulk of SBI’s profits come from a small digital user base, while the remaining 370 million accounts are primarily low-margin, high-cost liabilities, many of which are dormant or low-balance accounts created for financial inclusion purposes.Srivastava also raised questions about the efficiency of SBI’s expansive network of 20,000 branches and 220,000 employees. He noted that, in an era of digital banking, India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), which includes Aadhaar, UPI, and widespread internet and smartphone access, has revolutionized financial services, allowing even rural citizens to transact seamlessly through mobile phones.“Despite record-breaking profits, SBI continues to trade at a lower Price-to-Book (P/B) ratio of 1.4 compared to its private sector peers,” Srivastava observed, highlighting that banks like HDFC Bank (P/B ratio of 2.8) and ICICI Bank (P/B ratio of 3.3) enjoy higher market valuations. This is due to their perceived agility, leaner operations, and stronger digital presence, as well as their lower capital expenditure on physical infrastructure.SBI’s discounted P/B ratio reflects investor concerns about its structural inefficiencies in asset utilization, not its financial performance, according to Srivastava. He emphasized the need for SBI to focus on expanding YONO’s reach.“With a relatively small incremental investment, SBI can convert more of its legacy customers into digital users, reducing cost-to-serve,” Srivastava suggested. He also proposed that the bank phase out underutilized physical infrastructure, such as branches and ATMs, and trim administrative costs tied to dormant accounts.By doing so, SBI could improve customer lifetime value through cross-selling within the YONO ecosystem and extend its footprint without additional capital expenditure. This, Srivastava believes, would help the bank gain strategic relevance in the competitive financial services landscape.“In future, SBI can become a beacon for all public sector companies, demonstrating that profitability, efficiency, and inclusion are not mutually exclusive,” Srivastava concluded. “Higher levels of equity capital add to resources available to compete globally. India needs more financial firepower to fuel its growth ambitions. Doing well will also enable SBI to do good for the nation.”
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Modi’s Asia Double Play: Japan Now, China Next — What India Wants (and Risks)
ndia has kicked off a tightly choreographed Asia tour at a delicate moment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Tokyo first, meeting Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, before flying to Tianjin for the SCO summit hosted by China. The sequencing matters: Japan is a steadfast strategic and economic partner; China is a rival with whom India still needs a functional modus vivendi. The backdrop? Up to 50% US tariffs on Indian exports, which raise the premium on diversified trade and investment ties. ReutersAP NewsThe Times of IndiaThe Guardian Why Japan first Tokyo and New Delhi are doubling down on a “special strategic and global partnership” built over two decades. Expect deliverables in economic security (critical minerals, supply chains), high-tech collaboration, and infrastructure. Reports suggest the leaders are setting a decade-long joint vision and pushing private-sector investment goals alongside people-to-people exchanges […]
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[ad_1] Automaking giant Tata Motors is planning massive investment plans for the future, earmarking Rs 33,000 crore to Rs 35,000 crore for FY 26-30 on product actions. The Mumbai-headquartered company is targeting 30 product actions, including the launch of seven new models, as it looks to sharpen its competitive edge in India’s fast-evolving passenger vehicle (PV) market.As part of its long-term strategy, the automaker aims to secure a 16% market share, including electric vehicles (EVs), by FY27, rising to 18–20% over the next few years. Tata Motors expects the domestic PV industry to hit annual sales of 60 lakh units by 2030 and is positioning itself to ride that wave with a refreshed and expansive portfolio.“Looking ahead, we will strengthen our portfolio by FY30...7 new nameplates and 23 product refreshes will holistically enhance the portfolio,” the company told analysts in […]
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India’s global trade playbook has shifted abruptly in 2025. The US recently imposed tariffs as high as 50% on Indian exports, citing New Delhi’s continued oil imports from Russia. The immediate fallout was brutal: the rupee sank to a record low, and Indian markets felt the shock. For a country that built its post-1991 trajectory on closer US ties, this tariff punch could have been destabilising. Instead, India is doubling down on multi-alignment diplomacy — diversifying trade and diplomatic engagement with Japan, China, Russia, and the SCO bloc. Why tariffs hit hard The US remains a top destination for Indian goods — from IT services to textiles. Tariffs of this magnitude erode competitiveness and raise uncertainty for exporters. Analysts warn of job impacts in labour-intensive sectors. The rupee’s plunge to historic lows only underscored the vulnerability. India’s counter-strategy Japan: Securing […]
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Luxury skincare expansion: L’Oreal acquires majority stake in Medik8; announces 1 billion Euro deal
[ad_1] Cosmetics maker L’Oreal agreed to acquire a majority stake in British skincare brand Medik8, in a strategic move to strengthen its presence in the booming skincare market. The French beauty giant announced the deal on Monday, though financial terms were not disclosed.The transaction, which sees UK-based private equity firm Inflexion selling its majority holding, reportedly values Medik8 at around 1 billion Euro, according to a source familiar with the matter. Inflexion will retain a minority share, while L’Oreal has secured the option to eventually buy out all remaining shareholders, Reuters reported.“We are delighted to welcome Medik8 to the L’Oréal family. As a premium skincare range, with high levels of proven efficacy at an accessible price point, Medik8 perfectly complements our existing skincare portfolio,” Cyril Chaupuy, president of L’oreal Luxe said.“This acquisition further strengthens L’Oreal’s luxe portfolio, adding a premium […]
270 million pulled out of poverty! How Modi government achieved a remarkable dip in extreme poverty & what’s the road ahead? Explained
[ad_1] India’s GDP has more than doubled in the last decade, and experts believe that this has trickled down to the poorest. (AI image) Marking a big achievement over the last decade, extreme poverty in India has dropped substantially from 27.1% in 2011-12 to 5.3% in 2022-23, according to the latest World Bank data. The remarkable progress under the Narendra Modi government has come despite the World Bank raising its poverty threshold to $3 per person per day from $2.15 per person per day earlier.Incidentally, India’s huge reduction in extreme poverty comes at a time when globally there has been an increase in the number of people below the poverty line. According to a government fact sheet, India has emerged a statistical outlier in the positive direction.The latest data is being seen as a boost in the government’s economic growth […]
Ayodhya land prices: Circle rates revised first time in 8 years; soar up to 200%
[ad_1] For the first time in eight years, Ayodhya has seen a sharp revision in its circle rates, with property prices rising between 30% and 200% across various parts of the district, officials told PTI.The prices are particularly steep within a 10-kilometre radius of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, an area witnessing a real estate boom fuelled by religious tourism and rapid infrastructure growth. Here, circle rates have jumped over 150%, pushing land values in the prime zone to Rs 26,600–27,900 per square metre, compared to Rs 6,650–6,975 earlier.Shanti Bhushan Chaubey, sub-registrar of Sadar (Faizabad) tehsil, said the hike followed a proposal submitted last September. “After addressing objections, the new circle rates were approved by District Magistrate Tikaram Funde and have now been enforced,” he said.According to Chaubey, the sharpest hikes were recorded in areas with the most land activity. “Localities […]
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