China Asks Jack Ma’s Ali Baba To Divest Media Assets; Fear Of Influencing Public Opinion Looks Obvious

 

China government’s crackdown on Chinese billionaire and Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma manifested in the targeting of his e-commerce behemoth Alibaba and finance affiliate Ant Group took a new turn with the government directing the Alibaba Group Holding Limited to divest its media assets.

Jack Ma’s company has big stakes in micro-blogging platform Weibo and news outlets including South China Morning Post, the leading English-language newspaper in Hong Kong.

China’s worry on Jack Ma’s influence on public opinion

It looks obvious the China government is worried about the tech giant's influence over public opinion, mainly on social media, and hence, wants the media assets to be disposed of.

Ma’s inspiring image took a different turn from the second half of 2020 aided by the pandemic driven resentment against the super-rich among the masses; the China ruling party leveraged that too.

Alipay trouble and targeting of Ant Group

Ma and the Chinese government locked horns after he launched Alipay. Finance is a state-controlled domain in China and Alipay was breaking that structure. Also, Alibaba’s access to big data comparable to Facebook or Google also scared the Chinese government.

In December 2020, Chinese officials opened an anti-trust investigation into Alibaba, and added pressure on Ant Group, the fintech giant Ma spun out of the powerhouse e-commerce company.

In November, China authorities quashed Ant's planned blockbuster IPO, in a reaction to Ma dubbing China’s banks as “pawnshops”. He accused the banks of lending only to those who submitted collateral and castigated financial regulators on the “minimising risk” motto.

Ma who had good relations with the Chinese government for over two decades got into the bad books when in October 2020 at a conference the Alibaba founder slammed the financial system and called the regulators as lacking in farsightedness.

Ma has already stepped down as the chairman of Alibaba but owns a big chunk of the company’s share. He is still part of a core group that selects Alibaba’s board members.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Jack Ma is the 25th richest person in the world with a personal wealth pegged at more than $50 billion.

Apex Bank Wants Image-based Cheque Truncation System Expanded In All Bank Branches by Sept 30

 

The RBI has asked banks to implement image-based Cheque Truncation System in all branches by September 30

In Feb, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced pan-India coverage of CTS by bringing all bank branches under the image-based clearing mechanism. The CTS is in use since 2010 and presently covers around 1,50,000 branches.

The Reserve Bank on Monday asked banks to implement the image-based Cheque Truncation System (CTS) in all branches by September 30.

This is aimed at faster settlement of cheques resulting in better customer service. As of now, 18,000 bank branches are still outside any formal clearing arrangement.

In February, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced pan-India coverage of CTS by bringing all bank branches under the image-based clearing mechanism.

The CTS has been in use since 2010 and presently covers around 1,50,000 branches. All the erstwhile 1,219 non-CTS clearing houses (ECCS centres) have been migrated to CTS effective September 2020.

However, there are thousands of branches outside any formal clearing arrangement and customers face hardships due to longer time taken and cost involved in collection of cheques presented by them, the RBI said.

“To leverage the availability of CTS and provide uniform customer experience irrespective of location of her/his bank branch, it has been decided to extend CTS across all bank branches in the country,” the RBI circular said.

Now banks have to ensure that all their branches participate in image-based CTS under respective grids by September 30, 2021, it said.

Banks are free to adopt a model of their choice, like deploying suitable infrastructure in every branch or following a hub and spoke model and concerned banks should coordinate with the respective Regional Offices of RBI to operationalise this, it said.

Benefits of Cheque Truncation System

Cheque Truncation System (CTS) targets quicker cheque clearance and is discontinuing the flow of the physical cheque in its way of clearing.

Instead, an electronic image of the cheque is transferred with vital essential data adding elegance and speed to cheque processing saving time and cost and expanding efficiency in human resource rationalization, business process re-engineering and enhanced customer service.

 

CTS signals a great move towards Digital India. IMPS, RTGS and NEFT were game-changers for the banking sector. The implementation of grid-based Cheque Truncation System cheque clearing process has added speed and operational efficiency in addition to other benefits such as business process re-engineering, cost-effectiveness, better service and adoption of cutting-edge technology.

• ·       Clearing related frauds less plausible

·       Probability of cheques misplaced in transit is eliminated
·       CTS is advanced and secure.
·       It provides quicker clearance of cheques
·       Reduces operational risk related to paper clearing

Top Corporate Bond Funds In Limelight

 

Corporate bond funds are in the gaze of investors as fundraising from the capital market is gaining more attraction. Bond funds are technically open-ended debt mutual funds that invest in highly rated corporate bonds.  The guidelines of SEBI mandate that corporate bond funds have to invest at least 80 per cent of their total assets in AA+ and above rated corporate bonds.

 

Benefits in Corporate Bond Funds

Among the advantages include -lower credit risk. This is due to exposure to the highest-rated corporate bonds.

 

·       Higher yields than government bonds with the same maturity.

·       Lower risk of falling interest rate than long and medium-term bond funds. 

 ·       Ensures higher returns than fixed deposits.

 ·       Have higher tax efficiency than fixed deposits

Top Corporate Bond Funds 

Some of the top corporate tax funds include the following.

• L&T Triple Ace Bond Fund 
• Axis Corporate Debt Fund   
• HDFC Corporate Bond Fund 
• ABSL Corporate Bond Fund 
• ICICI Prudential Corporate Bond Fund      
• IDFC Corporate Bond Fund 
• Sundaram Corporate Bond Fund 
• Kotak Corporate Bond Fund 
• Invesco India Corporate Bond Fund    
• Edelweiss Corporate Bond Fund  

 

Some attractions of HDFC corporate bond fund

The fund invests in highly-rated corporate bonds and has been a consistent performer. Corporate bond funds have become a popular debt investment category in recent years.  The category registered the highest net inflows of about Rs 72,550 crore in the last one year. 

 

HDFC Corporate Bond Fund has been one of the better and stable performers in this category. Investors with a 2-4-year time frame and looking for high credit-quality portfolios with moderate interest rate risks can consider investing in the scheme, per a report in Money Control.

 

The fund currently has an average maturity of 4.4 years and a yield-to-maturity of 5.4 per cent is deemed healthy given the uncertain and low-interest rates scenario and the scheme’s exposure to the highest-rated bonds.

 

Low credit risks

 

HDFC Corporate Bond Fund (HCBF) invests in highly-rated corporate bonds, as per the category’s mandate. Corporate bond funds invest at least 80 per cent of their assets in the highest-rated (AAA and AA+) debt instruments and hence carry low credit risks.

 

Like all corporate bond funds, HCBF has a restriction on the credit quality of its portfolio. 

“Since these funds aim to maintain a quality portfolio, they try to generate returns mainly through interest accruals,” per Anupam Joshi, Fund Manager-Fixed Income, HDFC AMC. 

HDFC Corporate Bond Fund (HCBF) has been performing well within almost 100 per cent of its assets in the highest-rated bonds over the past five years and allocation have held the fund in good stead. Over the past few years, a string of corporate bond downgrades and defaults rattled debt funds investors. However, corporate bond funds did well as they were restricted from holding bonds with lower credit ratings.

 

Avoids Stressed Trio

 

The risk control strategy of HCBF makes it zero exposure to stressed funds including DHFL, ADAG, IL&FS etc It also reduced risk levels by ensuring a non-concentrated exposure. The most it has invested in a single corporate group is 8.9 per cent. The regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), allows investments of up to 20 per cent.

 

Consistent returns

HCBF has outperformed its peers across periods. Over the past three-year period, the fund has given 9.1 per cent returns, as against 7.6 per cent managed by the category.

 

In rolling returns, HCBF gives 8.2 per cent as opposed to its category average of 7.2 per cent. In 2020, corporate bond funds gave good returns as interest rates fell.

But high borrowings announced in this year’s Budget have led to a spike in yields ever since. An increase in fiscal deficit and massive government borrowing plans for the financial year 2021-22 have meant that interest rates may begin to rise eventually.

Short to medium duration debt funds better

Joshi believes that the bond yields are likely to trade with an upward bias, though the upside should be limited. He advises investors to focus on short to medium duration debt funds.

Arun Kumar, Head of Research, FundsIndia cautions that while credit risk is minimal for the category, interest rate risk (as reflected in the modified duration) needs to be evaluated before choosing a corporate bond fund.

 

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VISITING AHMEDABAD AGAIN

Visiting Ahmedabad Again

Starting from 2004 every 3 years I travel to Ahmedabad. In the first week of December 2010 I joined a team of fellow journalists on a 3-day visit to Ahmedabad primarily to write on Gujarat’s investment potential for an international audience who will be attending the VIBRANT GUJARAT INVESTOR SUMMIT (VGGIS).

What makes Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar different is good roads and its economic exhuberance. I love Gujarati tali (meals) and its plentiful variety and tastes. In the 3-day hectic schedule I did a bit of shopping too while reflecting on my past trips to the growing city with nostalgia.

With the ambitious Sabarmati River Front project in progress Ahmedabad will be an Indian Hong kong in a decade or so.

Let’s now read through its history. Ahmedabad is the largest city in the state of Gujarat. It is located in western India on the banks of the River Sabarmati. The city has been under different rulers since its creation and thus had a rich history. The city has been a former capital of Gujarat (the present one is Gandhinagar). Ahmedabad is the cultural and economical centre of Gujarat and the seventh largest city of India.

In the early 15th century, an independent sultanate ruled by the Muslim Muzaffarid dynasty was established in Gujarat. Its Sultan Ahmed Shah made it the capital and called it Ahmedabad.

the occupation of Sultan Ahmed Shah, it was known as Ashapalli or Ashaval. In the 11th century the Solanki King Karandev I waged a war against the Bhil king of Ashaval. After his victory he established a city called Karnavati on the banks Sabarmati at the site of modern Ahmedabad. Solanki rule lasted until the 13th century, when Gujarat came under the control of the Vaghela dynasty of Dwarka.

In 1487 Mahmud Begada, the grandson of Ahmed Shah, fortified the city with an outer city wall six miles in circumference and consisting of 12 gates, 189 bastions and over 6,000 battlements to protect it from outside invaders. The last Sultan of Ahmedabad was Muzaffar II.

Gujarat was conquered by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1573. During the Mughal reign, Ahmedabad became one of the empire's thriving centres of trade, especially in textiles, which were exported as far as Europe. His grandson Shahjahan spent the prime of his life in the city, and built the Moti Shahi Mahal in Shahibaug. During Mughal rule, Surat rose as a commercial centre and Ahmedabad lost some of its luster.

In 1753, the armies of the Maratha generals Raghunath Rao and Damaji Gaekwad captured the city and ended Mughal rule in Ahmedabad. The British East India Company took over the city in 1818. A military cantonment was established in 1824, a municipal government in 1858, and a railway link between Ahmedabad and Bombay (Mumbai) in 1864. Ahmedabad grew rapidly, becoming an important center of trade and textile manufacturing.

The merchant class tended to support the British, thinking the rule provided more security than under the Marathas, lower taxes (including lower octroi), and more property rights.

Unlike other Indian cities, Ahmedabad lacked a comprador class or dominant, Western-educated middle class.

The struggle for independence from the British soon took roots in the city. In 1915, Mahatma Gandhi came from South Africa and established two ashrams in the city, the Kochrab Ashram near Paldi in 1915 and the Satyagrah Ashram on the banks of Sabarmati in 1917.

On May 1, 1960, Ahmedabad became a state capital as a result of the bifurcation of the state of Bombay into two states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. A large number of educational and research institutions were founded in the city in the 1960s. In February 1974, Ahmedabad occupied the centre-stage of national politics with launch of the Nav Nirman agitation.

In Shirdi Sai Baba’s Divine Embrace

In Shirdi Sai Baba’s Divine Embrace

By G. Kalyan Kumar

Going to Shirdi on a pilgrimage is a great experience. My first visit to Shirdi was in 1998 and I continued that pilgrimage in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008 and this year in March 2010.

From the Manmad Junction railway station Shirdi is at a distance of 60 km. A car will take you there in 50 minutes. The row of tall trees that once lined Shirdi’s roads are almost gone. Road expansion and massive construction activity have hit the green cover of the village of yore where these chopped must have been the shelter from blazing sun to many pilgrims.

When I feel the internal urge to see Sai Baba, I plan my visit to Shirdi at least two months in advance. And I return with a bliss that I experience through peace of mind and more enthusiasm in life. I am waiting for my next darshan.

More than words the teachings of Sai Baba and his message in life are valuable tools to inspire the unitiated.

11 Assurances of Sai Baba

• Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi soil, their sufferings will come to an end.

• The wretched and miserable will rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of My Samadhi.

• I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.

• My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees.

• I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb.

• My mortal remains will speak from My tomb.

• I am ever living to help and guide all who come to Me, who surrender to Me and who seek refuge in Me.

• If you look to Me, I look to you.

• If you cast your burden on Me, I shall surely bear it.

• If you seek My advice and help, it shall be given to you at once.

• There shall be no want in the house of My devotee.



Important Sayings


A Collection from Sri Sai Satcharita

• Why fear when I am here?

• I am formless and everywhere

• I am in everything and beyond. I fill all space.

• All that you see taken together is Myself.

• I do not shake or move.

• If one devotes their entire time to me and rests in me, need fear nothing for body and soul.

• If one sees me and me alone and listens to my Leelas and is devoted to me alone, they will reach God.

• My business is to give blessings.

• I get angry with none. Will a mother get angry with her children? Will the ocean send back the waters to the several rivers?

• I will take you to the end.

• Surrender completely to God.

• If you make me the sole object of your thoughts and aims, you will gain the supreme goal.

• Trust in the Guru fully. That is the only sadhana.

• I am the slave of my devotee.

• Stay by me and keep quiet. I will do the rest.

• What is our duty? To behave properly. That is enough.

• My eye is ever on those who love me.

• Whatever you do, wherever you may be, always bear this in mind: I am always aware of everything you do.

• I will not allow my devotees to come to harm.

• If a devotee is about to fall, I stretch out my hands to support him or her.

• I think of my people day and night. I say their names over and over.

• My treasury is open but no one brings carts to take from it. I say, "Dig!" but no one bothers.

• My people do not come to me of their own accord; it is who seek and bring them to me.

• All that is seen is my form: ant, fly, prince, and pauper

• However distant my people may be, I draw them to be just as we pull a bird to us with a string tied to its foot.

• I love devotion.

• This body is just my house. My guru has long ago taken me away from it.

• Those who think that Baba is only in Shirdi have totally failed to know me.

• Without my grace, not even a leaf can move.

• I look on all with an equal eye.

• I cannot do anything without God's permission.

• God has agents everywhere and their powers are vast.

• I have to take care of my children day and night and live an account to God of every paisa.

• The wise are cheerful and content with their lot in life.

• If you are wealthy, be humble. Plants bend when they bear fruit.

• Spend money in charity; be generous and munificent but not extravagant.

• Get on with your worldly activities cheerfully, but do not forget God.

• Do not kick against the pricks of life.

• Whatever creature comes to you, human or otherwise, treat it with consideration.

• Do not be obsessed by the importance of wealth.

• See the divine in the human being.

• Do not bark at people and don't be aggressive, but put up with others' complaints.

• There is a wall of separation between oneself and others and between you and me. Destroy this wall!

• Give food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, and clothes to the naked.

• Then God will be pleased.

• Saburi (patience) ferries you across to the distant goal.

• The four sadhanas and the six Sastras are not necessary. Just has complete trust in your guru: it is enough.

• Meditate on me either with form or without form, that is pure bliss.

• God is not so far away. He is not in the heavens above, nor in hell below. He is always near you.

• If anyone gets angry with another, they wound me to the quick.

• If you cannot endure abuse from another, just say a simple word or two, or else leave.

• What do we lose by another's good fortune? Let us celebratewith them, or strive to emulate them.

• That should be our desire and determination.

• I stay by the side of whoever repeats my name.

• If formless meditation is difficult, then think of my form just as you see it here. With such meditation, the difference between subject and object is lost and the mind dissolves in unity.

• If anyone offends you do not return tit for tat.

• I am the slave of those who hunger and thirst after me and treat everything else as unimportant.

• Whoever makes me the sole object of their love, merges in me like river in the ocean.

• Look to me and I will look to you.

• What God gives is never exhausted, what man gives never lasts.

• Be contented and cheerful with what comes.

• My devotees see everything as their Guru.

• Poverty is the highest of riches and a thousand times superior to king's wealth.

• Put full faith in God's providence.

• Whoever withdraws their heart from wife, child, and parents and loves me, is my real lover.

• Distinguish right from wrong and be honest, upright and virtuous.

• Do not be obsessed by egotism, imagining that you are the cause of action: everything is due to God.

• If we see all actions as God's doing, we will be unattached and free from karmic bondage.

• Other people's acts will affect just them. It is only your own deeds that will affect you.

• Do not be idle: work, utter God's name and read the scriptures.

• If you avoid rivalry and dispute, God will protect you.

• People abuse their own friends and family, but it is only after performing many meritorious acts that one gets a human birth. Why then come to Shirdi and slander people?

• Speak the truth and truth alone.

• No one wants to take from me what I give abundantly.

• Do not fight with anyone, nor retaliate, nor slander anyone.

• Harsh words cannot pierce your body. If anybody speaks ill of you, just continue on unperturbed.

• Choose friends who will stick to you till the end, through thick and thin.

• Meditate on what you read and think of God.

• I give my devotees whatever they ask, until they ask for what I want to give.

• You should not stay for even one second at a place where people are speaking disrespectfully of a saint.

• If you do not want to part with what you have, do not lie and claim that you have nothing, but decline politely saying that circumstances or your own desires prevent you.

• Let us be humble.

• Satsang that is associating with the good is good. Dussaya, or associating with evil-minded people, is evil and must be avoided.

• What you sow, you reap. What you give, you get.

• Recognize the existence of the Moral Law as governing results. Then unswervingly follow this Law.

• All gods are one. There is no difference between a Hindu and a Muslim. Mosque and temple are the same.

• Fulfill any promises you have made.

• Death and life are the manifestations of God's activity. You cannot separate the two. God permeates all.

• Mukti is impossible for those addicted to lust.

• Gain and loss, birth and death are in the hands of God.

• When you see with your inner eye. Then you realize that you are God and not different from Him.

• Avoid unnecessary disputation

• The giver gives, but really he is sowing the seed for later: the gift of a rich harvest.

• Wealth is really a means to work out dharma. If one uses it merely for personal enjoyment, it is vainly spent.

• To God be the praise. I am only the slave of God.

• God will show His love. He is kind to all.

• Whenever you undertake to do something, do it thoroughly or not at all.

• One's sin will not cease till one falls at the feet of Sadhuso

• Be ashamed of your hatred. Give up hatred and be quiet.

• The Moral Law is inexorable, so follow it, observe it, and you will reach your goal: God is the perfection of the Moral Law.

• I am your servants' servant.

• Always think of God and you will see what He does.

• Have faith and patience. Then I will be always with you wherever you are.

JAIPUR-Enduring Fascination

FASCINATING JAIPUR OR ROYAL NOSTALIGIA

It was a memorable visit to Jaipur from Delhi. We three (wife, daughter and me) set out in the wee hours of 26 December 2009, a day after Christmas. The car raced past the fog filled lanes of Delhi in average 60 Km/hr speed. Barring the mandatory stops at the toll stations, the only break we had in the 270 km journey was the tea break near Neemrana. The meandering curves of Aravalli mountains informed us about the nearing Pink City.

I thought of American poet Robert Frost who wrote about Mountains in these lines..

The mountain held the town as in a shadow
I saw so much before I slept there once:
I noticed that I missed stars in the west,
where its black body cut into the sky.
Near me it seemed: I felt it like a wall
Behind which I was sheltered from a wind.

In 5 hours and 40 minutes we reached Jaipur city and it took another 25 minutes to reach our hotel near the sprawling Spice cinema complex, which is a compelling attraction.

BEAUTY: Built in 1727 AD by the famous astronomer king, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, Jaipur is a blend of princely heritage and feudal traditions. It took six years to complete the city of Jaipur, and was India’s first modern city designed in a grid form over two centuries ago.

Jaipur is strewn with palaces, monuments, gardens and museums. Apart from these are the fascinating havelis of the traditional residents - Jaipur has a tale to narrate in every nook and corner. Its 'Old City' is the heart and was designed in the 18th century; the narrow streets and squares bustle with shoppers and tourists all around. Stemming from the main streets are narrow pedestrian lanes where everything is on display from silver jewellery to colourful textiles and local handicrafts. The pink-washed buildings jostle with the colourful local shops replete with traditional handicrafts and ethnic goods

The city is surrounded by a crenellated wall with seven gates meant for protection against the invading enemies. At the beginning of the city stands the imposing Amer Fort.

Amber/Amer Fort set in front of Maota Lake is built in white marble and red sandstone. The gigantic fort is perched high on the hills and protected by Jaigarh Fort. A steep 10-minute climb through Suraj Po, the main entrance takes one to the fort. Inside, there is a huge courtyard, Jaleb Chowk, now lined with souvenir and refreshment shops.

ATTRACTIONS: The famous Hawa Mahal or the 'Palace of the Winds' is the pride of Jaipur. Built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh, the pink sandstone palace resembles a honeycomb structure. It was exclusively designed for the queens who could watch the proceedings on the road and the colourful bazaars below through the intricately latticed windows. The five-storeyed pyramid-shaped structure has 953 perforated windows or jharokhas which keep the palace cool. The City Palace spread over a large area is a beautiful blend of Rajputana and Mughal architecture with spacious courtyards, manicured gardens and temples.

Jantar Mantar, an observatory built by Sawai Jai Singh II is one of the largest and the best preserved of all the five observatories built by Sawai Jai Singh, Jantar Mantar has 16 astronomical instruments. These geometric devices built of local stone and marble were used for measuring time, predicting eclipses and determining celestial altitudes. The famous devices include Ram Yantra used to determine the altitude of the sun, Rashivalaya Yantra used to draw up horoscopes and the 23-m high Samrat Yantra to forecast crop prospects.

Jal Mahal or Water Palace is situated on the Man Sagar Lake gets filled up during the monsoons and creates a romantic sight. Inspired by the Lake Palace in Udaipur, Jal Mahal built in the 18th century was used mainly for royal duck shooting parties. The first four floors of the building are under water; only the top floor is visible outside. The Lake Palace can be best viewed from the Nahargarh Fort.

A visit to Jaipur is incomplete without going to Chowki Dhani for a real taste of authentic Rajasthani cuisine. It is around 25 Km from the city. This ethnic village resort is famous for providing traditional ambience and variety of entertainment. Besides savouring Rajasthani food from Dal Baati Churma to Gatte ki Sabzi, the village complex also offers camel rides, elephant rides, puppet shows, dances, mehendi wallis and other forms of entertainment.

Also don’t forget to visit Andrews Hall and the Birla Temple. The cafeteria in Andrews Hall is mast.

GEMS and JEWELLERY: The royal city of Jaipur is the best place to shop in Rajasthan, India. It has the most unique and precious jewelries, classy handicrafts and vividly designed textiles. One of the many reasons Jaipur is regarded as the top city is that offers its visitors the finest of classic Rajasthan products like jewelries, handicrafts, and fabrics.

Royal Rajasthan is legendary for its abundant deposits of precious gems. Earth’s most attractive and costly gems such as ruby, emerald, amethyst, garnet, topaz, jade and lapis lazuli are there in Rajasthan and Jaipur has always been the heart of these charming stones and jewelries. The city presents jewelries with exceptional patterns and designs. The expert gem artists of Jaipur carve the gems into incredible figures.

An exclusive collection of ornaments is offered by Jaipur. This consists of an armlet known as Baajuband, hairclip known as Judamani, forehead adornment known as Bodla and belt called Tagdi. What's more, bazaars in the city flourish with an array of popular traditional ethnic jewelries including beaded, pearl, silver, diamond, and metal jewelries.

I waved good bye to Jaipur lanes on the noon of 30th Dec, after a fulsome visit of 4 days. I will come back....

G. Kalyan Kumar