ICICI Bank &amp; Infosys Chairman K V Kamath says he expects things to improve vastly this year, with inflation peaking and interest rates set for a reversal. In an interview with Shyamal Majumdar and Somasroy Chakraborty, Kamath says he is surprised by the sharp correction in the stock markets and the rupee in an economy growing at seven per cent.

Q&A: K V Kamath, ICICI Bank & Infosys

Business Standard

Deepak Parekh, the respected head of Housing Development Finance Corporation, who has been vocal about the ill-effects of drift in country&rsquo;s leadership talks about the issue and what needs to be done with Karan Thapar on television channel CNN-IBN&rsquo;s Devil&rsquo;s Advocate programme.

Q&A: Deepak Parekh, HDFC

Gunit Chadha on why har ek friend is indeed zaroori in one&rsquo;s personal and professional life.

Lunch with BS: Gunit Chadha

US-based Stanwich Advisors raised $17 billion for 40 funds from leading institutional investors across the world since 1996. Currently, the boutique investment bank that provides advisory and fundraising services to private equity firms helps a few Indian PE fund managers (general partners) raise funds from global markets. Its managing partner, Charles Daugherty speaks to Reghu Balakrishnan about the fundraising scenario in India.

Investor interest in China funds higher than Indian funds: Charles Daugherty 

Kolkata-based Allahabad bank recently deferred its $500-million medium-term note (MTN) programme, owing to the economic slowdown. However, the bank is hopeful of a healthy 18 per cent credit growth and expects Rs 1,000-crore capital infusion by the government soon. Chairman and managing director J P Dua, in an interview with Namrata Acharya, outlines the challenges and opportunities for the banking sector in a changed economic scenario. Edited excerpts.

'By second quarter, rates should start coming down': J P dua

IFCI CEO and managing director Atul Kumar Rai is battling multiple problems: declining net profit growth, complexity in his company's capital structure as there is no clarity on government converting its warrants into equity, and allegations of suppressing facts at the time of his appointment as the chief of the financial institution. In a talk with Vrishti Beniwal, Rai defended himself and says he is open to inquiry.

We were not good enough to have a strategic investor: Atul Kumar Rai 

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy governor Subir Gokarn tells Manojit Saha for rate cuts to happen, inflation should come down.

CRR cut does not rule out open market operations: Subir Gokarn

Western Union is seeking to enter into the intra-money transfer business in India, in addition to growing its network beyond 60,000 locations across the nation. Growing its electronic channel is one of its top priorities, Hikmet Ersek, who assumed charge as the chief executive officer of Western Union on September 1, told Sumit Sharma in an interview.

Q&A: Hikmet Ersek, CEO, Western Union

After the successful Nasdaq listing by MakeMyTrip last month, venture capital (VC) firm SAIF Partners is gearing for two more initial public offers (IPOs) by its investee firms. But unlike many VCs, SAIF is not looking for an exit as it sees further growth opportunity. At present, it is investing from its fourth fund of $1.25 billion (Rs 5,818 crore), both in India and China.

'Late-stage market is very expensive'

Financial inclusion can provide an identity for the poor and those in the unorganised sector and at the same time help lift their standard of living, says Usha Thorat, deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). As she nears the end of her 38-year tenure at RBI, Thorat looks back with satisfaction at her role in India&rsquo;s most fundamental economic reforms.

Q&A: Usha Thorat, Deputy Governor, RBI

Apollo Munich, a standalone health insurance joint venture between the Apollo Hospitals Group and Germany-based Munich Re, recently rebranded itself from Apollo DKV. Antony Jacob, the managing director and chief executive officer, tells Shilpy Sinha the recent controversy around cashless mediclaim has led to an increase in awareness about health insurance.

Q&A: Antony Jacob, MD & CEO, Apollo Munich

Mahindra Finance, with Rs 17,000 crore of assets under management, has registered robust loan growth of 35 per cent over the last six months, even amidst the rising interest rates. Managing Director Ramesh Iyer tells Malvika Joshi how the growing business in rural areas has helped the non-banking financial company (NBFC) to offset the negative impact of higher borrowing costs.

Q&A: Ramesh Iyer, MD, Mahindra Finance

Nupur Mitra took charge of Dena Bank as chairperson and managing director earlier this month. She shares her plans in an interview with T E Narasimhan and Somasroy Chakraborty on growing the businesses in coming quarters.

Q&A: Nupur Mitra, CMD, Dena Bank

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Subir Gokarn tells CNBC-TV18 the rupee depreciation is offsetting whatever little softening India has seen in commodity prices.

Q&A: Subir Gokarn, Deputy Governor, RBI

A spate of suicides by borrowers led to the Andhra Pradesh Microfinance (Regulation of Money Lending) Ordinance last year.

Q&A: Alok Prasad, CEO, Microfinance Institutions Network

Tata Capital, the funding arm of Tata Sons, has announced a joint venture with World Bank arm International Finance Corporation to tap the unexplored potential in the Indian climate change space. The move, apart from generating a mammoth $750-million business for the company, would go a long way in buttressing the rural economy, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Praveen Kadle, tells Sudheer Pal Singh in an interview.

Q&A: Praveen Kadle, MD & CEO, Tata Capital

The fundamentals of the US economy are still reasonably good.

Q&A: Greg Guyett, CEO, JPMorgan

Improving the efficiency parameters and bringing down non-performing assets are the two areas Central Bank of India will primarily focus on, says its new chairman and managing director, Mohan Tanksale. He talks of these and other plans to Abhijit Lele and Parnika Sokhi.

Q&A: Mohan Tanksale, CMD, Central Bank of India

Puranam Hayagreeva Ravikumar, who takes over as SKS Microfinance's new non-executive chairperson-interim with immediate effect, has also been the head of the board's audit committee. In an interview with Rajesh Bhayani, he talks about the new strategies and business models SKS Microfinance would adopt.

Q&A: Puranam Hayagreeva Ravikumar, SKS Microfinance 

United Bank of India is facing the twin challenge of slow credit growth and the deteriorating quality of assets. In an interview with T E Narasimhan and Somasroy Chakraborty, the Kolkata-based bank's chairman and managing director, Bhaskar Sen, says the lender has pared its credit growth target and stepped up efforts to improve loan recoveries.

Q&A: Bhaskar Sen, CMD, United Bank of India

A day after Vikram Akula stepped down as the executive chairman of SKS Microfinance, the firm's chief financial officer, S Dilli Raj, tells Somasroy Chakraborty the board did not force Akula to resign.

Page 59 - Interviews