Mumbai, May 1: Despite geopolitical tensions and the global economic slowdown, Mumbai scaled an all-time high of 52,896 new property registrations in January-April this year, which represents an 8 per cent rise over the 48,819 properties registered during the same four months in 2024, according to a report released by real estate consultancy Anarock on Thursday.

An analysis of the data of the Inspector General of Registration (IGR), Maharashtra, reveals that the overall revenue collected from property registrations in Mumbai stands at around Rs 4,633 crore in the first four months of 2025. This is 21 per cent more than the same period (January – April 2024) last year, when the revenue collected was Rs 3,836 crore.

“Further analysis of the property registrations data and demand trends from January to April shows that the average ticket price of sold homes was Rs 1.57 crore, reminiscent of 2023 and 2024, when it was Rs 1.56 crore,” Anarock chairman Anuj Puri said.

“In the corresponding period in 2021, the average ticket price was significantly lower at Rs 1.02 crore. Thus, it witnessed a 54 per cent jump between January-April 2021 and January-April 2025. In short, 2025 continues to record higher sales of pricey homes than in the more affordable categories,” he added.

According to the Maharashtra State Revenue Department, the overall revenue collected by the authorities from property registrations and the total registrations in Mumbai in January to April 2025 are at record highs, the report states.

A deeper analysis reveals that April 2025 recorded the highest number of property registrations in this month over the past seven years (since 2019), with over 13,080 properties registered. The revenue collected in April 2025 stood at approximately Rs 1,115 crore. In comparison, April 2024 saw around 11,648 property registrations — about 12 per cent lower than this year. Revenue collection last year was also lower by nearly 5 per cent.

Considering that housing sales remained tepid across MMR (including Mumbai) in Q1 2025, the spate of registrations in the first four months of the year is remarkable. As per Anarock Research, Q1 2025 saw approx. 21,930 units sold in Mumbai — about 28 per cent less than in Q1 2024.

Puri said, “A key factor behind the surge in property registrations in this period is the record-breaking activity in March, when 15,501 properties were registered. This spike came close on the heels of the announcement of a 3.9 per cent hike in Maharashtra’s ready reckoner rates for FY26. March 2025 marked the highest property registrations in the past three years. Prior to this, the highest figures were recorded in December 2020 with 19,581 registrations, and March 2021 with 17,728 registrations.”

Mumbai, April 30: Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (SFB) on Wednesday reported a 74.7 per cent sharp decline in its net profit at Rs 83.4 crore for the fourth quarter (Q4) of FY25, compared to Rs 329.6 crore in the same quarter last fiscal.

This decline in earnings was mainly due to increased provisioning and a slowdown in interest income, caused by changes in the bank’s business mix.

In the fourth quarter, Ujjivan SFB’s Net Interest Income (NII) came in at Rs 864.4 crore, down 7.4 per cent from Rs 933.5 crore in the same period a year ago.

However, the bank’s asset quality showed improvement on a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis, as per its stock exchange filing.

The Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) dropped to 2.18 per cent from 2.68 per cent in the previous quarter, and the Net NPA also improved to 0.49 per cent from 0.56 per cent.

The bank’s Provision Coverage Ratio (PCR) remained strong at 78 per cent, backed by accelerated provisioning of Rs 46 crore during the quarter.

PCR is an important financial indicator for banks, reflecting their ability to cover potential losses from non-performing loans.

Additionally, Ujjivan SFB saw healthy growth in its deposits. Total deposits rose by 20 per cent year-on-year (YoY), reaching Rs 37,630 crore.

The bank also recorded strong growth in its CASA (Current Account Savings Account) ratio, which improved to 25.5 per cent, up 43 basis points from the previous quarter.

The gross loan book increased to Rs 32,122 crore — a 5 per cent rise from the previous quarter and an 8 per cent increase from the same period previous fiscal.

One of the key highlights for the bank was the growth in its secured loan portfolio, which now constitutes 44 per cent of the total loan book, up from 30 per cent during a year-ago period.

Ujjivan SFB also set a record in loan disbursements, with Rs 7,440 crore disbursed in Q4 — a 39 per cent QoQ growth. This was driven by a strong performance in micro-banking and individual loan segments.

Following the result declaration, the shares of the small finance bank was down by over 3 per cent to Rs 42.56 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday.

New Delhi, April 26: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Saturday handed over appointment letters to 976 new recruits as part of the 15th edition of the Rozgar Mela.

The Rozgar Mela was held across 47 locations nationwide. The event, addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via videoconferencing, saw the distribution of over 51,000 appointment letters to newly inducted youth in various government departments, including EPFO.

“As part of this significant recruitment drive, EPFO welcomes new recruits to strengthen its workforce, ensuring efficient delivery of social security services to millions of subscribers across India,” said the Labour Ministry.

Appointment letters to 345 Accounts Officers/Enforcement Officers and 631 Social Security Assistants were issued as part of the drive.

The newly-appointed personnel will contribute to EPFO’s mission of providing provident fund, pension, and insurance benefits, supporting the government’s vision of a robust and inclusive economy.

EPFO has established recruitment vertical in head office to ensure regular recruitments and developed a recruitment calendar complying with directions of Union Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya.

“During last one year, EPFO has recruited 159 Assistant Provident Fund Commissioners, 84 Junior Translation Officers, 28 Stenographers, 2674 SSAs among others. Further recruitment of APFCs, EO/AO, PAs and ASOs are underway,” according to the ministry.

The Rozgar Mela aligns with the Prime Minister’s commitment to prioritizing employment generation and empowering youth for nation-building.

EPFO’s participation underscores its dedication to transparent and merit-based recruitment, leveraging modernized processes to enhance service delivery. The new recruits will have access to training through the iGOT Karmayogi platform, besides formal training enabling them to upskill and excel in their roles.

EPFO said it extends its congratulations to all appointees and reaffirms its resolve to foster a future-ready workforce that drives India’s social security framework towards greater heights.