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Budget 2022: Experts exhort Centre to regulate crypto trades

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Even as Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the annual Budget on February 1, experts have called for regulation of cryptocurrencies and exhorted the government to treat them as capital assets with a “reasonable” tax regime.

While the sector has grown exponentially over the last few years in India with buying, selling of the digital currencies and altcoins and establishing cryptocurrency exchanges being legal, the government is yet to bring in a law that regulates the sector.

The government was expected to introduce a Bill titled “The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021” to regulate cryptocurrencies in the Winter session of the Parliament but did not do so. It is now expected to be tabled in the Parliament during the Budget session that starts on January 1 and ends on April 8.

Pratik Gauri, CEO, and Founder, 5ire said the government has a responsibility to protect people from investments that are sensationalized, and while risk-taking is every investor’s right, a measured hand where investment and holding parties responsible go hand-in-hand.

“Laissez-faire has never worked in populations where every rupee is hard-earned and we are a nation of hard-earners. Even in terms of governance, the Indian government is looking long and hard at accountability. So, taxation and regulation of investment falls under its purview and I think, thus far the government has done a remarkable job of balancing the need to encourage investment for innovation and the restriction on gaining from wild speculation,” he said.

He added that all gains from cryptocurrencies are taxed heavily across the globe and that asking to pay a fair share of taxes on the gains in crypto markets is just part of the puzzle.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while virtually addressing a summit of the World Economic Forum on January 17, had called for a synchronized global action to regulate cryptocurrencies. The Reserve Bank of India has publicly favored a ban on private cryptocurrencies. The crypto assets in India are currently estimated at around Rs 45,000 crore with about 15 million investors.

The risk in the widespread adoption of crypto is that poor AML and fraud practices are heavily present in the crypto exchange market. The reasons are multifold: Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) is not required on crypto exchanges or ATMs at this time.

Raj Kapoor, Founder – India Blockchain Alliance and Chief Growth Officer at Chainsense LTD, said an alignment with the FATF framework would also provide crypto for a clearer framework on performing AML compliance, and to prepare to use this to inform your risk assessment and procedures.

The Customer Due Diligence (CDD) scanner to detect customer identification, especially for scanning high-risk customers would then be in place as well.

Ravi S. Raghavan, Partner, Tax and Private Client Group at Majmudar & Partners says cryptos should be treated as capital assets and reasonable tax regime such as a levy of 18 per cent GST on fee collected by exchanges for enabling buying and selling cryptos; and Investor profits to be either taxed as – short term capital gains (for cryptos held for less than 36 months) at 30 per cent; or long term capital gains tax (for cryptos held for more than 36 months) at 20 per cent that is similar to trading and investment in securities.

“Reporting procedures in income tax returns and whether tax withholdings are applicable (beyond prescribed thresholds) should be explained in the form of an FAQ by the Central Board of Direct Taxes in due course to avoid any tax litigation,” he said.

He added that crypto trading should be considered by the government as speculative transactions and no losses arising from crypto sales be allowed to be carried forward and set off against other business profits or salary income of the concerned taxpayer.

Regulating cryptocurrencies by bringing it under the IT Act will make it a part of the investment choices and while most investors do not have a problem with taxation, they seek clarity and consistency of taxes.

“Anything that is banned never goes away, it just goes underground and the govt misses out on the tax revenues. Also regulating it would ensure that all loopholes are plugged and people don’t feel the need to evade taxes,” Kunal Verma director and creative head of Yunometa Pte limited said.

Business

‘Its Prime Real Estate’: Anand Mahindra Expresses Awe At Grandiose Of Brabus Big Boy 1200

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In the City of Dreams that is Mumbai, one of the biggest ‘dreams’ of most who live in the metropolis is to find an abode, that they can call it their own. Real estate in Mumbai is known for its sky-high pricing, with figures of Rs 10-15 crore not surprising anyone.

The Motorhome

Space is a major issue in city, given the paucity of it, in a region that encompasses millions. However, what happens when the space is not only available but also mobile? That is precisely what a ‘motorhome’.

It may not been the most commonly seen or discussed avenue in this part of the world, but in other parts of the world, particularly in the US, an RV or recreational vehicle is the way of life, either by choice or by circumstance.

Mahindra Group chairman, Anand Mahindra recently reacted to one such motorhome. In a post on X, he shared a minute-long clipping of the Brabus Big Boy 1200. This is an uber-luxe, profligate motorhome manufactured by the German automobile company Brabus.

Mahindra, while reacting to the video of a person showing around the bus said, That’s not transport. It’s prime real estate.”

And one may arguably agree with Mahindra on this. The vehicle is extravagant and has a length of 12 meters or 39.4 ft and over 30 square meters or 320 sq ft. For context, the average size of homes in city of Mumbai hovers around 400-700 sq ft.

What Are The Features Of This Motorhome?

In addition, the vehicle also has two electrically extendable slide-outs on each side. These slide-outs can extend the bedroom and saloon to a width of 4.50 meters.

In addition, the motorhome also consists of a double bed measuring 160 x 200 centimeters.

A closet is integrated into the rear wall of the vehicle.

For amusement, the vehicle also has a desk and a 43-inch 4K television. Here one could watch TV programs that have been made available on the system play games on the integrated Playstation 5 system.

In addition, one can also connect to the internet through the Starlink system.

When it comes to the vehicle, it runs on a12.8-liter six-cylinder turbodiesel engine. This engine can deliver 390 kW / 530 hp and can generate a maximum torque of 2,600 Nm.

The vehicle is priced at around USD 1.5 million or a whopping Rs 12 crore.

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Maha will play key role in achieving India’s $5 trillion economy goal: Minister Tatkare

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Nagpur, Dec 21: Representing Maharashtra in the pre-Union Budget meeting held in Jaisalmer, Minister Aditi Tatkare on Saturday assured that Maharashtra would play a pivotal role in India’s journey towards becoming a $5 trillion economy.

She emphasised the need for special financial assistance to the state in the upcoming Union Budget.

Minister Tatkare presented Maharashtra’s vision, highlighting its strategic role in realising the Prime Minister’s goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

Minister Tatkare outlined several critical issues and proposals for inclusion in the Union Budget. She urged the finance minister for central assistance for state Capital Investment by enhancing the allocation under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment.

She emphasised the need for streamlining fund disbursement timelines to provide qualifying states with a minimum one-year utilisation window.

In the wake of rapid urbanisation, Minister Tatkare called for central support to tackle the challenges faced by the state.

“Maharashtra, with urbanisation expected to surpass 50 per cent in the upcoming census, faces challenges in resource mobilisation for urban local bodies (ULBs). The state government urges support for ULBs to access long-term loans for planned urban development and infrastructure enhancement,” she said.

Under the MukhyaMantri Saur Krushi Vahini Yojana 2.0, aimed at solarising agricultural feeders, Minister Tatkare sought increased targets and funding allocations for Maharashtra.

She requested expansion of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacity from 500 MWh to 9,000 MWh to meet the state’s energy storage goals.

In order to further boost the modernisation of the home department, Minister Tatkare sought funds on a 60:40 basis, for projects such as digital forensic labs, mobile forensic vans, AMBIS systems, and the Cyber Security Project (Rs 837.86 crore).

She highlighted the need for funding major initiatives like Dial 112 emergency services integration and Maharashtra Police Station CCTV projects.

She urged financial support for faster case disposal through enhanced infrastructure for the judiciary.

She requested funding for constructing the Bombay High Court Complex in Bandra (East), estimated at Rs 3,750 crore.

Further, to push the implementation of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) economic master plan, Minister Tatkare proposed a special package.

The master plan is aligning with NITI Aayog’s vision to transform MMR into a national growth hub by 2030.

According to NITI Aayog, the MMR has a potential to increase its GDP to $300 billion by 2030 from the present level of $140 billion.

The Centre’s public policy think tank has asked the Maharashtra government to concentrate on seven growth drivers and attract investment of $125-135 billion from the private sector to achieve the target.

In a bid to push the state government’s ambitious plan to make Maharashtra drought-free, the state government has sought central government support to include state-funded river-linking projects like Wainganga-Nalganga and Damanganga-Godavari under the National Interlinking of Rivers Scheme.

Further, the state government appealed to the Centre to ease revenue expenditure pressures to create fiscal space for capital projects and establish a ‘Kisan Vishesh Sahayata Nidhi’ to compensate farmers affected by trade policy interventions.

The state government also appealed for the enhancement of funding for ongoing schemes like the Jal Jeevan Mission and financial assistance for disaster-affected areas.

Minister Tatkare said the comprehensive representation highlighted Maharashtra’s ambitions and challenges, ensuring the state’s priorities were well-articulated for the Union Budget deliberations.

She reiterated Maharashtra’s commitment to becoming a cornerstone of India’s economic growth and development trajectory.

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Business

Domestic stock markets to end 2024 on positive note, Nifty clocks 13 pc gain

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New Delhi, Dec 21: Riding on resilient economic growth, the domestic stock markets are ending 2024 on a positive note, with Nifty registering a 13 per cent gain (year-to-date) — its ninth consecutive year of positive gains, a Motilal Oswal Wealth Management report said on Saturday.

The first half of the year saw robust corporate earnings, a surge in domestic flows, and a resilient macro landscape, driving the Nifty to an all-time high of 26,277 in September.

In fact, the markets navigated significant events, such several global geo-political issues, General Elections and Budget in India, and any dips were swiftly met with strong buying activity, the report mentioned.

“The year 2025 could unfold as a tale of two halves. The first half may continue to see market consolidation, while a recovery could take place in the second half,” it added.

In the last two months, the market has corrected 11 per cent from its all-time high, amid selling by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) due to a combination of domestic and global factors.

Going forward, the Indian markets are likely to face significant influences from a combination of global and domestic economic events.

The anticipated rate cut by the RBI in February, the ongoing trend of US rate cuts, and the expectations surrounding trade policy changes post Donald Trump taking over as US President in January will contribute to market volatility.

“Additionally, the Union Budget in February will offer important signals to the market. With a fragile global economic environment and mixed macroeconomic factors at home, the market is expected to remain in consolidation mode in the near term,” the report noted.

Earnings are expected to recover in H2 FY25, driven by increased rural spending, a buoyant wedding season, and pickup in government spending.

“We further expect earnings to gain momentum, delivering a 16 per cent CAGR over FY25-27E. We remain optimistic about the long-term trend, given the strength of corporate India’s balance sheets and the prospects for robust, profitable growth,” the report said.

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