Business
Indian retail investors seem unperturbed by the ‘FII Winter’

Even as the Indian stock markets are volatile and foreign institutional investors (FII) are selling their holdings the retail investors are continuing their investment.
“Indian retail investors are resilient. They form a significant part of the market,” Radhika Gupta, Managing Director and CEO, Edelweiss Asset Management Company told IANS.
She said even in the past, retail investors did not exit when markets went down and it is time to stop focusing on what FIIs do.
The Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI) estimates the total collections by the industry under the systematic investment plan (SIP) in May 2022 was Rs 12,286 crore, up from Rs11,863 crore collected in the month before that.
The total number of SIP accounts at the end of May 2022 was more than 5.48 crore, up from 5.39 crore, but the number of new SIP accounts opened last month was 19.75 lakh, down from 21.82 lakh accounts in April 2022.
The SIP assets under management (AUM) at the end of May 2022 was Rs 565,706 crore down from Rs 578,086 crore at the end of April 2022, said AMFI.
“This is the first time in many years that investors’ optimism is being tested. Also, the number of retail investors have ballooned in recent years. Many of these are Do-It-Yourself (DIY) investors who rely on ‘finfluencers’ for advice and (often gamified) fintech platforms for execution,” Jayant R Pai, Head Products and Chief Marketing Officer, told IANS.
According to him, such investors are likely to be more unsettled, compared to those who rely on Financial Planners for advice.
“Hence, it is possible that some SIPs may be cancelled in case this continues for a few more months. Perhaps a perceptible uptick in the number of SIPs being cancelled may also serve as a contrarian indicator (of the market bottoming out),” Pai said.
As per AMFI figures, the number of SIPs discontinued/tenure completed last month was 10.36 lakh down from 10.53 lakh in April 2022.
Gupta said the market is structurally upward in the long term.
Queried whether retail investors continue to invest is an off beat trend Gupta refuted that and added the numbers are steady and SIPs are expected to grow.
She also added that India is a big country and more people will enter the market and one should focus on the investment goals rather than looking at what FIIs do.
On the factors that make FIIs to sell out Pai said: “High food and fuel inflation leading to fear of a tighter monetary regime (which is coming to pass now). Fear of emerging market currencies being adversely affected as a result of the tightening. War in Ukraine, catalysing attendant geo-political tensions and light-to-safety.”
The interest rates in their home country will also make FIIs exit the market, Gupta said.
On the quantum sold by FIIs and purchases by the domestic institutional investors (DII) Pai said: “January to June 2022 figures depict that FIIs sold (net) Rs 2.62 lakh crore while DIIs purchased (net) Rs 2.07 lakh crore. Hence the ballast provided by the DIIs played a key role in cushioning the trajectory of the decline. However, the desultory investment environment has ensured that they could not alter the direction.”
He said the DIIs will have to hunker down for a while. However, those who are investing with their financial goals in mind and can remain invested for at least five years from today, ought not to feel too perturbed about the ‘FII winter’.
Business
Demand for homes priced Rs 1 crore and above boosts market in India: Report

Mumbai, April 24: The demand for homes prices Rs 1 crore and above bolstered the Indian property market in the first quarter this year, preventing overall sales of 65,250 units from hard landing, a report said on Thursday.
Residential sales in Q1 2025 (January-March) experienced only a modest decline and added up to 65,246 units. This limited drop was primarily due to robust demand in the Rs 3-5 crore and Rs 1.5-3.0 crore segments, which helped counterbalance the slowdown in relatively affordable housing, according to a JLL report.
The steady growth in higher ticket size homes indicates increasing affluence among homebuyers, changing lifestyle preferences and buyers prioritising larger and premium properties.
According to the report, housing sales in India’s top seven cities continued to be dominated by Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Pune, which collectively accounted for 66 per cent of Q1 sales.
High concentration of MNCs and startups creating significant employment opportunities and ongoing infrastructure improvements make these cities increasingly attractive places to live and work.
It is interesting to note that over the last few quarters a significant share of quarterly sales volume has been contributed by projects launched during the same quarter.
Q1 2025 was no exception, with around one-fourth of its sales being contributed by quarterly new launches. Launches by reputed developers with assurance of timely delivery and steady price appreciation, are driving the trend, the report informed.
“The residential real estate market is showing signs of a shift in buyer preferences with lowering of demand for less than Rs 1 crore housing and a growing affinity for mid to high-end properties. This as well suggests a potential upward movement in the overall market dynamics,” said Dr Samantak Das, Chief Economist and Head of Research and REIS, India, JLL.
“This upswing in the higher-priced segment demand has shielded the overall housing sales from a sharper decline,” Das added.
Developers are focusing more on mid to high-end projects to align with current demand patterns. High-end housing sector experienced a steady upswing with 107 per cent year-on-year growth in launches of properties priced at Rs 1 crore and above, driven by strong sales in this segment.
Growth in launches despite economic uncertainties signals robust developer confidence in high-end housing demand, said the report, adding that 2025 is poised for robust growth in the residential sector demand.
Business
GreenLine flags off LNG truck fleet for Bekaert to drive sustainable logistics

Mumbai, April 24: GreenLine Mobility Solutions Ltd., an Essar venture and India’s only green logistics operator of LNG and electric-powered heavy commercial trucks, has partnered with Bekaert, a global leader in tire reinforcement technology, to decarbonise road logistics and support India’s vision of a gas-based economy.
The partnership was flagged off with the deployment of GreenLine’s LNG-powered trucks at Bekaert’s Ranjangaon Plant, marking the beginning of a pilot phase that aims to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of Bekaert’s logistics operations.
Each GreenLine LNG truck is expected to reduce up to 24 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, contributing to Bekaert’s ambition of becoming carbon net-zero by 2050 and achieving 65 per cent of sales from sustainable solutions.
Commenting on the partnership, Anand Mimani, CEO, GreenLine Mobility Solutions Ltd, said, “Our partnership with Bekaert demonstrates the growing commitment of forward-thinking corporates to drive sustainability at scale. At GreenLine, we are proud to offer not just green trucks, but an integrated ecosystem — from LNG refuelling to real-time telematics — that empowers our partners to make meaningful progress on their net-zero goals.”
Dinesh Mukhedkar, Procurement Operations Lead — South Asia and Procurement Global Shared Service Centre Lead, Bekaert, added, “As part of our purpose ‘Establishing the new possible,’ and our ambition to lead in safe, smart, and sustainable solutions, decarbonising logistics is an essential step. This directly supports our commitment to ESG principles and long-term sustainability goals.”
GreenLine’s expanding fleet of LNG-powered trucks has already clocked more than 40 million km, avoiding over 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. The company’s ongoing expansion includes plans to deploy over 10,000 LNG and EV trucks, supported by a nationwide network of 100 LNG refuelling stations, EV charging hubs, and battery swapping facilities — targeting a reduction of 1 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
Business
US tariffs pose major headwinds, need to diversify supply chains: BOK chief

Seoul, April 24: South Korea’s top central banker has said global trade tensions sparked by the United States’ sweeping tariff policy are a major headwind for the country’s export-driven economy, and the issue will likely accelerate its efforts to diversify supply chains.
Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Rhee Chang-yong made the assessment during an interview with CNBC in Washington, where he is attending meetings of the Group of 20 (G20) finance ministers and central bank chiefs, as well as International Monetary Fund–World Bank Group (IMF-WBG) meetings, reports Yonhap news agency.
“We are an export-oriented economy. So the trade tension, definitely, too is large headwinds. We will be affected directly by the U.S. tariffs, and also indirectly to its tariff to other countries. For example, our semiconductor production in Vietnam, car and electronics production in Mexico and our battery production in Canada will be affected,” Rhee said.
“I really hope this trade tension will dissipate, because it’s bad for everybody,” he added.
But South Korea has “some strengths” to manage the issue, as the country has been “luckily” diversifying its supply chains, particularly from China, over the last several years amid growing competition from China and some political issues between the two nations.
“This is a kind of natural movement to diversify our supply chain and also move up to the value chain. So that will continue, but at the same time, the recent trade tension will probably expedite the move,” Rhee said.
Speaking of economic growth, Rhee said it is hard to present a growth outlook due to high uncertainties surrounding the U.S. tariff policy.
“At this moment, I don’t know what kind of trade tension scenarios we have to assume as a baseline or reference scenarios,” Rhee said. “I may have a better idea after tariff talks with the U.S. tomorrow.
South Korea and the U.S. are set to hold tariff talks in Washington on Thursday (U.S. time), as the Donald Trump administration has put on hold the implementation of 25 percent reciprocal tariffs on South Korean imports for 90 days.
South Korea’s real gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 0.2 percent in the January-March period from the previous quarter, according to the BOK’s preliminary data released in the day.
The BOK earlier expected the South Korean economy to expand 1.5 percent this year, but Rhee later said the outlook seemed “too optimistic” and the central bank will come up with its adjusted figure in May.
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