Mahua Venkatesh has been in the field for about 20 years now. She writes on economy, banking and finance.
Articles by Mahua Venkatesh
Foreign banks to use bonus to retain talent
Performing executives engaged with the financial sector giants, especially foreign retail and investment banks, could have reasons to smile. “Pay for performance” is the new mantra, reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Nov 28, 2008 11:48 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Govt under pressure to give pension for PSU bank employees
In the wake of the financial sector collapse, widespread job cuts and a lack of social security net in the country, pressure is building up on the government to provide pension benefits to all employees of the PSU banks, reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Nov 27, 2008 08:00 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Downturn in Christmas breaks
Human resource sources in multinational firms and foreign banks reveal that many executives are letting go their paid-leaves and cancelling annual December vacations as they fear that they may not have a job to return to, reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Nov 24, 2008 11:59 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Layoffs in Citibank India?
Global banking giant Citibank is likely to lay off more employees in India in the next few weeks, while several senior managers have already been shown the door, company sources say.
Updated on Nov 24, 2008 01:36 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
It is HSBC’s turn to effect layoffs
After American Express, it could be HSBC’s turn next as the spillover effects of the global financial meltdown hit international financial service firms with significant operations in India, reports M Venkatesh.
Updated on Nov 21, 2008 10:55 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Insurance reach drops in 2008
Even as the number of insurers is on the rise in India, life insurance penetration as percentage of gross domestic product has declined. While it was 4.1 pc in 2007, it came down to 4 pc in 2008. Mahua Venkatesh examines...
Updated on Nov 20, 2008 11:17 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Citi works overtime to soothe staff
At Citibank, human resource officers are trying hard to sweeten the bitter pill by working hard to keep employees updated on the details of the manner in which the giant is coping with the financial meltdown.
Updated on Nov 19, 2008 09:42 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Focus on women in insurance game
Even as insurance net is growing rapidly in the country, women have shown an aversion to such products. For every five insurance policies sold in the country today, only one is purchased by a female customer.
Updated on Nov 18, 2008 10:12 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Counselling for pink-slips, as more job cuts planned
At payment and travel service form American Express, they spend time and energy telling the unwanted people the truth that they may not find easy to digest: “It isn’t you. It’s the economy”, reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Nov 14, 2008 09:09 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Back to basics: private bankers want PSU jobs
In the wake of widespread job reductions and cost cutting in the private sector, junior to mid-level bankers employed with private banks are increasingly showing a desire to switch to the public sector, reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Nov 13, 2008 08:20 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Red alert for banks as loans start bleeding
The country’s banking industry is set to witness a big rise in non-performing assets (NPA) because India Inc’s 30 per cent decline in net profits in the July-September quarter signals an imminent rise in default rates, say industry insiders, reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Nov 12, 2008 08:40 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
No slowing down: PSU bank staff set for fat pay hikes
The private sector is busy cutting costs and Monday's glamorous paymasters from Wall Street are down, old-fashioned public sector banks think it is time to give an estimated 700,000 staff a big raise, reports Mahua Venkatesh
Updated on Nov 10, 2008 09:56 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
HDFC Bank buying Catholic Syrian?
Financial industry sources say the Aditya Puri-led tech-savvy bank, which has already folded in Centurion Bank and through it, the erstwhile Bank of Punjab, could be hungry for the south-based bank to consolidate its nationwide hold, reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Nov 05, 2008 08:55 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Amex lays off 100 in India, more to follow
American Express has begun downsizing its Indian work-force as part of its worldwide efforts to cut costs.
Updated on Nov 03, 2008 08:36 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
India sits pretty after Reserve Bank action
Policy-makers in the North Block and RBI acted with speed at the weekend to address the emerging challenges even managing to address a growing negative sentiment.
Updated on Nov 02, 2008 08:39 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
RBI chisels away at crisis
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) slashed three key rates to free up cash in the banking system and ease the credit, reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Nov 01, 2008 11:58 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
RBI chisels away at crisis
The RBI slashed three key rates to free up cash in the banking system and ease the credit. The cuts are expected to infuse Rs 85,000 crore into the system, reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Nov 01, 2008 11:48 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
IDFC plans to start a bank
With infrastructure financing slowing down in the country, the development finance institution is looking at becoming a full-fledged bank, sources said.
Updated on Oct 31, 2008 09:08 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Forex crunch in big banks
A banking analyst pointed out that there is still a shortage of funds though the liquidity condition has eased significantly.
Updated on Oct 31, 2008 09:00 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Born-again Lehman hiring in India
The investment bank is set to resume recruitment and also visit premier business schools in India next year for campus hiring.
Updated on Oct 29, 2008 09:11 PM IST
Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
…and banks set to oblige
Leading public sector banks have decided in favour of cutting deposit rates before taking any call on the benchmark prime lending rates (BPLR), reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Oct 26, 2008 08:29 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Fisc risk up with costlier imports, tax pinch
The government’s ambitious target of bringing down fiscal deficit below 3 per cent by March 2009 is set to go off track. Mahua Venkatesh reports.
Updated on Oct 24, 2008 08:49 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Govt panel sees enough cash to fuel credit
The Govt believes monetary measures taken by the RBI over the past week have not only helped in tiding over the severe liquidity crisis but are sufficient to take care of the growth in credit demand. Mahua Venkatesh reports.
Updated on Oct 21, 2008 08:41 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Gilt funds are safest option for investors
If the halving of equity investments has set you thinking on ‘low risk’ products, try gilt funds. Among the family of debt products, they offer the highest returns on low — but not zero — risk.
Updated on Oct 19, 2008 09:11 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sandeep Singh & Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Bankers wait for cue
Leading banks have decided to hold interest rates for now, though their liquidity situation has improved considerably in the last 10 days.
Updated on Oct 16, 2008 10:27 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Public sector banks set to pay more for talent
In a bid to draw talent to public sector banks, attractive pay packages for the entry level employees are on the cards, reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Oct 15, 2008 09:53 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Premium collection dips for LIC
The decline in growth in insurance premium collection, post the rise in inflation and global economic slowdown, has affected the state-owned Life Insurance Corporation the most, writes Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Oct 13, 2008 09:27 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Economic reforms to take a backseat
As a direct fallout of the still-unfolding global financial crisis, India's economic reforms have lost political will, reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Oct 12, 2008 09:38 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Banks cautious on SME lending
With the global financial crisis spreading its wings across the globe, the Indian banking industry has quietly adopted a cautious lending policy, particularly towards the small and medium enterprises (SME), reports Mahua Venkatesh.
Updated on Oct 10, 2008 09:40 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi
Rise in credit card spend a cause of concern
The rising liquidity crisis in the financial sector followed by a slowdown in consumer financing and personal loans by banks has led to a rise credit card spends in the festive season.
Updated on Oct 08, 2008 01:33 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sandeep Singh & Mahua Venkatesh, New Delhi