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did INR just touch the 55 line?
turning scary, isn't it?
Dont mind, there are tough times ahead of us. We already had bigger problems. Anyway, I appreciate the concern for our economy by some Chinese and Pakistani forum members....
Indian rupee breaks below 55/U.S. dollar to record low
By Swati Bhat
MUMBAI | Mon May 21, 2012 1:11pm BST
(Reuters) - The Indian rupee fell below the key psychological level of 55 to hit a new record low on Monday, setting up the prospect of further falls unless the central bank takes measures or intervenes more aggressively, traders said.
The rupee has now hit four consecutive record lows in as many sessions, at a time of intense turmoil over the euro zone, but traders saw no major signs of intervention from the Reserve Bank of India either on Friday or on Monday.
Despite the absence, traders are bracing for new measures from the RBI. The central bank has largely failed to prevent the rupee's falls this month despite selling dollars and taking steps to attract inflows via deposits and exporters' foreign currency holdings.
Traders say the Indian rupee, which is Asia's worst-performing currency this year, has proven particularly vulnerable to the global risk aversion given the steep fiscal and economic challenges facing the country.
"With just six months worth import cover, twin deficits, lack of confidence in the coalition government with regards to reforms, and also failure to attract foreign flows, suggests the INR is likely to hit 56-56.50 in the next two months," said Pramod Patil, a FX dealer at United Overseas Bank.
The partially convertible unit hit a life-time low of 55.05 per dollar during the session, before [B]closing at 55.03/04[/B], according to SBI data, well below its 54.42/44 close on Friday.
Also weighing on the rupee was dollar demand from oil firms and corporates, dealers said.
Although profit-taking in the USD/INR cross could temper the pace of falls in the local unit in the near-term, the outlook for the rupee still remains very weak unless global risk aversion eases, traders said.
The one-month NDF was quoted at 55.45 while the three month NDF was at 56.10, both indicative of the expectations for further falls.
In the currency futures market, the most-traded near-month dollar-rupee contracts on the National Stock Exchange, the MCX-SX and the United Stock Exchange all ended around 55.09 on a total volume of $4.35 billion.
you speak like an official in your gov.
innocent people will get lose huge. Panic happens when it cross 55 level, which already did.
Gold demand drops as price rally continues
Published on Mon, May 21, 2012 at 17:46 | Source : Reuters
Updated at Mon, May 21, 2012 at 18:24
Demand for gold in India, one of the world's top consumers, remained subdued on Monday as local prices rose tracking overseas gains and as the rupee hit a new all-time low against the dollar.
* The most-active gold for June delivery on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) was up 0.54% at Rs 29,129 by 5:02 p.m. The contract hit a low of Rs 27,855 on May 16, the lowest level since April 4.
* "In a week, the prices have risen over Rs 1,000. Buyers are finding it difficult to adjust with the price rise. They are waiting for a correction," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a private bank, which imports bullion.
* Global gold inched up towards USD 1,600 an ounce on Monday, tracking a steady euro after world leaders pledged to combat financial turmoil, although worries about Greece and the euro zone debt crisis continued to feed caution in the financial markets.
* The rupee plays an important role in determining the landed cost of the dollar-quoted yellow metal. The rupee hit a new record low of 55 per dollar on Monday, from Friday's closing of 54.42-44.
* "The festival season is already over. The wedding season is coming to an end. We are now heading towards a traditionally lean demand season. Jewellers will do restocking only if prices fall sharply," the bank dealer said.
Its not the end of the fall as all data indicate. indians to hold breath for another nosedive!
Drop in gold demand is good for our economy. Perhaps you don't know that !!!
As part of efforts to tap more investments in the state, Tamil Nadu government on Monday signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with five automobile majors with an investment of at least Rs. 5,700 crore to create 9,530 jobs.
The MoUs with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Private Limited, India Yamaha Motor Limited, Ashok Leyland-Nissan Motor Company Limited, Eicher Motors Limited and Philips Carbon Black Limited were signed in the presence of chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
Making the suo motu statement in the assembly, Jayalalithaa said German luxury car maker Daimler has decided to double the investments proposed in the state. “During the previous (DMK) government Daimler said it will invest Rs. 3000 crore at the time of signing the MoU. But in 2010, it reduced it to Rs. 2000 crore. Now, it has planned to double the investments in the state to Rs. 4000 crore. The MoU was signed today”, she said.Through these new investments, she said 3000 direct employments would be made in the plant.
Daimler India manufactures truck at their 400 acre plant at Oragadam near here. Jayalalithaa inaugurated the manufacturing unit in April.
Similarly, two-wheeler giant Yamaha has proposed to make investments of Rs. 1500 crore for their third manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu spread across 125 acre, Jayalalithaa said.
The state government signed MoU with top officials of India Yamaha Motor, she said, adding with the proposed investments, 3000 new job opportunities would be made and an additional 20,000 indirect employments would be created, she said.
Government also signed a fresh MoU with Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland and Japanese-automajor Nissan for setting up a Rs. 4,150 crore light commercial vehicle manufacturing plant here, Jayalalithaa said.
Though the two companies had signed an agreement with the previous government in 2008 for the project, it did not take off as the land was not allotted.
The land was allotted only in February 2011, she said, adding, even some of the requirements made by the company were not met by the previous Government. The project would provide 3,000 jobs.
The AIADMK government also signed a MoU with makers of Royal Enfield motor cycles, Eicher Motors Ltd, for setting up a new plant at SIPCOT Industrial Park in Oragadam at an investment of Rs. 350 crore. The government has allotted 50 acre land for it, the Chief Minister said, adding, it would create 300 new jobs.
Eicher Motors already have a plant in Ennore near Chennai to manufacture Royal Enfield brand of motorcycles.
Philips Carbon Black Ltd, promoted by industrialist R P Goenka also exchanged documents with the government for setting up a manufacturing plant to produce carbon black (an essential ingredient for manufacturing tyres), she said.
The Rs. 350 crore plant will come up in SIPCOT Industrial Park at Thervoykandigai in Thiruvallur district and would generate 230 new jobs, she said.
Jayalalithaa said the Government was examining proposals from various companies and would sign MoUs in the coming days.
TVS Motor and Sundaram Clayton Limited (SCL), part of the $5-billion TVS Group, together are planning to invest around Rs 770 crore in their facilities at Hosur in Tamil Nadu. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect is expected to be signed with the Tamil Nadu government shortly, according to sources.
Meanwhile, TVS Motor has pumped an additional $5 million into its Indonesian subsidiary – PT TVS Motor Company, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s data.
When contacted, a TVS Motor Company spokesperson declined to comment saying that “the company is currently in a silent period.” Officials of Sundaram Clayton were unavailable for comment.
SCL is one of the largest auto components manufacturing and distribution group in India. It is a leading supplier of aluminium die castings to the automotive and non-automotive sector.
Recently, the company has said that it had received new orders from companies like Daimler and that the new orders accounted for 10-12 per cent of its total business. The company has witnessed good volume growth – from 32,000 tonne last year to 36,000 tonne this year.
SCL has one plant at Hosur and two in Chennai. The proposed investment by the company will be for brown-field expansion, sources said.
Investments by TVS Motor, the third-largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the country, will be for a brown-field expansion at Hosur, which will support its growth target of eight to 10 per cent for the whole year. The investment comes at a time when the company has lined up some new launches, including a 125-cc motorcycle during the July-August time frame.
The company has reported a seven per cent growth in domestic sales during the month of April at 151,181 units, as against 141,619 units in April 2011. Total sales of the company grew four per cent in April 2012 with sales of 174,455 units, as against 167,744 units registered in April 2011.
Islamic branding is an idea whose time has come, as brands tracking a broader consumer base get accustomed to Muslim sensibilities. It’s not just about halal food alone, for it’s at the forefront of the branding repertoire that resonates deeply with Muslim consumers around the globe.
Homegrown brands like CavinKare, Daawat, Bikano, Goldwinner oil, Vadilal ice cream, Amrutanjan Health Care and Gujarat Ambuja Exports are embracing halal-certification to get a better foothold in markets like Singapore, Malaysia and Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries.
CavinKare has got a halal certification from Halal India, an apex body for halal certification, for three of its products – Fairever, Nyle herbal shampoo and Ruchi pickle – to expand its footprint in Singapore, Malaysia and GCC.
“The certification is a reason-to-belief for customers on quality parameters. The certification will also give an edge over our competitors,” said R S Vijay Kumar, GM of international business at CavinKare, a Chennai-based personal care company.
Nyle shampoo, for instance, cornered a 26.7% share in the Singapore halal-compliant market and 22% in Malaysia for the same segment last fiscal, he added. The Rs 1,100-crore company expects its international business to touch the Rs 100-crore mark in the current fiscal from Rs 70 crore earlier.
Bikano, the sweet and the namkeen brand from Bikanervala Foods, has seen a 30% jump in soan papdi and cookies sales in Malaysian market in the last one year, partly due to the halal-certification that gave a higher visibility on retail shelves there.
“Halal signifies highest standards of quality and hygiene in ingredients, processes and products,” said Sachin Anand, head (international business), Bikanervala Foods.
Amrutanjan has obtained a halal certificate for all its pain balm products exported to Singapore, Malaysia, West Indies and a few African markets.
“Islam in many ways is a way of life. To that extent, Islamic branding is all about using brands as good deeds. What starts with halal foods, can move on to halal practice in every industry, be it the pharmaceutical or the cosmetic industry. Islamic branding can embrace broader pastures that cover business practices too,” said Harish Bijoor, CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults.
“With many brands embracing halal, Indian brands may look at an export market opportunity of about $200 billion in the next ten years,” said Mohamed Jinna, CEO of Halal India.
The halal stamp can be extended to those brands tuned into the principles of Sharia in faith, good practice and spirit. Globally, the halal market is worth a staggering $2.1 trillion a year, says a report by brand consultancy firm Ogilvy Noor.
The market opportunity for halal products is still untapped in India, but brand consultants are not dismissing its potential in a country with 160 million Muslims. Paul Temporal, founder and MD of Temporal Brand Consulting, feels that there is a lot more room for brand managers to adapt these values for different markets and cultures, whether Islamic or not.
“If you look at Islamic values, most of them are emotional and this makes for good branding and marketing. A more careful look reveals that a lot of these values do not just suit Islamic audiences, but are of a universally appealing nature. The issue or challenge is to find where these people are and to reach them with suitable products,” he added.