-The Hindu   Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday confirmed to a section of the Opposition that the Union government had decided to put on hold the move to allow foreign equity in the multi-brand retail sector, pending further consultations. The issue has stalled Parliament since November 25. However, it is not immediately clear whether this is enough to break the deadlock. On Monday, Mr. Mukherjee called up BJP leaders L.K. Advani and...

-The Times of India   UPA partners Trinamool Congress and DMK rejected Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's appeal to drop their opposition to FDI in retail on Thursday, enhancing the possibility that the government may have to announce that it will not roll out the decision.  Although a formal notification to make the Cabinet decision operational has already been put off, the unrelenting opposition from Trinamool and DMK may force the government to put...

At a time when the government and regulators are emphasizing inclusion and increase in credit delivery to those without access to formal sources of finance, private sector banks are found to have low credit-deposit ratios in rural areas as compared to public sector counterparts. In a recent interaction at the state-level bankers committee (SLBC) meeting, in which Reserve Bank of India governor D Subbarao was present, bankers brought this to the...

-The Telegraph   The cabinet today unlocked the retail market for foreign direct investment, braving the Trinamul Congress’s objections but assuring Mamata Banerjee earlier in the day that state governments would have enough leeway to protect the interests of farmers. The most significant of today’s decisions is the clearance to 51 per cent foreign investment in multi-brand retail, which will allow the entry of giants that are already household names in a country...

-The Times of India   After debating the issue for over a decade, the government on Thursday threw open the multi-brand retail segment to foreign chains such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour and others in a move to attract overseas investment and dispel doubts about the coalition's ability to push through big-bang reforms.  After nearly two hours of discussion on Thursday evening, the Union Cabinet decided to allow foreign retailers to hold 51% stake in...