EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the slashing of effective corporate tax to 25.17%, inclusive of all cesses and surcharges, effective from April 1, 2019, for domestic companies. Along with other relief measures this will result in a revenue forgone of Rs 1,450 bn (US$ 20.4 bn). This announcement resulted in a huge surge in the stock market on the expectation of the increase in corporate profits. The critical issue is whether this significant relief to corporate earnings will result in a boost to aggregate demand, investment, employment and sustainable economic growth in the economy. While shareholders will benefit handsomely from the reduction in corporate taxes and increase in profits it is doubtful whether the private corporate sector in a depressed economy where the Whole Price Inflation (WPI) for manufactured goods for August was 0% will play a counter cyclical role and invest in fixed assets.
Recent Posts
Hemindra Hazari, Independent Analyst: It is unusual. It introduces a political dimension and political risk. Business, especially for banks which are highly leveraged and manage public monies, tend to get identified with parties if their promoters publicly support one party or another, so I feel they should publicly remain apolitical. Uday Kotak publicly backed Modi during demonetisation and now that BJP’s electoral prospects are looking doubtful, he is backing the Congress party.
“Apparently the RBI’s internal working group has succumbed to corporate pressure to call for the entry of industrial houses into banking, where matters of connected lending are always of paramount concern,” says Hemindra Hazari, an independent banking expert
Most Popular
Not a Private Matter: Did Axis Bank Share Price Sensitive Information to a Select...
An ordinary meeting of Axis Bank on December 15, 2025 with institutional investors had an extraordinary outcome, one which may need to be probed...
Does the IndusInd Board Run the Bank? Or Is There a Centre of Power...
Ashok Hinduja, chairman, IndusInd International Holding, told the press recently:
"Could you have as a promoter taken steps to avert the crisis at IndusInd Bank?
Money...
Cobrapost Expose on Cholamandalam & Murugappa Group | Cobrapost Press Conference Live Lootwallahas 2
https://www.youtube.com/live/JjL1S77TQXA
Venue: Press Club of India, New Delhi.
My commentary starts from 30:00 mins.
A Tale of Two Banks
Take two old private banks, of similar backgrounds. One embarks on an ambitious, disruptive strategy of nationwide expansion; the other remains stuck to its...
India’s big bank moment has arrived. Why it matters
“Somehow, they feel size is everything. It is true that if the net worth gets bigger, they would be able to give larger corporate...














Couldn’t agree more …
Its nice to hear a sane voice amidst all the happy chirping which is all praise of the FM for her sops she rolled out for corporate.
While, corporate tax reform was due and is welcome…..
But I fail to.understand….when there are signs of economy under stress due to slowdown in consumption…. you could have done somehting that gets more money in hands of people who spend….I don’t see how this will ever help.
I hope something gets done personal income tax too…( people spend when they feel financially secure their future)