Need2know: Macro triggers that could affect your market

Here’s how the macro setup is poised to drive your market through the day.

Firms push back QIP plans
Of the 86-odd firms that announced their intention to raise funds through qualified institutional placements (QIP) in calendar 2015, almost 59 firms are yet to launch their issues, data from primary market tracker Prime Database shows. Their plans to raise money through QIPs have been dealt a blow by their falling stock prices.

NH length to hit 2 lakh km
In a bid to decongest traffic in the country, the government has decided to increase the length of national highways from 96,000 km to 2 lakh km, according to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. "At present, we have 96,000 km national highways or 52 lakh road length in the country. As much as 40 per cent of the traffic moves on these 2 per cent national highways and as a result five lakh accidents take place," the Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping told reporters here.

Excise exemptions on grocery items may end
The government is considering elimination of excise duty exemptions for some items and moving up the lowest rate currently applied on many goods to set the stage for the goods & services tax (GST). Green tea, dairy spreads, yoghurt, cheese, ice-cream, frozen food products, pasta, ready-to-eat food, packaged fruit juices and soya milk could see excise duty kicking in or going up to the standard rate of 12.5 per cent. Many of these products currently attract nil to 6 per cent excise.

100% FDI in marketplace e-tail
The government is considering permitting 100 per cent FDI in the marketplace format of e-commerce to attract more foreign investments. This follows the recent meeting of top officials in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), and the department of economic affairs and corporate affairs. This could be a win-win for e-commerce companies, many of them unicorns (valued at $1 billion or more).

Changes in Companies Act, Sebi norms likely
To strengthen corporate governance, more changes might be required in the Companies Act as well as in the Sebi regulations for listed companies, said Union Minister Jayant Sinha. “We are seeing major changes on corporate governance, (and) major changes in the nature of capitalism. This is well established within the framework we are following being a pro-poor as well as pro-market government," he said at a Ficci event.

$1 trillion on power by 2030
India is expected to spend a whopping $ 1 trillion (about Rs 65 lakh crore) by 2030 to ramp up its power infrastructure as one of the world's largest energy consumers aims to provide 24/7 electricity to its citizens. India has set an ambitious plan to add 175 GW of renewable energy generation capacity by 2022. The country aims to have 100 GW of solar power by 2022 along with 260 GW of thermal and nuclear generation and 62 GW of hydro generation capacity.

Karnataka sees record winter crop failure
Karnataka has become the first state to witness a disastrous winter harvest this year, and has sought central assistance of Rs 1,417 crore after rabi crop worth Rs 7,209 crore was damaged. The unusually dry and warm winter has raised fears of failed crop in states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Karnataka was also the first state to announce drought in 27 out of its 37 districts in August last year.

India to ratify WTO trade pact
India has completed most of the consultation related to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) trade facilitation agreement (TFA) and the government expects to ratify it soon, according to Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia. The TFA, concluded by the WTO in Bali in 2013, aims at easing Customs procedures to boost global commerce.