Top headlines: FM launches EASE 4.0 for PSBs; 31k new Covid cases in Kerala

Business Standard brings you the top stories this evening

Banks have been asked to create state-wise plans for north-east: FM

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said it is too early to say if there is a lack of demand for credit and announced a district-wise outreach to be undertaken by banks to help credit growth from October. 

A push to credit growth from such outreach efforts will also help the momentum set by the stimulus packages, which have been extended by the government since the onset of the pandemic. Read more

Kerala sees 31,445 new Covid cases, 215 deaths in last 24 hrs; TPR at 19%

Kerala on Wednesday logged 31,445 fresh Covid-19 cases and 215 deaths, pushing the total infection count to 38,83,429 and the fatalities to 19,972 till date.

The last time the state crossed the 30,000 mark was on May 20 when it logged 30,491 cases. Read more

SoftBank-backed logistics firm Delhivery plans $1 bn IPO filing in October

Delhivery Pvt, an Indian logistics and supply chain startup, plans to file a draft prospectus as soon as October for its initial public offering that could raise about $1 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The company, backed by SoftBank Vision Fund and Carlyle Group Inc., is targeting a Mumbai listing before March next year, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. Read more

Centre hikes sugarcane FRP to Rs 290/quintal; rules out raising sugar price

The Centre on Wednesday hiked the minimum price that mills have to pay to sugarcane growers, also known as the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), by Rs 5 per quintal to Rs 290 a quintal for 2021-22 (October-September) sugar season while ruling out any immediate commensurate increase in the sale price of sugar.

The decision to increase the FRP of sugarcane for was taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) held here. Read more