logo
Sivasubramanian Ramann takes charge as PFRDA chairperson for five years

Sivasubramanian Ramann takes charge as PFRDA chairperson for five years

Sivasubramanian Ramann on Friday assumed charge as the chairperson of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
'He has been appointed by the Government of India vide notification dated April 8, 2025, for a tenure of five years with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or till he attains the age of 65 years, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest,' said the PFRDA statement.
He replaced Deepak Mohanty, who was appointed in March 2023.
Ramann is an officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS) from the 1991 batch. Prior to joining PFRDA, he served as deputy comptroller and auditor general and chief technology officer in the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
He has previously held several leadership positions, including chairman and managing director of the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), managing director and chief executive officer of National E-Governance Services Ltd (NeSL), and principal accountant general of the state of Jharkhand. From 2006 to 2013, he also served as chief general manager and later as executive director at the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Ramann holds a bachelor's degree in economics and an MBA from the University of Delhi.
The new chairman will receive a consolidated monthly pay and allowances of ₹5,62,500 without the facility of house or car. The PFRDA had invited applications for the post in late November, along with those for two whole-time members.
He also possesses multiple professional and academic qualifications, including an MSc in Financial Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an LLB, a Chief Digital Officer certification from the Indian School of Business, the Certified Internal Auditor credential from the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Florida, and a postgraduate diploma in securities law.
PFRDA was created in 2003 with the goal of promoting, regulating and developing the pension industry in the country. Initially designed exclusively for government employees, its services were subsequently expanded to include all Indian nationals and NRIs, including the self-employed. India's demographic trends, characterised by a rapidly ageing population and increasing life expectancy, underscore the critical need for financial security post-retirement. However, only 5.7 per cent of Indian household assets are allocated to provident and pension funds, reflecting a significant gap in retirement preparedness.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

NPCI Introduces Real-Time PAN-Bank Account Linking On Income Tax Portal; Details Here
NPCI Introduces Real-Time PAN-Bank Account Linking On Income Tax Portal; Details Here

News18

time33 minutes ago

  • News18

NPCI Introduces Real-Time PAN-Bank Account Linking On Income Tax Portal; Details Here

Last Updated: NPCI has directed banks to enable real-time PAN and bank account validation for the income tax e-filing portal using a dedicated API to enhance verification speed and accuracy. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has directed all member banks to enable real-time PAN and bank account validation for the income tax department's e-filing portal. According to a circular issued by NPCI, government departments will now be able to use a dedicated API service to verify key customer details such as PAN status, account validation, and account holder name directly through banks' Core Banking Systems (CBS). This step is expected to enhance the speed and accuracy of identity verification for tax and subsidy-related processes. 'This API will be used by government departments to verify the customer account details like PAN validation/Account Status Validation/Account holder name validation from their bank CBS," the circular noted. Banks Asked to Prioritise Integration All NPCI member banks have been advised to treat the implementation as a priority task, given that the service is being extended to the Government of India. 'As this is a service provided to the Government of India all the member banks are advised to necessary steps for implementation on priority," the NPCI added. Technical specifications and guidelines for the API integration will be shared separately with the banks to help them align with the required systems. NPCI also clarified that the circular can be shared internally by banks and financial institutions to ensure all stakeholders are informed. 'Technical specifications and comprehensive integration guidelines for the NACH PAN & Account Verification API shall be shared separately with the banks," it added. Why This Matters This integration will make processes like income tax refunds, direct benefit transfers, and other financial verifications faster and more reliable by removing delays and errors caused by manual or outdated systems. It also comes at a time when the government is pushing for increased use of API-based real-time data exchange to boost governance and financial inclusion. For any questions related to the implementation, NPCI has requested banks to use the CRM Tracker system.

UAE rule, wary I-T to deter dodgy crypto deals
UAE rule, wary I-T to deter dodgy crypto deals

Economic Times

timean hour ago

  • Economic Times

UAE rule, wary I-T to deter dodgy crypto deals

Mumbai: In the lane to launder money, the skill to move cryptos to control companies and properties in Dubai has been honed over the past few years. But treading that alley would soon become tougher. Dual, albeit unrelated, developments in India and the UAE would force money movers to devise new tricks. First, Income tax (I-T) officials, hunting for illicit homes of Indians over the past six months, now strongly suspect that some property purchases were made with cryptocurrencies; second, a new regulatory regime in the Middle East country, would soon end payment in cryptos, other than stable coins, to freely buy goods and services. "When Indian residents use crypto to purchase real estate, they bypass Indian banking channels and FEMA scrutiny. But, under the new UAE regulations (expected from August), merchants would no longer accept crypto directly. Only entities licensed by the UAE Central Bank would be allowed to convert stablecoins to AED after collecting full KYC. While this framework ensures the buyer's identity is recorded, it remains unclear whether such data would be shared under the India-UAE tax treaty," said Purushottam Anand, founder of the law firm Crypto raiding a leading UAE developer having roots in Mumbai and clients across India, a northern office of the I-T department found that more than 460 buyers in the 650-odd property deals have no record of having remitted money through banks to acquire the properties. According to findings which were shared with other I-T centres two months ago, the arm of the UAE realtor which brokered the deals was aided by a network of 86 sub-brokers who later shared details with the tax office. According to tax circles, some of the clients had paid in cryptos, probably under the belief it would go untraced. Earlier this year, the department had found that hundreds of mule accounts were opened by a few persons in Kerala to deposit cash, use the money to buy cryptos -either on local platforms or through peer-to-peer transactions-and then move the coins to other wallets before encashing the them in UAE, or buying assets like properties, or transferring them to third parties. "When digital assets move from exchanges to P2P platforms or private wallets, monitoring becomes difficult, creating opportunities for illegal activities such as ransomware attacks, laundering, tax evasion, and potentially terrorist financing. Although the exchanges are required to report 'suspicious transactions', including withdrawals, with the Financial Intelligence Unit-India, such risks can be further addressed through stricter enforcement of TDS provisions, i.e. Sections 194S or 195, ensuring tax compliance for all crypto transactions, whether conducted on or off exchanges. Additionally, specifying the reporting entities and the format for disclosures under Section 285BAA will improve traceability," said Ashish Karundia, founder of the CA firm Ashish Karundia & Co. 'PAYMENT TOKEN REGULATIONS' The new 'Payment Token Services Regulation' lays down the rules and conditions established by the UAE Central Bank for granting a licence or registration for payment token services-which include payment token issuance, token conversion, and token custody and transfer. Under the rules no merchant or anyone in the UAE selling goods or services can accept a virtual asset unless it's a dirham payment token issued by a licensed issuer. Also, a bank cannot act as a payment token issuer. UAE is working on Dirham-linked stable coin (like USDT or Tether which is pegged to the dollar)."This would have implications for India which has close economic and financial ties with the UAE. By bringing digital assets such as payment tokens under a structured licensing and anti-money laundering framework, the regulation adds a layer of safety and transparency to cross-border digital financial flows. For Indian individuals and businesses engaging in the UAE's digital economy, on one hand this means greater clarity, reduced risk of fraud, and alignment with global best practices; on the other hand, the clear prohibition on anonymous crypto instruments like privacy tokens reinforces the global trend toward traceable and regulated digital transactions. This is something India is also actively pursuing through its own financial intelligence mechanisms. This would deter transactions in property, high value luxury products bought by Indians in UAE using crypto tokens," said Siddharth Banwat, partner at CA firm Banwat & Associates dealers said the UAE rules are not entirely fool-proof as coins can be routed through platforms in multiple jurisdictions whose cooperation would be vital to spot the trail. But the very presence of licensed intermediaries collecting and storing information would deter money movers.

Epsilon to challenge China's dominance in EV battery cell materials
Epsilon to challenge China's dominance in EV battery cell materials

Business Standard

timean hour ago

  • Business Standard

Epsilon to challenge China's dominance in EV battery cell materials

May set up ₹9K cr plant for making 100K tonnes of graphite anode Surajeet Das Gupta New Delhi Listen to This Article Rare earth magnet is not the only area where the Chinese dominate the world. They also control two other crucial areas of electric vehicle (EV) battery cell — manufacturing of graphite anode, required for lithium-ion batteries, as well as cathode powder, to make lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) battery. LFP batteries go into buses and commercial vehicles (CVs), and are considered safer. But an Indian company, Epsilon Advanced Materials, is trying to break into the market. It has finalised plans to set up a plant to manufacture these in Karnataka. To begin with, it is setting up a 100,000

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store