The Case for a Cashless India

Fri, 30 Dec Pre-Open

   Previous Close   

   09:30 am   

   11:30 am   

   01:30 pm   

   Closing   

In a recent edition of The 5 Minute WrapUp, we showed you how Mr Modi's surgical strike against the cash economy is part of a worldwide megatrend. Here's a snippet if you missed it:

• This is the grand plan. Force people to stop saving and spend whatever they earn. This along with negative interest rates will fuel a worldwide economic boom... or so it is hoped.
  
  I believe this is dangerous and I don't know how this will play out. But there is no doubt in my mind that Digital India and demonetisation are related to the global war on cash.

The case is this: Governments and central banks across the globe are on a war footing to uproot physical cash from the financial system. And with the demonetisation saga, India too has joined this rally to become a cashless society.

However, we must question: Will it be in India's best interest to move towards a cashless society?

We don't think so.

The fact is that India is not ready to go digital. A few days ago we pointed out some challenges to India's digitisation. Only 15% of India's one billion wireless subscribers have a broadband connection. Around six lakh villages do not have adequate mobile or internet connectivity. India has only around 15.1 lakh point of sales machines. So unless these issues are sorted out, the road towards a cashless economy will remain a long one.

But the problem doesn't end there. Even if these problems are overcome, there remains a dark side to digital money. When individuals use less cash, they switch to credit cards. And unlike cash, credit cards allow you, even encourage you, to spend more than what you have. People then start spending more by borrowing. And this could mean an increase in debt and decrease in savings.

This is already in play in the US where cash accounts for a minority of transactions. Asad Dossani at Daily Profit Hunter lays down the facts...

• The average American household has approximately US$7,500 in credit card debt. Indian households have much less debt, largely because most people don't have access to credit in the first place. These numbers are reflected in savings rates. The US savings rate is just over 5%. For India, this figure is nearly six times higher, at 31%!

We don't know how the above trends will play out. The move towards a cashless society could mean a positive development for India. It will lower costs, improve transparency in transactions, save time, and open up opportunities for some companies. However, we must pause to consider the other side of the coin, and be ready to deal with challenges.

For information on how to pick stocks that have the potential to deliver big returns, download our special report now!

Read the latest Market Commentary

Top Gainers TodayTop Gainers over 1-WeekTop Gainers over 1-MonthTop Gainers over 1-YearTop Gainers over 3-YrsTop Gainers over 5-YrsTop Losers TodayTop Losers over 1-WeekTop Losers over 1-MonthTop Losers over 1-YearTop Losers over 3-YrsTop Losers over 5-YrsOnly BuyersOnly SellersMost Active StocksMost Popular Stocks52 Week High Stocks52 Week Low Stocks

INDICESBSE (Rs 0 to 1)BSE (Rs 1 to 2)BSE (Rs 2 to 4)BSE (Rs 4 to 10)BSE (Rs 10 to 20)BSE (Above Rs 20)BSE - AllBSE-30BSE-100BSE-200BSE-500BSE AutoBSE BankexBSE Capital GoodsBSE Consumer DurablesBSE FMCGBSE HealthcareBSE ITBSE MetalBSE Oil & GasBSE PSUBSE TeckBSE RealtyBSE PowerBSE A GroupBSE B GroupBSE Mid-CapBSE Small-CapBSE Basic MaterialsBSE Consumer DiscretionaryBSE IndustrialsBSE UtilitiesBSE Sensex 50BSE Sensex Next 50BSE Bharat 22BSE 150 MidCapBSE 250 SmallCapBSE 250 LargeMidCapBSE 400 MidSmallCapBSE AllCapBSE LargeCapBSE SmallCap SelectBSE 100 LargeCap TMCBSE InfraBSE ManufacturingBSE CPSEBSE Private BankBSE Diversified FinancialsBSE MomentumBSE Low VolatilityBSE QualityBSE Enhanced ValueBSE Divident StabilityS&P BSE IPOBSE SMEIPOBSE 100 ESGBSE CarbonexBSE GreenexNSE (Rs 0 to 10)NSE (Rs 10 to 20)NSE (Above Rs 20)NSE - AllNSE-50NSE ITNSE Nifty Midcap 50NSE JR. NiftyNSE Bank NiftyNIFTY Next 50NIFTY 100NIFTY 200NIFTY 500NIFTY MidCap 100NIFTY SmallCap 250NIFTY SmallCap 50NIFTY SmallCap 100NIFTY LargeMidCap 250NIFTY MidSmallCap 400NIFTY AutoNIFTY Consumer DurablesNIFTY FinanceNIFTY FMCGNIFTY MediaNIFTY MetalNIFTY PharmaNIFTY Private BankNIFTY PSU BankNIFTY RealtyNIFTY Oil & GasNIFTY SME EmergeNIFTY CommoditiesNIFTY CPSENIFTY EnergyNIFTY India ConsumptionNIFTY InfraNIFTY MNCNIFTY PSENIFTY Serv SectorNIFTY100 Liquid 15NIFTY Midcap Liquid 15NIFTY Midcap 150 Quality 50NIFTY50 Equal WeightNIFTY100 Equal WeightNIFTY100 Low Volatility 30NIFTY100 Alpha 30NIFTY Alpha 50NIFTY Dividend Opportunities 50NIFTY High Beta 50NIFTY Low Volatility 50NIFTY200 Quality 30NIFTY 500 Value 50NIFTY 100 Quality 30SECTORSAgricultureAirlinesAluminiumAsset Management CompaniesAutomobilesAuto AncillariesBanks (Private)Banks (PSU)BankingCementChemicalsDefenceDiagnosticsDronesEngineeringElectric VehicleElectric Vehicle BatteryEnergy SourcesESGEthanolFertilizersFintechFMCGFoodGreen HydrogenHotelsInfrastructureInsuranceInvestment and FinanceInvITIT (Large)IT (Others)LogisticsMediaMetalMiningIndia's Big Tech StocksIndian PharmaMNC PharmaPSUPaintPaperPlasticPowerRating AgenciesReal EstateREITsRenewable EnergyRetailingSemiconductorShippingSteelSugarSupply ChainTelecomTextilesTravel Support Services

10 results 25 results 50 results 100 results All results

Indian Share Market Update: Top Gainers and Losers