The Indian mutual fund industry saw a meteoric rise in 2024, as the assets under management (AUM) of all MF schemes increased by more than Rs 17 lakh crore this year.

According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi), the mutual fund industry's AUM was Rs 68 lakh crore at the end of November 2024, which is Rs 17.22 lakh crore or 33 per cent more than the December 2023 figure of Rs 50.78 lakh crore.

The mutual fund industry's AUM has increased by more than Rs 37 lakh crore in the last four years.

AUM increased by Rs 11 lakh crore in 2023, Rs 2.65 lakh crore in 2022, and about Rs 7 lakh crore in 2021.

The AUM of the mutual fund industry was Rs 50.78 lakh crore in December 2023, Rs 40 lakh crore in December 2022, Rs 37.72 lakh crore in December 2021 and Rs 31 lakh crore in December 2020.

Driven by strong fundamental and robust economic growth, the domestic benchmark indices are set to give positive returns in 2024 for the ninth consecutive year.

As per a report by Standard Chartered bank, 2024 was a year of two distinct halves for Indian equities and bonds. While the first half saw strong growth, supported by robust economic activity and corporate earnings, second half was marked by volatility amid consolidation.

“2024 was a year of two halves with H1 seeing strong performance of Indian equities and bonds on strong economic growth and corporate earnings delivery. However, H2 witnessed a surge in volatility,” according to the report.

Despite this, Nifty 50 index has gained 9.21 per cent while the Sensex index rose by 8.62 per cent.

Delhi woke up to dense fog on Wednesday morning, significantly reducing visibility. The overall Air Quality Index at 7 a.m. was recorded at 333, categorised as 'very poor', an improvement from the previous day's 'severe' level.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature stood at nine degrees Celsius.

Due to the foggy condition 20 trains to Delhi from various parts of the country were running.

The Delhi Airport also issued an advisory for the passengers. It said that the flights that are not CAT III compliant may be affected and the passengers are requested to contact the airline for updated flight information.

The domestic benchmark indices ended flat on Tuesday ahead of Christmas as selling was seen in IT, Financial service, pharma, PSU Bank, metal and realty sectors in Nifty.

At closing, Sensex settled at 78,472.87 down by 67.30 points or 0.09 per cent and Nifty ended at 23,727.65 down by 25.80 points, or 0.11 per cent.

Nifty Bank ended at 51,233 down by 84.60 points, or 0.16 per cent. The Nifty Midcap 100 index closed at 57,057.90 at the end of trading after dropping 35 points, or 0.06 per cent. While Nifty Smallcap 100 index closed at 18,732.65 after gaining 44.85 points or 0.24 per cent.

The Centre’s Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals has approved 10 Plastic Parks, which are at different levels of implementation across various states, aimed at enhancing investment, production and exports as well as employment in the country, according to a year-end review released on Tuesday.

The new and safer pesticides developed by the Centre’s Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT) and the successful India Chem 2024 conference also figure in the review.

Under the scheme for setting up plastic parks, the Department promotes the setting up of need-based plastic parks with requisite infrastructure and enabling common facilities. The objective is to consolidate and synergize the capacities of downstream plastic processing industries.

The Indian stock market opened flat on Tuesday amid positive global cues.

At around 9:28 am, Sensex was trading at 78,588.23 after gaining 48.06 points or 0.06 per cent, while the Nifty was trading at 23,766.30 after gaining 12.85 points or 0.05 per cent.

The market trend remained positive. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 1,302 stocks were trading in green, while 877 stocks were in red.

According to experts, the relief rally witnessed yesterday is unlikely to have a free run up in the coming days.

“Two sets of factors- external and internal- will restrain a sustained rally. Externally, the strong dollar and high bond yields in the US will prompt the FIIs to sell on rallies. Internally, the growth and earnings slowdown will be near-term negatives that will restrain the bulls." They noted.

The air quality in the national capital plummeted to the ‘severe’ category, with an average AQI of 401 recorded at 7 a.m. on Tuesday despite a spell of light rain

The highest Air Quality Index (AQI) was reported at the Bawana station (455), while the IHBAS Dilshad Garden station recorded the lowest at 222, placing it in the "poor" category. Prominent areas like Rohini (451), Anand Vihar (442), and Punjabi Bagh (431) also reported "severe" air quality, while Shadipur registered the lowest among the "very poor" category at 360.

Adding to the environmental concerns, Delhi experienced a chilly morning with a minimum temperature of 10.8 degrees Celcius recorded at 5.30 a.m. Light rain and a drop in temperature further accentuated the winter chill. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted a generally cloudy sky with the possibility of light rain or drizzle, alongside a yellow alert for fog. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 20 and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.

After witnessing a decline of about 5 per cent over the previous five consecutive trading sessions, the domestic benchmark indices closed in green on Monday amid strong global cues.

Heavy buying was seen in the realty and PSU bank sectors of Nifty.

At closing, Sensex settled at 78,540.17, up by 498.58 points or 0.64 per cent and Nifty ended at 23,753.45, up by 165.95 points, or 0.70 per cent.

Nifty Bank ended at 51,317.60 up by 558.40 points, or 1.10 per cent. The Nifty Midcap 100 index closed at 57,092.9 at the end of trading after gaining 186.15 points, or 0.33 per cent. While Nifty Smallcap 100 index closed at 18,687.80 after dropping 26.50 points or 0.14 per cent.

The Indian market demonstrated optimism following the recent sell-off.

Gold and silver have experienced an impressive rally in 2024, gaining approximately 30 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively, on the Commodity Exchange (COMEX), a report showed on Monday.

While central bank policies and geopolitical risks are significant drivers of gold and silver prices, other factors also play a role in shaping the market, according to the report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd (MOFSL).

In 2024, global demand for precious metals has increased substantially. Central banks worldwide, including those in emerging markets, have been net buyers of gold for over a decade. In 2024, they collectively purchased more than 500 tonnes of gold, reflecting a strategy to diversify reserves amid economic uncertainties, said the report.

“Looking ahead, the outlook for gold and silver remains positive, although some market consolidation or short-term dips may present buying opportunities. Loose monetary policy environment, coupled with ongoing geopolitical risks, should continue to provide a favourable backdrop for gold and silver,” said Manav Modi, analyst, Commodity Research, MOFSL.

India’s savings rate has surpassed the global average as financial inclusion has shot up in the country with over 80 per cent adults now having formal financial accounts, according to an SBI report released on Monday.

India savings rate is at 30.2 per cent, which is higher than the global average of 28.2 per cent, the report stated.

“Due to various measures, India’s financial inclusion improved significantly and now more than 80 per cent of adults in India have a formal financial account, compared to about 50 per cent in 2011, which is improving the financialisation of the savings rate of Indian households,” the report points out.

The share of net financial savings in total household savings has increased from 36 per cent in FY14 to about 52 per cent in FY21, however, during FY22 and FY23, the share has decelerated.

FY24 trends reveal that the share of physical savings have again started to decline.