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HDFC sounds caution on economy, Q4 net jumps
The Hindu
Board recommends ₹23 dividend
Mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (HDFC) reported standalone net profit for the fourth quarter surged 42% to ₹3,180 crore. However, it sounded a note of caution considering the second wave of COVID-19 gripping the country. “Since April, India has been witnessing an eruption of a second wave of infections,” HDFC said in a filing.![](/newspic/picid-1269750-20250211011510.jpg)
The Union Budget unveiled on February 1, 2025, has come at a time of unprecedented global uncertainty and a flagging domestic economy. The real GDP growth is estimated at 6.4% for 2024-25 and between 6.3-6.8% for 2025-26, a far cry from >8 percent growth required annually to make India a developed nation by 2047. While much attention has been devoted to the demand stimulus through income tax cuts, not enough is said about the proposed reforms in urban development, tariff rationalisation, and regulatory simplification aimed at making Indian cities and corporates more competitive. Since the majority of economic activity is located in cities (urban areas account for ~55% of GDP) and produced by large corporates (~40% of the national output and 55% of India’s exports), the above-mentioned reforms have a pivotal role in improving India’s trend growth rate. Below we unpack each reform.