NMIMS Sem 4 April 2025 Banking & Finance Assignments
Business: Ethics, Governance & Risk
Q1. “Business should conduct and govern themselves with integrity, and in a manner that is ethical, transparent and accountable” (Principle 1). Prepare an executive summary (in your own words) based on the disclosures given under Essential Indicators and Leadership Indicators, to showcase how the company is delivering on this principle from the Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report – 2023-24 (BRSR) of a company of your choice. You will find this report under Director’s Report section. Please select any ONE company that is listed as Large Cap. For this selection you must refer to the NSE’s Nifty 50 list by market cap. It is required that you include the name of the company in the brief introduction at the beginning. You must also go through the website of the company as well as its sustainability report, if available in public domain for relevant information on Principle 1. DO NOT copy paste.
Q2. Go through the ‘Management Discussion & Analysis’ section under the Director’s Report in the annual report (FY2023-24) of the company selected in question1 and prepare an executive summary (in your own words) on the following two topics:
Opportunities and threat
Internal control systems & their adequacy
You must mention the name of the company. DO NOT copy paste.
Q3. As Head of Sales in a medium size consumer durables company selling cooling systems and air conditioners you have just bagged a Rs 75 lac worth of order from an out-of-town company, (their first order with you). The purchase executive of the client company agrees to confirm the order on the condition that you will agree to pay for his and his wife’s travel and stay in your city, while visiting your office for finalizing and signing of the contract.
3a. What do you think are the ethical dilemmas involved in this scenario?
3b. Describe the process you will adopt to resolve the dilemmas in this scenario?
Research Methodology
Q1. Samsung mobile phones have been facing a significant decline in market share over the past one year in India, despite the growing overall demand for Mobile Phones. The company’s sales have decreased by 12%, while competitors have seen a growth of 18% in the same period. This decline is affecting the company’s profitability and brand position in the market. This decline is occurring despite an overall increase in industry demand. The problem impacts the company’s profitability, brand strength, and market position. Which type of research study is above and what can be the research questions for this study? Explain which research design you will follow and why?
Q2. You are working in the HR department of Havells India; who have 15 state-of-the- art manufacturing plants spread across 8 locations in India. You have to study the relationship of Annual Increment (three levels 5%, 8% and 10%) and employee productivity (in units). Explain the design of experiment, independent, dependent and extraneous variable (assume any) for the study. What can be the potential threat to internal and external validity in this experiment?
Q3. In recent years, the financial landscape has witnessed significant transformations driven by advances in technology and the widespread adoption of online banking platforms. The emergence of online banking has revolutionized the way consumers engage with banks. With the increasing adoption of digital banking channels, it is crucial to assess how traditional banking methods are affected in terms of customer behavior, service demand, Trust, Security, operational adjustments and the response to the socio-demography of consumers.
a. Develop a comprehensive research plan to compare customer satisfaction and service efficiency between online and offline banking.
b. Develop a Structured questionnaire for this study.
Treasury Management in Banking
1. RBI is building up Forex Reserves thru buying USD from the inter-bank market to maintain INR volatility and then doing INR sterilisation to avoid money supply. Explain the impact of this RBI action on Money Supply & inflation.
2. In view of the Geo-political situation world-wide, what are the products provided by banks to Corporates to hedge forex risk and interest rate risk. Explain with example.
3. Explain the role of the Treasurer considering:
a) What are challenges in International Treasury Management?
b) What are the Best Practices for International Treasury Management?
International Banking & Foreign Exchange Management
1. Suppose you are an intern at a leading financial company. A new client needs information on the workings of the foreign exchange market. Prepare a summary of the different types of players in the foreign exchange market and the nature of their transactions in the market.
2. Mr. Mudit has recently shifted to the US to work and stay there for the long run. He would still like to hold a bank account in India. What options does he have in this regard? Discuss in detail the features of different accounts he may open and maintain.
3. a) Mr. Manoj Joshi is a diamond merchant in Surat. He is planning to expand his business overseas and in turn will need to export finished diamond jewelry while importing rough cut diamonds. Explain to him how he can utilize the services of a bank to help in his transactions.
b) Sumit is your cousin who is studying in the MBA program. He is applying to various international organizations as part of his job search. Explain to him about the World Bank and its work across the countries.
Insurance & Risk Management
Q1. ABC Insurance Company, a prominent participant in the property and liability insurance domain, encountered the formidable obstacle of providing insurance coverage for properties situated in regions at high risk of natural calamities, including hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires. Although these policies offered policyholders necessary coverage, there was a significant risk of suffering enormous losses in the event of a catastrophic occurrence. In order to tackle this obstacle, XYZ Insurance Company put in place a strong reinsurance plan. They collaborated with a number of elite reinsurers to disperse the risk of disastrous occurrences over a larger range. By doing this, XYZ Insurance Company hoped to lessen its vulnerability to significant losses while still being able to carry out its policy responsibilities. Enumerate the term “Reinsurance” and highlight the various areas of application of Reinsurance.
Q2. In the insurance sector, risk management holds significant importance. Provide a detailed explanation of the risk management process, including its individual steps.
Q3a. Consider yourself an insurance company’s legal counsel. A client has approached you regarding property insurance. The insured interest is the client’s worry. Explain the concept of insurable interest. Write a thorough answer outlining the meaning of insurable interest for your customer and provide the details on the essentials of insurable interest.
Q3b. Vishal insured his car for ₹15,00,000, but it was stolen shortly afterward. The insurance company will compensate him for the loss as per the policy terms. However, if Vishal later recovers his car, the insurer will retain full ownership rights to it. This is because Vishal has already received compensation for the loss and is not permitted to profit from the situation in any way. Identify the underlined principle of insurance stated in the above scenario. Also, mention the important aspects on the stated principle and its limitations.
