Indian Banking Sector: Opportunities and Challenges

Introduction

The Indian banking sector has shown signs of recovery in the last few years after nearly ten years of dealing with growing problems related to bad loans. Currently, the industry is on a more stable footing because of the proactive actions taken by banks and the coordinated efforts of policymakers.

The upward trend of Indian banks is nevertheless subject to the influence of monetary policy and outside factors like geopolitical threats, notwithstanding past trends to the contrary.

How Indian Banking Sector Evolved Over Years?

• First Generation Banking
  • Before independence (until 1947), the Swadeshi Movement gave rise to a large number of tiny, neighborhood banks, the majority of which failed mainly because of internal frauds, linked lending, and the combination of banking and commercial operations.
• Second Generation Banking (1947-1967)
  • Indian banks made it possible for resources that were mobilized through retail deposits to be concentrated on a small number of business families or groups, obstructing the flow of credit to the agriculture industry.
• Third Generation Baking (1967-1991)
  • By establishing priority sector financing in 1972 and nationalizing 20 significant private banks in two stages (1969 and 1980), the government was able to effectively break the connection between business and banking.
  • The shift from “class banking” to “mass banking” was brought about by these policies, which also had a positive impact on the large-scale development of branch networks in rural India, the significant mobilization of public deposits, and the rise in credit flow to the agricultural and related industries.
• Fourth Generation Banking (1991-2014)
  • Significant changes were put into place during this time, such as the granting of new licenses to foreign and private banks to increase efficiency, boost production, and bring competition.
  • Using technology, enacting prudential requirements, providing operational flexibility with functional autonomy, giving top priority to putting best corporate governance principles into effect, and strengthening the capital base in compliance with Basel norms were all part of these developments.
• Current Model
  • To achieve financial inclusion, the banking industry adopted the JAM (Jan-Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile) trinity in 2014 and licensed Payments Banks and Small Finance Banks (SFBs) to obtain last-mile connections.

What is the Current Status of the Indian Banking Sector?

• Background
  • Bad loans put Indian lenders in a terrible condition not very long ago, which caused stressed assets to soar. In particular, government-owned banks were impacted, with 14.6% of gross non-performing assets.
  • The 4R strategy—Recognizing NPAs publicly, Resolution and recovery, Recapitalization of PSBs, and Reforms in the financial ecosystem—was put into place by the government and RBI in response to these difficulties.
  • In 2023, the Indian banking industry saw a stunning turnaround, following over a decade of struggling with challenges related to bad loans and a furious government.
• Profitability and Asset Quality Improvement
  • The gross non-performing assets (NPA) ratio of Indian banks fell to 4.41% in FY23, the lowest level since March 2015. The combined profit for PSBs exceeded Rs 1 lakh crore.
  • The capital-to-risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) for scheduled commercial banks is a respectable 16.8%, according to the RBI’s Financial Stability Report, which highlights the banks’ sound financial standing.
  • This highlights the strong financial standing of Indian banks, which speaks well of their capacity to take on any risks and uphold systemic stability.
• Policy Reforms and Financial Discipline
  • Over the previous eight years, several reforms have been implemented with an emphasis on technology adoption, enhanced governance, responsible lending, and credit discipline. The decrease in NPAs was mostly attributed to PSB mergers.
• Robust Financial Indicators
  • When it comes to money that is available for lending, banks have high levels of liquidity. Despite the Reserve Bank of India’s current monetary policy of “withdrawal of accommodation,” banks continue to maintain a Liquidity Coverage Ratio that is at least twenty percent over the regulatory minimum.
  • Major banks that can lend “higher for longer” include SBI, PNB, and Union Bank; their credit-to-deposit ratios are less than 72%.

Also read: Dollarization and Changes in the Economy

What Challenges Does the Indian Banking Sector Face?

• Infrastructure and Capital Investments Risk
  • Because of the strain on State resources, bank funding for future infrastructure and capital projects—especially those associated with State government entities—carries a default risk.
  • It is suggested that banks establish internal exposure limitations per the fiscal and financial evaluations of each State.
• Stock Market and Retail Exposure Risk
  • Retail exposures are in danger due to the stock market’s seeming runaway behavior, which gives the impression of affluence. This risk is shown by rising PE ratios across industries and an increase in demat accounts.
  • To mitigate this growing risk, it is advised that retail portfolios undergo thorough stress tests and integrated oversight.
• Interconnected Lending and Governance Challenges
  • One major concern is the potential for default to spread like wildfire because of linked loans and weak governance standards.
  • It is important to emphasize that focused risk management is required and that regulation cannot replace sound governance.
• Changing Liabilities Landscape
  • Retail deposits are being impacted by the way that liabilities are shifting due to digitization and changing consumer patterns. Higher credit-to-deposit ratio banks may have trouble covering their liquidity needs.
  • Bankers must use prudence and caution in light of the structural shift in Indian savings, which calls for close observation under favorable circumstances.

How to Strengthen the Indian Banking Sector Going Forward?

• Building Big Banks
  • The significance of India having three or four major commercial banks with a presence both locally and globally, in addition to foreign banks, was emphasized in the Narasimham Committee Report (1991).
  • The government has already integrated several PSBs and started steps to create organizations like a Development Finance Institution (DFI) and a Bad Bank by these recommendations.
• Requirement for Differentiated Banks
  • Although the universal banking model has been widely supported, separate banking organizations are required to cater to the specific requirements of various clients and debtors.
  • Furthermore, by creating the proposed DFIs or specialty banks as specialized companies, better asset-liability management would be made possible and they would have access to inexpensive public deposits.
• Blockchain Banking
  • It is possible to accomplish improved risk management, and neo-banks may use this technology to further digital financial inclusion and help the growing aspirations of a burgeoning India.
  • The application of blockchain technology in the Indian banking sector has the potential to streamline prudential supervision and improve monitoring and control over institutions.
• Addressing Moral Hazard
  • Public sector bank failures have been rare up until now, mostly because of the hidden government guarantee, which has increased public confidence. However, this guarantee is called into question by the PSBs’ ongoing privatization.
  • Therefore, the next round of banking reforms should highlight how important it is to have more individual deposit insurance as well as effective, orderly resolution procedures. By doing this, the financial strain on the public treasury is intended to be minimized by lowering systemic risks and moral hazard.
• ESG Integration
  • Distinctive Banks could find it advantageous to embrace the ESG (Environmental, Social Responsibility, and Governance) framework and think about going public on a respectable stock market. Long-term value enhancement for stakeholders is the goal of this strategy.
• Enhancing Banking Institutions
  • To mitigate vulnerabilities, the government ought to improve regulatory policies by allowing banks to create diverse loan portfolios, designating regulators for certain industries, and offering them more power to deal with willful defaults.
• Facilitating Corporate Bond Market Growth
  • Moving away from a bank-centric economic model is necessary to create a responsive banking system in a dynamic real economy. This may be achieved by encouraging the expansion of the corporate bond market.
• Enhancing Risk Management Models
  • To evaluate possible risks related to lending to State government entities and infrastructure projects, develop and execute State-specific internal risk models, akin to the Bank Exposure Risk Index.

Conclusion 

Even though the Indian banking sector is now experiencing great success, we must be proactive and watchful to deal with the challenges and uncertainties of our modern world.

Sources:

• Reserve Bank of India – Trend and Progress of Banking in India (rbi.org.in)
• Banking in India – Wikipedia
• Banking Sector in India, Market Size, Investments, Govt. Initiatives – IBEF
• Indian banking sector: Latest News & Videos, Photos about indian banking sector | The Economic Times – Page 1 (indiatimes.com)