Loading...

Top
Help
×

By creating an account you can:

Logo TaxTMI
Call Us / Help / Feedback

Contact Us At :

E-mail: [email protected]

Call / WhatsApp at: +91 99117 96707

For more information, Check Contact Us

FAQs :

To know Frequently Asked Questions, Check FAQs

Most Asked Video Tutorials :

For more tutorials, Check Video Tutorials

Submit Feedback/Suggestion :

Email :
Please provide your email address so we can follow up on your feedback.
Category :
Description :
Min 15 characters 0/2000
Make Most of Text Search
  1. Checkout this video tutorial: How to search effectively on TaxTMI.
  2. Put words in double quotes for exact word search, eg: "income tax"
  3. Avoid noise words such as : 'and, of, the, a'
  4. Sort by Relevance to get the most relevant document.
  5. Press Enter to add multiple terms/multiple phrases, and then click on Search to Search.
  6. Text Search
  7. The system will try to fetch results that contains ALL your words.
  8. Once you add keywords, you'll see a new 'Search In' filter that makes your results even more precise.
  9. Text Search
Add to...
You have not created any category. Kindly create one to bookmark this item!
Create New Category
Hide
Title :
Description :
❮❮ Hide
Default View
Expand ❯❯
Close ✕
🔎 News - Adv. Search
TEXT SEARCH:

Press 'Enter' to add multiple search terms. Rules for Better Search

Search In:
Main Text + AI Text
  • Main Text
  • Main Text + AI Text
  • AI Text
Category: ?
Categorized by AI
---- All Categories ----
  • ---- All Categories ----
  • Income Tax
  • GST
  • Customs, DGFT & SEZ
  • FEMA & RBI
  • Corp. Laws, SEBI & IBC
  • PMLA, Black Money & ED
  • Budget
  • News and Press Release
  • PTI News
Month:
---- All Months ----
  • ---- All Months ----
  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December
Year:
---- All Years ----
  • ---- All Years ----
  • 2026
  • 2025
  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
Sort By: ?
In Sort By 'Default', exact matches for text search are shown at the top, followed by the remaining results in their regular order.
Relevance Default Date
    NATIONAL ACCOUNTS STATISTICS - 2026 PUBLICATION
    Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agrawal Co-Chairs India-Brazil 8th Trade Monitoring Mechanism Meeting
    NPCI International and Uzbekistan’s NIPC Partner to Enable UPI Payments Across Uzbekistan via UZQR
    Flymore Aviation Expands Access to Aviation Education Through Affordable Mobile Learning App
    Rajnath to review performances of 16 defence PSUs with focus on indigenous tech, innovation
    SC dismisses SBI's plea challenging NCLAT order on PF, gratuity dues to ex-Jet Airways staffers
    Rupee rises 26 paise to close at 95.17 against US dollar
    India Has Solved Financial Access. Has It Solved Financial Confidence?
    Hyundai Capital Officially Launches Financial Services Operations in India
    Pinarayi Vijayan slams NCLT order on Subhash Chandra repayment plan
    Rupee falls 13 paise to 95.56 against US dollar in early trade
    CBN seizes 66.80 lakh psychotropic tablets in major inter-state pharmaceutical diversion case under Operation Vajra 2.0; one arrested
    DRI seizes around 18 Kg Amphetamine and MDMA in two operations as it intensifies crackdown on synthetic drugs; Four persons arrested
    India–Chile CEPA Negotiations Advance; Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agrawal Meets Chilean Vice-Minister Paula Estévez Weinstein
    Sugar prices remain firm across India despite govt measures to check rise
    Keralam MVD to introduce Aadhaar OTP verification for 60 more services from Sept 21
    Dissenting creditors alleged family-linked entities cast 61.78 pc votes that cleared Chandra's insolvency plan
    Over 2.63L appear in NEET-PG; re-test announced for candidates at 2 Jaipur centres
    Delhi Lakshmi Yojana RD maturity set for July 2029, year of next Lok Sabha polls
    India emerges as key petrol supplier to Russia as refinery attacks disrupt fuel supplies
❯❯
Maximize Maximize Maximize
0 / 200
Expand Note
Add to Folder

No Folders have been created

+

Are you sure you want to delete "My most important" ?

NOTE:

News
Showing Results for :
Reset Filters
Results Found:
Show All Summaries Hide All Summaries
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
National accounts revisions align GDP and sectoral estimates with updated price, production and banking service indicators.
National Accounts Statistics-2026 incorporates updated Producer Price Index, Index of Industrial Production and Banking Services Price Index series with base year 2022-23 into annual and quarterly GDP estimates. The revised indicators expand coverage, update weights and improve price mapping for national-account activities. GDP and gross value added estimates from 2022-23 onwards are revised at current and constant prices, with sector-specific effects in mining and quarrying, manufacturing, trade services, general government and departmental enterprises. Supply and Use Tables for 2022-23 and 2023-24 are also updated.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
Trade facilitation and pharmaceutical market access advance through regulatory cooperation, preferential trade modernisation, and reciprocal agricultural access.
India and Brazil are advancing bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation through a diversified partnership focused on pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering goods and machinery. India-MERCOSUR engagement is being pursued through early finalisation of Terms of Reference for expansion and modernisation of the Preferential Trade Agreement. Pharmaceutical market access is supported by regulatory cooperation under the CDSCO-ANVISA MoU. Agricultural trade facilitation includes phytosanitary processes, reciprocal market access work and mutual recognition of Electronic Certificates of Origin, alongside multilateral coordination through BRICS, the G20 and the WTO.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
Cross-border UPI merchant acceptance enables Indian travellers to make UZQR payments at merchants throughout Uzbekistan.
Cross-border UPI merchant acceptance in Uzbekistan allows Indian travellers to make instant person-to-merchant payments through UPI-enabled applications by scanning the interoperable UZQR code. Integration with the Unified National QR infrastructure extends acceptance across retail, hospitality and service merchants. Regulatory approvals support HUMO's role as NIPL's authorised partner for cross-border merchant acceptance, reducing reliance on international cards and cash.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
Mobile-first aviation education supports accessible, self-paced certification-led learning and career awareness across aviation roles and geographic locations.
Flymore Aviation LLP operates a mobile-first aviation learning platform intended to make specialised aviation education more accessible and affordable for aspiring pilots, cabin crew and other aviation-sector professionals. The app provides structured, self-paced aviation courses aimed at building industry knowledge, supporting certification-led skill development, improving career awareness and assisting employment readiness across aviation functions. Course delivery through a digital platform is positioned as an alternative to location-dependent and high-cost classroom training.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
Indigenous defence technology and exports anchor the annual performance review of public sector defence enterprises.
Annual performance review of 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings is scheduled with emphasis on indigenous technology, innovation, self-reliance and enhancement of defence exports. Chairpersons and managing directors of seven specified undertakings will present dividends attributable to the Government's equity shareholding. Publications cover self-reliance, student awareness of defence technologies, and modernisation and indigenisation roadmaps. Reported performance includes growth in turnover, profit after tax and defence exports.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
Employee provident fund and gratuity dues remain protected outside the liquidation estate despite competing financial creditor claims in insolvency proceedings.
Employee provident fund and gratuity dues of former Jet Airways workmen and employees were required to be paid in full by the liquidator. The NCLAT position upheld treats statutory employee dues relating to provident fund, gratuity and pension funds as outside the liquidation estate, protecting them from competing creditor claims. Financial creditors had argued that such dues should be distributed through the liquidation estate unless dedicated funds existed at the commencement of liquidation. The underlying questions of law remain open for an appropriate case.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
Rupee exchange-rate support amid dollar strength and oil risks as foreign-currency deposit flows bolster market sentiment.
Foreign-exchange market conditions saw the rupee recover from early losses amid possible Reserve Bank of India intervention to contain significant depreciation. Higher US Treasury yields, a broader dollar rally, rising crude oil prices and geopolitical supply risks pressured the currency. The special USD-INR forex swap facility for FCNR(B) deposits, Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings and External Commercial Borrowings mobilised foreign-exchange inflows supported by non-resident Indian participation, strengthening market sentiment.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
Financial confidence gaps persist when opaque financial journeys, dark patterns and unclear communication deter informed consumer participation.
Financial-service digitisation may expand access without ensuring consumer confidence where customers cannot understand processes, assess risks or feel secure in financial decisions. Opaque claims, redemptions, eligibility criteria and approval stages can weaken trust and discourage insurance, investment and credit participation. Hidden charges, complex documentation, forced bundling and target-driven sales practices may further impair informed choice. Greater transparency, simplified communications, real-time process visibility and AI-assisted guidance are identified as measures to reduce cognitive friction and strengthen consumer control.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
NBFC licensing enables Hyundai Capital India to begin wholesale dealer financing while preparing retail finance and risk-management infrastructure.
Hyundai Capital India has commenced financial services operations after obtaining a non-banking financial company licence from the Reserve Bank of India. Initial operations concentrate on wholesale financing for local automotive dealers. Operations are intended to expand the dealer-financing network, sales infrastructure and risk-management systems across India, supporting a subsequent phased introduction of retail financing for individual customers.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
Personal insolvency resolution approval faces criticism over low creditor recovery and alleged family-linked voting influence in the resolution process.
Personal insolvency resolution approval concerning Subhash Chandra involved a repayment plan of Rs 6.5 crore against admitted creditor claims exceeding Rs 22,000 crore. Objections were raised regarding the voting influence exercised by entities linked to the debtor's family in relation to the resolution process. Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the approval, alleging preferential treatment of powerful corporate interests.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
Foreign exchange market intervention seeks to limit rupee depreciation amid oil-price pressure, dollar strength, and capital outflows.
Foreign exchange market conditions put the rupee under depreciation pressure amid higher crude oil prices, geopolitical risks, stronger US dollar conditions, expectations of tighter US monetary policy and foreign equity outflows. RBI market intervention was reported to contain significant depreciation. Improved foreign-currency non-resident bank deposit flows and higher foreign exchange reserves supported investor sentiment and the external liquidity position.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
Psychotropic medicine diversion faces NDPS enforcement where controlled tablets allegedly travel without statutory documentation and traceability details.
Enforcement action under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 addressed alleged inter-State diversion of psychotropic medicines transported without statutory documentation. A truck carrying Alprazolam, Tramadol, Nitrazepam and Clonazepam tablets was intercepted; the medicines and vehicle were seized and one suspect was arrested. Preliminary examination indicated erasure of identifying batch and date details and transport of region-restricted medicines without invoices, bilty or e-way bills. Investigation concerns the manufacturing, supply and distribution network involved.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
Synthetic-drug trafficking enforcement targets rail-borne amphetamine and MDMA consignments through baggage interceptions, seizures, follow-up delivery operations, and arrests.
Synthetic-drug trafficking enforcement involved two intelligence-led railway-station operations targeting amphetamine and MDMA transportation and receipt. Baggage intercepted at Bengaluru contained a crystalline substance preliminarily indicating amphetamine, while a separate Pune interception recovered substances purported to be amphetamine and MDMA tablets. The contraband and related packing material were seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Follow-up delivery action identified alleged receivers, and the carriers and alleged receivers were arrested under that statutory framework.
August 31, 2026
Show AI Summary
India-Chile CEPA negotiations seek a balanced framework to expand trade, investment, technology cooperation and resilient supply chains.
India-Chile CEPA negotiations are being advanced toward conclusion by the end of the year through a balanced and commercially meaningful framework. The proposed partnership is intended to strengthen bilateral economic ties, expand trade and investment, and create equitable opportunities for businesses and people in both countries. Cooperation is envisaged in technology, talent and resilient supply chains, alongside enhanced engagement in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, minerals, agriculture, machinery and engineering.
August 30, 2026
Show AI Summary
Sugar price controls face persistent retail and wholesale price firmness despite duty-free imports, stockholding restrictions, and export prohibition.
Sugar retail and wholesale prices remained elevated despite measures intended to curb price increases, including duty-free imports of raw sugar, tighter stockholding norms for bulk users and dealers, and a prohibition on sugar exports. Ex-mill rates declined following the permitted duty-free imports, although customary margins continued between ex-mill, wholesale, and retail prices. Projected sugar production is lower than earlier estimates, while annual domestic demand remains substantial.
August 30, 2026
Show AI Summary
Aadhaar OTP verification expands online vehicle and licensing services, reducing physical visits and curbing intermediary exploitation.
Aadhaar-based OTP verification will be extended to additional vehicle- and driving-licence-related services through the Vahan and Sarathi portals. The digital arrangement is intended to reduce physical visits to transport offices, prevent intermediary exploitation arising from delayed processing, and enable applications to be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Physical attendance will remain necessary for vehicle inspections, identification of legal heirs, personal hearings, and authentication where Aadhaar OTP verification fails.
August 30, 2026
Show AI Summary
Related-party creditor voting in personal insolvency turned on whether the debtor held majority ownership or direct board control.
Dissenting lenders challenged the admission and voting rights of five creditors alleged to be family-linked associate or related entities, contending that their voting share enabled approval of a personal insolvency repayment plan. They alleged invalid post-moratorium guarantee invocations, undisclosed liabilities, inadequate claim scrutiny and incorrect voting-share computation. The third member rejected the voting-rights challenge, treating associate status as requiring the debtor's personal majority shareholding or direct board control, and accepted the repayment plan.
August 30, 2026
Show AI Summary
Examination continuity and candidate fairness require re-examination where power failures prevent completion, alongside review of infrastructure accountability.
NEET-PG 2026 examination continuity was disrupted for candidates at two Jaipur centres because of internal power-supply failures attributable to the technological partner and examination-conducting agency. A re-examination has been scheduled for the affected candidates, with the venue and revised admit cards to be communicated separately. Action against the entities responsible for ensuring adequate examination infrastructure is under consideration.
August 30, 2026
Show AI Summary
Women's monthly assistance eligibility restricts benefits to qualifying households and channels payments through deposits or restricted digital wallets.
Delhi Lakshmi Yojana provides monthly financial assistance to eligible women through recurring deposits and restricted Central Bank Digital Currency wallets. Recurring deposits are locked until July 31, 2029, subject to possible review of the maturity period after two years from launch. Eligibility requires a qualifying woman to be the eldest female family member, meet income, residence and voter-registration requirements, and satisfy household restrictions. Income-tax payers, GST filers, government employees, higher-electricity-consuming households and four-wheeler-owning households are excluded.
August 30, 2026
Show AI Summary
Gasoline trade amid refinery disruptions relies on sanctioned fleets and dark ship-to-ship transfers, alongside continuing fuel export restrictions.
Russian refinery disruption has increased gasoline imports and made India a significant supplier of gasoline to Russia. Indian supplies were principally linked to the Vadinar refinery, and increased Indian purchases of Russian crude may mean exported gasoline was produced from Russian crude. Russia has retained a gasoline export ban while domestic production remains disrupted. India-origin cargoes imported during August were carried on sanctioned fleets and involved dark ship-to-ship transfers, including transfers conducted with automatic identification system signals switched off.

News

Back

All News

Showing Results for :
Reset Filters
No Records Found

News

Showing Results for : Reset Filters

Banking Structure in India Looking Ahead by Looking Back (Speaking notes of Dr. Duvvuri Subbarao, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, at the FICCI-IBA Annual Banking Conference in Mumbai on August 13, 2013)

August 13, 2013

Contents
Summary
Note

Note

-

Bookmark

Print

Print

1. For the fifth year on a trot, you have given me the privilege of inaugurating this prestigious and influential FICCI-IBA Annual Banking Conference. In my fifth year as Governor of RBI, I have the Governor’s annual schedule firmly ingrained in my mind. I have come to expect, even look forward to, this event in September every year. I am aware that the organizers have advanced the schedule by a month to extend to me the honour of inaugurating this conference before I demit office next month. I am deeply touched.

Banking Structure

2. What should be the focus of my remarks today? At earlier conferences, I focussed on narrow themes within the banking domain. Should I pick another narrow theme for this year’s conference as well? I deliberated on it quite a bit. Since I will be laying down office as Governor of the Reserve Bank in about 4 weeks’ time, I determined that it may be most appropriate if I loosened the constraint and addressed a broader topic. And the topic I have chosen is to look ahead to the appropriate banking structure for India.

3. When we issued the guidelines for licencing of new banks in the private sector in February this year, the Reserve Bank said that it will come out with a Discussion Paper on the Banking Structure in India. That paper is in the final stages and will be released shortly. The issues that I will address today will inevitably overlap with some of the issues that will be covered in the Discussion Paper but there need be no presumption that the coverage and nuancing of the issues will be similar.

Indian Financial Sector - The Big Picture

4. In order to look ahead to issues on the way forward, it may be instructive to look at a snap shot of the Indian financial system as it is today and review the evolution of the banking system over the last 20 years of economic reforms. Let me do that quickly and briefly so as to set the context for the issues that I will address.

Table - I
Indian Financial System - Share by Asset Size - 2012

Segment

Market Share of Financial Assets (Percentage)

Banks

63

Insurance Companies

19

Non-banking Financial Institutions

8

Mutual Funds

6

Provident and Pension Funds

4

Total

100

  • Banks dominate the Indian financial system.

Table - II
Indian Banking System - Share by Asset Size

Institution

Market Share of Total Banking Assets (2012)
(Percentage)

Scheduled Commercial Banks of which:

92.4

Public Sector Banks

67.2

Private Sector Banks

18.7

Foreign Banks

6.5

Regional Rural Banks

2.7

Rural and Urban Co-operative Banks

3.4

Local Area Banks

1.5

Total

100.0

  • The banking system is dominated by commercial banks.

Table - III
Share in the Banking Space

Type of Banks

Number of Banks

Number of Branches

Percentage Share of Number of Branches

Market Share of Assets (Percentage)

Public Sector

26

67,466

83.0

 72.8

Private Sector

20

13,452

16.6

20.2

Foreign Banks

41

  323

 0.4

 7.0

Total

87

81,241

100.0

100.0

  • Public sector banks have more branch presence relative to their share of assets.

What do the above data tell us about the big picture?

  • Within the banking system, public sector banks (PSB) continue to dominate with 73% of market share of assets and 83% of branches.
  • Rural and urban co-operatives banks have a relatively small share in the banking system. However, given their geographic and demographic outreach, they play a key role in providing access to financial services to low and middle income households in both rural and urban areas.
  • Similarly, RRBs play a key role in promoting financial inclusion. The Government is pursuing branch expansion and capital infusion plans for the RRBs.

Table - IV
Expansion of Banking Since Nationalization

Year

1969

1991

2007

2012

No. of Commercial Banks (incl. RRBs and LABs)

73

272

182

173

No. of Bank Offices

8,262

60,570

74,563

1,01,261

of which Rural and semi- urban bank offices

5,172

46,550

47,179

62,061

Population per office

64,000

14,000

15,000

13,000

Per capita Deposit of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs)

Rs.88

Rs.2,368

Rs.23,382

Rs.51,106

Per capita Credit of SCBs

Rs.68

Rs.1,434

Rs.1,7541

Rs.39,909

  • Since nationalisation of 14 major commercial banks in 1969, followed by nationalisation of another 6 banks in 1980, Indian banking system has expanded rapidly.
  • The number of bank offices increased from about 8,000 in 1969 to over 100,000 by 2012.
  • The average population per branch office has sharply declined from 64,000 in 1969 to 13,000 today.
  • Both per capita deposit and per capita credit have expanded about 600 times. Even accounting for inflation, this is significant expansion.

Major Banking Sector Reforms since 1991

The economic reforms initiated in 1991 also embraced the banking system. Following are the major reforms aimed at improving efficiency, productivity and profitability of banks.

  • New banks licenced in private sector to inject competition in the system. 10 in 1993 and 2 more in 2003. Another lot of new banks will be licenced in the next few months.
  • FDI+FII up to 74% allowed in private sector banks
  • Listing of PSBs on stock exchanges and allowing them to access capital markets for augmenting their equity, subject to maintaining Government shareholding at a minimum of 51%. Private shareholders represented on the Board of PSBs.
  • Progressive reduction in statutory pre-emption (SLR and CRR) to improve the resource base of banks so as to expand credit available to private sector. SLR currently at 23% (38.5% in 1991) and CRR at 4% (15% in 1991).
  • Adoption of international best practices in banking regulation. Introduction of prudential norms on capital adequacy, IRAC (income recognition, asset classification, provisioning), exposure norms etc.
  • Phased liberalisation of branch licensing. Banks can now open branches in Tier 2 to Tier 6 centres without prior approval from the Reserve Bank.
  • Deregulation of a complex structure of deposit and lending interest rates to strengthen competitive impluses, improve allocative efficiency and strengthen the transmission of monetary policy.
  • Base rate (floor rate for lending) introduced (July 2010). Prescription of an interest rate floor on savings deposit rate withdrawn (October 2011).
  • Functional autonomy to PSBs.
  • Use of information technology to improve the efficiency and productivity, enhance the payment and settlement systems and deepen financial inclusion
  • Strengthening of Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-money Laundering (AML) norms; making banking less prone to financial abuse.
  • Improvements in the risk management culture of banks.

Post-crisis Regulatory Reforms Around the World

  • The financial crisis exposed the risk posed by the Global Systemically Important Financial Institutions (G-SIFIs) as these were ‘too big to fail’.
  • Post-crisis, US, UK,  European Union took initiatives (Paul A Volcker in US, Sir John Vickers Independent Commission on Banking in UK, Erkki Liikanen in the European Union) to recommend as structural reforms in the banking sector to build safeguards against instability.
  • The Volcker Rule and the Dodd-Frank Act Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act have brought significant changes to the US financial system.
  • The Volcker Rule separates investment banking, private equity and proprietary trading (hedge fund) sections of financial institutions from their consumer lending arms. Banks are not allowed to simultaneously enter into an advisory and creditor role with clients, such as with private equity firms. The Volcker Rule aims to minimize conflicts of interest between banks and their clients through separating the different types of business practices financial institutions engage in.
  • The Independent Commission on Banking (Vickers Report) in UK has inter alia recommended ring fencing of UK banks, such that the ring fenced banks would be permitted to extend only retail and commercial banking services to limited clients including individuals and small and medium-sized organizations (SMEs) in UK.
  • The Liikanen Report for the EU concluded that risky financial activities need to be separated from deposit-taking banks within the banking group, with the objective of making banking groups (mainly deposit-taking and providing financial services to the non-financial sectors in the economy) safer and less connected to trading activities.

Issue No. 1:  Public vs Private Ownership of Banks

  • Abstracting from ideology, from a pragmatic perspective, both public and private banks have respective advantages and disadvantages. Private ownership brings competition, professionalism and operational efficiency. Public ownership makes it easier to pursue social objectives such as mass banking, financial inclusion etc.
  • Private banks have comparatively greater freedom in terms of recruitment, salary and compensation. On the other hand, PSBs are perceived to offer more job security, and consequently, employee turnover is lower.
  • PSBs dominate the banking sector in India and will continue to be dominant in the foreseeable future. However, these banks require substantial capital to support growth.
  • The critical question is whether the Government, given its limited fiscal space, can meet the enhanced capital needs of public sector banks under the Basel III capital regulations.
  • Reserve Bank has made an estimate of the additional capital requirements of domestic banks for full Basel III implementation till March 2018. These estimates are based on two broad assumptions: (i) increase in the risk weighted assets of 20% p.a.; (ii) internal accrual of the order of 1% of risk weighted assets.
  • The estimates suggest that the Indian banks will require an additional capital (on top of internal accruals) to the tune of Rs.4.95 trillion; of this, non-equity capital will be of the order of over Rs.3.30 trillion, while equity capital will be of the order of Rs.1.65 trillion.
  • Specific to public sector banks, the estimates suggest that public sector banks would require an additional capital to the tune of Rs.4.15 trillion; of which equity capital will be of the order of Rs.1.43 trillion, while non-equity capital will be of the order of Rs.2.72 trillion. The Government’s contribution to the equity capital of PSBs would be of the order of Rs.900 billion at the existing level of shareholding of the Government. The Government’s contribution will come down to approximately Rs.660 billion if its shareholding comes down to 51%.
  • Finally, how should the Government enforce its rights and obligations as the owner of PSBs? Through the Board or through other means of interaction?

Table - V
Additional2 Common Equity Requirements of Indian Banks under Basel III

(Amount in Rs. billion)

 

Public Sector Banks

Private
Sector Banks

Total

Additional Equity Capital Requirements under Basel III

1430

220

1650

Additional Non-equity Capital Requirements under Basel III

2720

580

3300

Of Additional Equity Capital Requirements under Basel III for Public Sector Banks

 

 

 

Total

4150

800

4950

Government Share (at the present level of  shareholding pattern)

900

-

-

Government Share (if shareholding is brought down to 51 per cent)

660

-

-

    • Over the last five years, the Government has infused Rs.477 billion in the PSBs. An additional amount of Rs.140 billion is proposed to be invested during the current year.
    • Currently, government shareholding in public sector banks ranges from 55% to 82%. There is sufficient headroom available to the Government for dilution of its stake in a number of public sector banks.
    • Given its fiscal constraints, should the Government dilute its shareholding in PSBs to 51% or should the Government go further and acquiesce in reducing its shareholding to below 51%, but build in some safeguards for retaining requisite management control?
    • Possible options other than the budgetary support available to the Government:
      • Issuance of shares with differential voting rights or non-voting shares.
      • Reduction in the Government shareholding and insertion of protective clause to protect Government’s control over public sector banks.
      • Formation of Holding Companies for PSBs.
    • Need for a debate on the ideal capital structure of public sector banks such that they can best serve the demands of inclusive growth of the economy.

Issue No. 2:  Consolidation of Banks

    • Consolidation assumed significance after the introduction of financial sector reforms starting early nineties.
    • Gained momentum after the Narasimham Committee - I (1991) put forward the broad pattern of the banking sector [3 or 4 large banks, 8 to 10 national banks, local banks and rural banks].
    • Reiterated by the S.H. Khan Committee (1997), Narasimham Committee - II (1998), Raghuram Rajan Committee (2009), Committee on Financial Sector Assessment (CFSA) (2009) and Committee on Fuller Capital Account Convertibility (2006).
    • All Committees viewed that restructuring of the banking system should be market-driven based on viability and profitability considerations and brought about through a process of Mergers & Amalgamations.
    • Since the first round of nationalization of banks in 1969, there have been a total of 41 mergers and amalgamations. Of these, 17 happened before the onset of reforms in 1991 and 24 after that.
    • The nature of M&As has been as follows:

 

Number of cases 

Public sector bank with public sector bank

  3

Private bank with public sector bank

24

Private bank with private bank

14

Total

41

Arguments in support of consolidation

    • Higher capital base after consolidation will facilitate increased lending activity and faster GDP growth.
    • Boost infrastructure financing from the perspective of enhanced exposure limits for single and group borrowers.
    • Meet the banking service demands of Indian corporates, both at home and globally.
    • Cost benefits for banks due to economies of scale and economies of scope such as centralised back office processing, elimination of branch overlap and duplication of administrative infrastructure, better manpower planning, optimum funds management, consolidation of operations, savings in IT and other purchases.
    • Consolidation will afford focused supervision.
    • Larger size means wider and richer experience in financial inclusion. Possible to bring larger collective experience to identify successful models.
    • International acceptance and recognition.
    • Better risk management.

Arguments against consolidation

    • Lead to complexity and Too-Big-To-Fail (TBTF) or Too-Connected-To-Fail (TCTF) moral hazards with adverse impact on financial stability.
    • Regulatory issues: Significant big banks could resort to monopolistic practices that may result in unequal competition and distortive and even predatory behaviour in the market. Such practices could also blunt the monetary transmission and market mechanism for efficient allocation of resources.
    • Could pose problems such as technology migration issues, customer attrition, implementation costs, HR issues (viz. seniority, salary, transfers, promotion, parity in perks etc.) and litigation, will not be able to provide personalized services provided by small banks.

Criteria for consolidation/merger

    • Presently, significant skewness in the size of banks. The second largest bank in the system is almost one-third the size of the biggest bank. This creates a monopolistic situation. The task is to ensure that there are at least 4-5 banks of comparable size at all times to ensure that consolidated banks do not acquire monopolistic market power, adopt predatory behaviour and force smaller banks into unviable models.
    • Organic merger or inorganic merger?

Issue No. 3:  Large and Small Banks

An issue related to the debate on consolidation in banking sector is the merits and demerits of large and small banks. 

In support of large banks

    • Large banks can exploit economies of scale and scope leading to economic efficiency.
    • Large banks will have the capacity, resilience and innovative zeal to pursue financial inclusion. They will bring diverse experience to bear on local initiatives.
    • Large banks can potentially become significant global players and thereby give a global reach to Indian corporates.
    • Large banks with huge capital base can better meet the huge funding requirements of the infrastructure sectors.  

Against large banks

    • Large banks can become too-big-to fail, leading to moral hazard problems.
    • Proliferation of non-core activities, either in the books of the bank or through off-balance sheet vehicles such as investment banking, securitisation, derivatives trading, etc. could pose significant systemic risk because of their complexity and opacity.
    • Large banks can use power derived from their information monopoly to suppress competing institutions and markets.
    • Large banks may dilute the benefits of competition.

In support of small banks

    • Small banks have a comparative advantage in the supply of credit to small business units, small farmers and other unorganized sector entities, thereby furthering the cause of financial inclusion.
    • Small local banks are more nimble and flexible. They can effectively cater to unbanked areas and meet localised needs. Can be more efficient in financial inclusion.
    • Small banks with limited area of operation would require less infrastructure, staff and hence the operational expenses would be low.
    • Failure of a small bank will not have any systemic impact and resolution would be easier.

Against small banks

    • Small banks are potentially vulnerable to sector concentration risk. For instance, community banks in the US suffered losses due to their excessive reliance on lending to commercial real estate.
    • Small banks are vulnerable to geographic concentration risk from the local economy and hence require higher level of CRAR.
    • Small banks are not big enough to finance big investments, including infrastructure.
    • Small banks are prone to local influence capture.
    • A large number of small banks put pressure on the supervisory resources of the central bank.

Our Experience with LABs /UCBs /RRBs

    • Out of six LABs licensed by RBI, 2 were closed down, inter alia, due to mismanagement and only 4 are functioning. The overall performance of functioning LABs is less than satisfactory as they have become high cost structures.
    • The LAB model has inherent weaknesses owing to its small size and concentration risk resulting in unviable and uncompetitive cost structures, adverse selection, constraints in attracting and retaining professional staff /management due to locational disadvantage. 
    • UCBs suffer from mismanagement, growing NPAs, state intervention, politicization and poor resource base. There have been 111 mergers and amalgamations among the UCBs with the number of UBCs placed at 1,618 as at end March 2012.
    • Experience with RRBs is similar. Over the years, the number of RRBs has come down from 196 to 62.

Issues with encouraging large banks in India

    • What is our definition of a large bank? By large bank, do we mean a bank with large asset size or a bank with global foot print? Some of the Chinese banks fit well into the first definition. They are large in terms of their assets, but they are not global in the sense that they have no global presence. Some of the American or European banks may not be large in terms of assets, but they have presence in many jurisdictions.
    • What type of largeness should Indian banks attempt? Large banks like the Chinese banks or large banks with global presence? Note that it will take several years for our banks to achieve the status of a large global bank. Our biggest bank is ranked at about 60 in the global league of large banks. It may take years for our banks to become global players by way of organic growth. However, we should aspire to have a few Indian multinational banks in the near future by selective acquisition.

Issues with small banks in India

    • Merely encouraging small banks without addressing the disadvantages of being small?
    • Small banks are prone to fail frequently, and we have to develop the political and financial resilience to accept failures of small banks.
    • There is a need for a faster and more effective framework for resolution and settlement of deposit insurance claims in the event of failure of a bank.
    • When small banks become successful, they naturally want to expand and grow. Should we allow a smooth transition from small to big? But if we do that, aren’t we defeating the very rationale for such banks viz. that they will be nimble and flexible and meet local demands?

Issue No. 4: Licensing Policy

    • The RBI issues bank licences under section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The licence enables the bank to do banking and other financial services activities listed in the Banking Regulation Act.
    • India follows a universal bank licensing regime.

Licensing policy for domestic private sector banks

    • Pursuant to the recommendations of Narasimham Committee I in 1991, guidelines on new banks were released in 1993 with a minimum capital requirement of Rs.1 billion. 10 new private sector banks were licensed
    • Pursuant to Narasimham Committee II (April 1998) on Banking Sector Reforms, a new set of guidelines were issued in 2001 with a capital requirement of Rs.3 billion. 2 new private sector banks were licensed.
    • In February 2013, fresh guidelines for licensing of new banks were issued, inter alia permitting business/industrial houses to promote banks with a capital requirement of Rs.5 billion. 

Licensing Policy for Foreign Banks

    • At present, foreign banks operate in India as branches of the parent bank. Currently, permission for opening of branches by foreign banks in India is guided by India’s commitment to WTO to allow12 new branches in a year.

Development Financial Institutions

    • Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) do not require a banking licence.
    • Post-Independence, DFIs were established mainly to meet the demand for long-term finance by the industrial sector.
    • They had the benefit of low-cost funds through Long Term Operation (LTO) funds from RBI at concessional rates, funds from multilateral and bilateral agencies duly guaranteed by the Government. They were also allowed to issue bonds, which qualified for SLR status. For deployment of funds, they faced little competition as the banking system concentrated largely on working capital finance and almost totally yielded the term finance space to DFIs.
    • Post-financial sector reforms in the 1990s, the privileged access to low-cost funds was withdrawn forcing DFIs to raise resources at market-related rates. On the other hand, they had to face competition in the term finance space from banks offering lower rates. The change in operating environment, combined with high accumulation of non-performing assets, due to a combination of factors put financial stress on DFIs. Today, DFIs are very marginal players in the financial sector.
    • Pursuant to the recommendations of the Khan Working Group on Harmonizing the Role and Operations of DFIs and banks, a Discussion Paper was prepared outlining the issues.
    • A broad policy framework was outlined in the Mid-Term Review of Monetary and Credit Policy of 1999-2000 of RBI indicating that the desired path was towards universal banking. DFIs were given the option to transform into a bank. The operational guidelines for enabling a DFI to convert to a universal bank were issued in 2001.
    • Is it necessary now to review our commitment to universal banking? Should we go in for differentiated licensing?

Differentiated Licensing

    • In October 2007, Reserve Bank prepared a Discussion Paper on Differentiated Bank Licensing which said that the case for differentiated licensing will be reviewed after a certain degree of success in financial inclusion is achieved and the Reserve Bank is satisfied with the quality and robustness of the risk management systems of the entire banking sector.
    • Time to reevaluate this issue of Differentiated Licensing?

Arguments in support of Differentiated Licensing

    • Specialized entities have expertise in risk as­sessment and structuring of infrastructure finance.
    • Core competency could be better harnessed leading to enhanced productivity in terms of reduced intermediation cost, better price discovery and improved allocative efficiency.
    • With differentiated licences, we can get around issues of conflict of interest that arise when a bank performs multiple functions.
    • Customised application of supervisory resources according to the banking type could result in optimisation of scarce resources.

Argument against Differentiated Licensing

    • Given the extent of financial exclusion in India, is it advisable to create a regime where some banks are freed of the obligation of financial inclusion?
    • A universal bank will be able to cross subsidise across sectors to optimize utilization of resources and ensure better profitability of banks.
    • Will specialized banks be prone to concentration risk because of narrower business models?

The critical issue on the way forward

    • Differentiated licensing for various banking activities (retail, wholesale, trading in securities, mortgage lending, infrastructure financing, micro lending, etc.) with differentiated regulatory requirements depending upon the risks involved?
    • If we accept Differentiated Licensing in principle, a special category of banks that will come up for consideration, is Investment Banks. Let me now discuss licensing of pure Investment Banks.

Issue No. 5:  Investment Banking

    • Post sub-prime crisis, the US investment banking sector collapsed due to high leverage and severe maturity mismatches.
    • Soon after, leading investment banks such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs converted themselves into bank holding companies.

Investment Banking in India: Current Regulatory Framework

    • The term investment bank is not legally defined in India, and no entities are registered as such with SEBI.
    • “Investment Banking” is commonly used to define entities that are into asset management, capital raising, trading in securities, portfolio management, merchant banking, underwriting, broking and those offering business and financial advisory services.
    • Pure investment entities which do not have presence in the lending or banking business are regulated primarily by the capital market regulator (SEBI).
    • Banks are subject to regulatory restrictions on their investments.

Why and How of Investment Banks

    • Pure investment banks have a comparative advantage in corporate structuring and raising capital from the market. As Indian corporate go global, do we need pure investment banks in India to serve their sophisticated financial needs and advisory services?
    • Will exclusive investment banks militate against development goals - priority sector lending, financial inclusion?
    • Is Investment Banking under the proposed Non-Operative Financial Holding Company (NOFHC) a possible option?
    • Need for more extensive debate on the pros and cons of exclusive investment banks in India.

Issue No. 6: Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC)

    • FSLRC was constituted by the Government “with a view to rewriting and cleaning up the financial sector laws to bring them in tune with the current requirements”. FSLRC submitted its Report to the Government in March 2013.
    • The Commission proposes shifting from rule based to principle based regulation. The logic is that the principles will be enshrined in the law and the law need not change to reflect changes over time and changes in technology.
    • As per FSLRC, The new financial regulatory architecture will comprise:
      • Unified Financial Authority (UFA)
      • RBI
      • Financial Sector Appellate Tribunal
      • Resolution Corporation
      • Financial Redressal Agency
      • Financial Sector Development Council
      • Public Debt Management Agency
    • Today RBI has the following regulatory and supervisory responsibilities:
        • Regulator of banks & non-banks ie all deposit taking and credit institutions
        • Regulator of Payment Systems
        • Regulator of Markets (viz., money, forex & g-sec)
        • Major responsibility for financial stability, macro-prudential regulations & supervision of financial conglomerates
        • Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee (through its subsidiary)
        • Customer Grievance Redressal relating to banks
    • FSLRC recommends that RBI should eventually (within 5-10 years) focus on monetary policy and traditional central banking activity only, and shed all other regulatory and supervisory functions.
    • In the interim, FSLRC recommends that
      • The Reserve Bank will be the regulator for banking and payment systems.
      • The Unified Financial Authority will be the regulator for all financial services other than banking and payment systems.
      • RBI will share responsibility for financial stability with FSDC and other regulators.
    • Further, RBI to be free of responsibilities relating to Public Debt Management, Customer Grievance Redressal relating to banks, and deposit insurance.

Why RBI should regulate both banks and non-banks?

    • One of the major causes of the 2008 financial crisis was that credit intermediation activities were conducted by non-banks (the so called shadow banks) which were primarily outside the regulatory purview. This raised serious concerns of regulatory arbitrage, requirements for similar regulation of entities performing similar activities and issues of commonality of risks and synergies of unified regulation for such entities.
    • Strong interlinkages between banks and NBFCs. Unified regulation by the same regulator essential for financial stability.
    • For Monetary Policy to be effective, credit creation (i.e. by banks and credit institutions like NBFCs) should be regulated by the central bank.
    • Post-crisis, the trend has been to entrust more, not less, regulation to central banks.

Issue No. 7:  Non-Operative Financial Holding Companies (NOFHC)

    • There are three types of banking models prevalent around the world.
    • Europe has adopted Universal Banking model.  In the US, the predominant model is Bank Holding Company (BHC) or Financial Holding Company (FHC). Most other jurisdictions follow the Bank-Subsidiary model.
    • India adopted Bank-Subsidiary model till the early 90s, and then moved on to the Universal Banking model.
    • RBI had constituted a Working Group, under former Deputy Governor Shyamala Gopinath, in June 2010 to study the different holding company structures internationally and to indicate a roadmap for adoption of the holding company structure in India.
    • The Working Group felt that a holding company structure would better enable oversight of financial groups from a systemic perspective.
    • The Working Group had also recommended that there should be a separate statute for regulation of financial holding companies.
    • New banks in the private sector would be set up under a Non-Operative Financial Holding Company (NOFHC).
    • The objective of NOFHC is that the holding company will ring fence the regulated financial services entities of the promoter group, including the bank, from other activities of the group i.e., commercial, industrial and financial activities not regulated by financial sector regulators. The objective is also that the bank should be ring-fenced from other regulated financial activities of the Group.
    • NOFHC will be registered as a non-banking financial company (NBFC), but regulated like a bank.
    • For the PSBs, a High Level Committee set up by the Government has recommended formation of a non-operating financial holding company (HoldCo) under a special Act of Parliament to act as an investment company for the Government; to hold a major portion of the Government's shareholdings in all PSBs; to raise long-term debt from domestic and international markets to infuse equity into PSBs.
    • Need for debate on whether a holding company structure is suited to the Indian banking and financial system.

Issue No. 8: Subsidiarisation of Foreign Banks

    • At present, foreign banks operate in India as branches of the parent banks.
    • Post crisis lessons support domestic incorporation of foreign banks i.e. subsidiarisation
    • Main advantages of local incorporation are:
      • Ring fenced capital within the host country
      • Easier to define laws of which jurisdiction apply
      • Better corporate governance, local board of directors
      • Effective control in a banking crisis and enables host country authorities to act more independently as against branch operations
      • Regulatory comfort
    • Potential down side risk could be domination of the domestic financial system by Wholly Owned Subsidiaries (WOS) of foreign banks.
    • There were certain taxation and other issues which needed to be resolved in consultation with Govt. of India. The Income Tax Act has since been amended to exempt foreign bank from payment of capital gains tax on subsidiarisation. The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2012 amended the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 whereby conversion of branch/es of a foreign bank into WOS as per the scheme or guidelines of RBI shall not be liable to duty under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 or any other law for the time being in force.
    • Apart from taxation issues, there are a few other important issues in conversion of foreign bank branches into wholly owned subsidiaries, mainly of a legal nature, like transfer of rights and liabilities, finality of transfer, etc. which need to be addressed. These issues are under examination of the Reserve Bank. After resolution of all these issues comprehensive guidelines on subsidiarisation of foreign banks in India will be issued.

Conclusion

    • I have raised some issues relevant in the context of thinking through a banking structure for India that best promotes our aspiration for fast and inclusive growth.
    • I am conscious I raised issues without necessarily giving the Reserve Bank’s views. That is deliberate. The Reserve Bank needs the benefit of larger and informed debate on these issues.
    • I trust you will engage on these issues when the Reserve Bank’s Discussion Paper comes out in a few days.
    • My best wishes for the success of this Conference.
    • Thank you once again for inviting me.

 


 

Annex

Indicators of Impact of Financial Sector Reforms

 

1990-91
(pre-reform)

2007-08
(post-reform, preceding global crisis)

Current position
(2011-12)

Gross Domestic Saving Rate (% of GDP)

22.9

36.8

30.8

Gross Domestic Investment Rate (% of GDP)

26.0

38.1

35.0

Bank Credit / GDP (%)

20.4

47.4

50.60

Broad Money / GDP (%)

46.7

82.9

83.21

Spread (return on funds-cost of funds) (%)

 

2.9

3.62

Net Interest Income to Total Assets (%)

1.95

3.0

2.9

Return on Assets (%)

 

1.13

1.08

BSE Market Capitalisation (% of GDP)

16

103

70.2

Primary Market Resource Mobilisation (Rs. billion)

43.1

636.4

3087.5

 

2 Over and above internal accruals

Topics

Acts Income Tax