Banking Reforms in India: Problems and Prospects

Abstract

For the past three decades India's banking system has several outstanding achievements to its credit. It is no longer confined to only metropolitans or cosmopolitans in India. In fact, Indian banking system has reached even to the remote corners of the country.

Since the process of liberalization and reform of the financial sector were introduced in 1991, banking sector has undergone major transformation. The underlying objectives of the reform were to make the banking system more competitive, productive and profitable. Indian banks especially the public sector banks and the old private sector banks are lagging far behind their competitors in terms of both productivity and profitability with the exception of the State Bank of India and its associates. The other public sector banks and old private sector banks need to go for the major transformation program for increase their productivity and profitability.

After studying banking reform process it can be suggested that the public sector banks must create strategic alliance with the rural regional banks to open up rural branches and increased use of technology for improved products and services for the same.

Keywords: Reforms, NPA

JEL Classification: E5