Banking services in India

Banking in India is moderately consolidated, with the top 10 players accounting for approximately 60 per cent of the total industry. The Indian banking sector is majorly dominated by public sector banks.

The Indian economy has registered a rapid growth in the banking population in previous decade due to increase in demand for consumer loans, housing loans and credit cards. There will be a requirement of at least 40,000–50,000 additional bank branches and 160,000–190,000 additional ATMs in this decade.

Major services of banks in India include:

• Privatisation & Disinvestments
• Corporate & Debt Restructuring (Mergers & Acquisitions/ Takeovers)
• Insurance & Financial Institutions regulations
• Licensing and regulatory approvals
• Project / Assets Finance
• Consortium, Mortgage, Pledge & Lien Agreements
• Loan, Credit & Security Documentation
• Futures/derivatives litigation

Indian banks also provide business investments opportunity to the NRIs and person of Indian origin (PIOs). These are:

• Non-Resident (External) Rupee (NRE) Accounts: NRE account may be in the form of savings, current, recurring or fixed deposit accounts. Such accounts can be opened only by the non-resident himself and not through the holder of the power of attorney
• Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) Rupee Account: NRO accounts may be opened / maintained in the form of current, savings, recurring or fixed deposit accounts. Account should be denominated in Indian Rupees
• Foreign Currency Non Resident (Bank) Account – FCNR (B) Account: FCNR (B) accounts are only in the form of term deposits of 1 to 5 years. All debits / credits permissible in respect of NRE accounts, including credit of sale proceeds of FDI investments, are permissible in FCNR (B) accounts also. Account can be in any freely convertible currency

Government initiatives to boost Indian banking sector

The Government of India has provided an added advantage to the banking industry by proposing to set up an Asset Reconstruction Firm. The banks burdened with non-performing assets will ease considerably, with the setting up of such companies.

The Government of India has also permitted offshore banking units to be set up in special economic zones (SEZs).

Foreign direct investments (FDI) in private banking sector of India is allowed up to 74 per cent, where FDI up to 49 per cent is allowed through automatic route and FDI beyond 49 per cent but up to 74 per cent is allowed through government approval route.

Future of Indian banks

Indian banking industry is anticipated to grow exponentially and become the world’s third largest in asset size (projected at US$ 28,500 billion from the current US$ 1,350 billion) by 2025, according to a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) India.