Indian banks are strong enough to support growth

Close to a decade ago, India's regulators, along with banks, teamed up to launch a surgical strike on asset quality issues plaguing the banking sector post the global financial crisis.

- SOUMYA KANTI GHOSH

The message was clear: The sanctity of the financial fabric was sacrosanct for the regulators, entrusted with a dual mandate of anchoring growth while safeguarding the interests of the common man and ensuring financial stability. Similarly, the recent bulldozing of unruly payment aggregators echoes this commitment.

It is thus rather sad to see the salvos fired from select quarters now dubbing India's financial sector as poorly regulated and questioning the integrity of the country's top financial institutions. Irrational exuberance in coloured counter-narratives, may we say so! First, through the last decade, and particularly in the post-pandemic period, the Indian banking system has exhibited unprecedented resilience with maturity and surpassed many challenges arising from both the domestic and global economic environment. The improvement in asset quality has been primarily led by strong macroeconomic fundamentals, effective regulatory and supervisory oversight, the creation of strong banks through mergers and capital infusion, improving governance practices while expanding the reach and quality of financial services, and enhancing the adoption of digital-heavy banking while ensuring customer interests are protected. Most importantly, this has been achieved by ensuring that the financial fabric remains well-cushioned with capital and liquidity buffers to tide over any exogenous or intrinsic shocks.