In course of banks lending involves a number of risks. In addition to the risks related to creditworthiness of the counterparty, the banks are also exposed to interest rate, Forex and country risks. Unlike market risks, where the measurement, monitoring, control etc. are to a great extent centralized. Credit risks management is a decentralized function or activity. This is to say that credit risk taking activity is spread across the length and breadth of the network of branches, as lending is a decentralized function. Proper a sufficient care has to be taken for appropriate management of credit risk. Credit risk or default risk involves inability or unwillingness of a customer or counterparty to meet commitments in relation to lending, trading, hedging, settlement and other financial transactions. The objective of credit risk management is to minimize the risk and maximize banks risk adjusted rate of return by assuming and maintaining credit Continue reading
Indian Banking System
Interest Rate Risk in Banking
The management of interest rate risk should be one of the critical components of market risk management in banks. The regulatory restrictions in the past had greatly reduced many of the risks in the banking system. Deregulation of interest rates has, however, exposed them to the adverse impacts of interest rate risk. Interest rate risk in banking is the potential negative impact on the Net interest income and it refers to the vulnerability of an institutions financial condition to the movement in interest rates. Changes in interest rate affect earnings, value of assets, liability, off-balance sheet items and cash flow. Hence, the objective of interest rate risk management is to maintain earnings, improve the capability, ability to absorb potential loss and to ensure the adequacy of the compensation received for the risk taken and effect risk return trade-off. Management of interest rate risk aims at capturing the risks arising from Continue reading
Recent Trends in Indian Banking Sector
Today, we are having a fairly well developed banking system with different classes of banks — public sector banks, foreign banks, private sector banks — both old and new generation, regional rural banks and co-operative banks with the Reserve Bank of India as the fountain Head of the system. In the banking field, there has been an unprecedented growth and diversification of banking industry has been so stupendous that it has no parallel in the annals of banking anywhere in the world. During the last 41 years since 1969, tremendous changes have taken place in the banking industry. The banks have shed their traditional functions and have been innovating, improving and coming out with new types of the services to cater to the emerging needs of their customers. Massive branch expansion in the rural and underdeveloped areas, mobilisation of savings and diversification of credit facilities to the either to neglected Continue reading
Co-operative Banks in India
The Co-operative bank has a history of almost 100 years. The Co-operative banks are an important constituent of the Indian Financial System, judging by the role assigned to them, the expectations they are supposed to fulfill, their number, and the number of offices they operate. The co-operative movement originated in the West, but the importance that such banks have assumed in India is rarely paralleled anywhere else in the world. Their role in rural financing continues to be important even today, and their business in the urban areas also has increased phenomenally in recent years mainly due to the sharp increase in the number of co-operative banks. While the co-operative banks in rural areas mainly finance agricultural based activities including farming, cattle, milk, hatchery, personal finance etc. along with some small scale industries and self-employment driven activities, the co-operative banks in urban areas mainly finance various categories of people for Continue reading
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in Indian Banking Sector
In recent years, a rapid revolution is transforming the banking industry around the world. In early 1990s, banks and other financial intermediaries have been affected by greater risk and sharp competition due the wave of deregulation in India. Due to cross-border flows and entry of new players and products, banks are forced to adjust the product-mix and modify their processes and operations to remain competitive. Also, better tracking and fulfillment of commitments, multiple delivery channels for customers and faster resolution of incoordination is possible due to extensive use of technology. Today banks are market driven and market responsive and every bank’s CEO is more concerned about how to increase or at least maintain the market share in every line of business against the backdrop of sharp competition. Additionally, the entries of multiple channels and new players have made customers (both corporate and retail) more perceptive and less loyal to banks. Continue reading
Non Performing Assets (NPA)
What is Non Performing Asset (NPA)? For a bank, an Non Performing Asset (NPA) or bad debt is usually a loan that is not producing income. Earlier it was largely applicable to businesses. But things have changed with banks widely extending consumer loans (home, car, personal and education, among others) and strict asset classification norms. If a borrower misses paying his equated monthly installment (EMI) for 90 days, the loan is considered bad, or an NPA. High NPAs are a sign of bad financial health. This has wide-ranging ramifications for a bank, especially in the stock market and money market. So, as soon as a debt goes bad, the banks want it either made better or taken out of their books. The Genesis (origin) of an NPA There are many reasons as to why a loan goes bad. For a business, it could be because it fails to take off. Continue reading