CNBC-TV18 hosts second edition of ‘Banking Transformation Summit’

New Delhi: CNBC-TV18 in partnership with Nucleus Software hosted the second edition of the ‘Banking Transformation Summit’ on Friday, bringing together banking professionals, policymakers, and finance experts under one roof. 

This year’s theme, ‘Bharat’s Banking Roadmap For The Future’, highlighted the economic growth of India, and the crucial role of financial and banking institutions in driving this progress.

J. Swaminathan, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India, presented the keynote address, followed by his fireside chat on ‘Transforming Financial Landscapes: Building Resilience for Economic Stability.’

Swaminathan elaborated on the current dynamics of the financial system and offered insights into the regulatory approach of the RBI.

He noted that while deposits are still growing at a healthy rate of 11-12% year-on-year, they have struggled to keep up with the surging demand for credit, which has been increasingly driven by digital lending. Swaminathan linked this development to broader changes in how younger generations manage their savings, suggesting that these shifts are part of a cyclical pattern in the financial landscape.

“We had 8-9 quarters where deposits were outpacing credit, but today the demand for credit is more, aided by digital lending,” Swaminathan stated. “As the regulator, we have sensitised lenders that if this credit-deposit gap is allowed to continue for longer, there may be challenges, especially for players with a high credit-deposit ratio.”

The evening saw another fireside chat with Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairperson, State Bank of India, followed by a panel discussion on ‘Filling the Credit Gap to Fuel Economic Growth’ with A.K. Tewari, MD, State Bank of India; Prashant Kumar, MD and CEO, Yes Bank and Ashok Vaswani, MD and CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank.

In a ǪandA with Shereen Bhan, V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor, Govt. of India said, "The next set of growth for the Indian public has to be to achieve the right kind of balance in their portfolio between financial and real assets, and also have a high sense of financial literacy.”

Nageswaran highlighted that the expansion of the financial sector depends on employment generation, income growth, and increased savings.

He also stressed the importance of growing the concept of insurance alongside banking. "These are all the next steps that we need to contemplate as the Indian public overall achieves a higher level of financial inclusion than we have seen in the previous decade,” he noted.

In a fireside chat on new age digital lending, Vishnu R. Dusad, MD and Co-founder, Nucleus Software highlighted the importance of data protection. “With the new data protection act now in place, banks and NBFCs must reassess their approach to data handling. This involves not just the usage of data, but also its capture, storage, and overall management. We are entering an era where data truly is the new oil, and its value will only continue to grow. However, with this value comes the responsibility to ensure that this data is not misused or abused. It’s imperative that no individual feels their personal information is being exploited or mishandled. There must be a substantial recalibration in how financial institutions manage data, focusing on robust policies and systems that prevent data from falling into the wrong hands. The most important thing is to ensure data is handled with the utmost care and security. With the right measures in place, banks can build trust and confidence among their customers, ensuring data protection is a top priority."

"At CNBC-TV18, India's most credible and influential business news platform, we're proud to focus on issues and sectors that are key to the Growth of our economy. The CNBC- TV18 Banking Transformation Summit brought together the very best of India’s financial sector to brainstorm on the future of banking while addressing current opportunities and challenges. In partnership with our collaborators, the Summit generated a robust dialogue on what it will take to build a more resilient and dynamic banking system," said Bhan. 

Other sessions and panels featured Prashant Kumar, MD and CEO, Yes Bank; Ashok Vaswani, MD and CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Lizzie Chapman, Co- Founder, Swiffylabs; Srinivasu MN, Co-Founder, Billdesk; Shinjini Kumar, Co-Founder, Salt and Anand Kumar Bajaj, Founder, MD and CEO, PayNearby, Shyam Srinivasan, CEO, Federal Bank, Raul Rebello, MD and CEO, Mahindra Finance; Y. S. Chakravarti, MD and CEO, Shriram Finance; Jairam Sridharan, MD, Piramal Capital and Housing Finance; Aseem Dhru, MD and CEO, SBFC Finance; Kunal Shah, Founder, CRED and Parag Bhise, CEO, Nucleus Software.

The evening included a felicitation by CNBC-TV18 for Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairperson of State Bank of India, and Shyam Srinivasan, CEO of Federal Bank, in recognition of their long-standing service in the banking sector.