AI to reshape banking, governance must evolve to curb cyber risk: BCG's Hardik Shah
New Delhi, August 11
Artificial intelligence is set to reshape India's banking sector over the next decade, but banks, regulators and the government will need to strengthen governance, cybersecurity capabilities and shared infrastructure to ensure responsible and secure adoption of the technology, said Hardik Shah, Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group.
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of FIBAC 2026, Shah said the rapid adoption of AI would require the banking industry to fundamentally rethink processes rather than merely automate individual tasks, while maintaining strong controls and human accountability.
"Cyber risk is a massive potential hurdle" with the use of AI, Shah said, adding that the cost of creating cyberattacks has fallen 17-fold and the speed of attacks has increased significantly.
"This is one area where banks, the regulator, the government together has to come together and completely overhaul the cyber security posture of the industry," he said.
Shah said cybersecurity cannot be treated as an issue that individual banks can address in isolation, calling for higher investments, stronger capabilities and shared utilities at the industry level.
"I think this is not an area where one bank can individually safeguard themselves. It'll have to be a common utility, it'll have to be together as an industry level infrastructure and investment," he said.
On AI governance and explainability, Shah said banks would need to build on the controls traditionally used for predictive models in underwriting and extend them to generative AI systems.
Banks should embrace regulatory frameworks around responsible AI and establish adequate controls and governance mechanisms, while also upskilling risk, analytics and other professionals to manage AI-related risks, he said.
Shah also advocated creating an AI sandbox similar to the infrastructure developed around India's digital public infrastructure, including the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) and Account Aggregator framework.
He said a third-party and fourth-party vendor registry, along with protocols and accreditation processes, could allow banks to experiment with AI in controlled environments while accelerating innovation.
AI could also help democratise access to credit for small businesses and agriculture by lowering the high operating costs associated with servicing smaller loans, Shah said.
While nearly 80 per cent of India's adult population now has access to credit, entry-level products can carry interest rates of 20-25 per cent, partly because operating costs are two to three times the credit cost.
Shah said banks must reshape entire processes around AI to unlock productivity gains, rather than simply automating individual steps.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The idea of an AI sandbox similar to our digital public infrastructure is brilliant. We already have ULI and Account Aggregator working well. If we can build a similar ecosystem for responsible AI testing, it could put India ahead of many developed nations in fintech innovation.
Good analysis, but I'm concerned about job losses in the banking sector. If AI is going to reshape everything, what happens to the thousands of bank employees, especially in rural branches? Need more clarity on reskilling and transition plans. 🤔
As someone working in fintech, I can vouch for this! The 20-25% interest rates on entry-level loans are a huge barrier. AI could really help bring down operating costs and make credit accessible to small farmers and businesses. This is how we can truly democratise banking in Bharat.
The governance part is crucial. We've seen what happens when technology outpaces regulation - just look at the initial days of digital lending apps. Glad to see BCG is advocating for a balanced approach with human accountability. Better late than never for a comprehensive cyber security overhaul.
Shared industry-level utilities for cybersecurity? Count me in! Just like how UPI works collectively, we need a similar approach for fraud detection and threat intelligence. One bank alone can't fight global cyber criminals, but together we can build a strong shield. 🔒
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.