Finance Ministry to hold PSB chiefs' conclave on Aug 17-18; deposit mobilisation, investment financing on agenda
New Delhi, August 10
The Finance Ministry will bring together the leadership of public sector banks and financial institutions for a two-day conclave on August 17-18 to discuss deposit mobilisation, financing the investment cycle and other key banking issues.
According to an official release by the Ministry, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) will host the PSB Confluence in New Delhi, with Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary set to attend the event.
The conclave is aimed at bringing participating institutions together to "brainstorm on identified themes, share proven practices, and discuss practical initiatives that can be adopted across the banking ecosystem," the Finance Ministry said.
Discussions will be organised across seven thematic tracks, including deposit mobilisation, banking for youth, supporting the investment cycle, support for Global Capability Centres, agriculture and horticulture value-chain infrastructure, re-imagining the credit card business, and priority sector lending.
According to the Ministry, the discussions are expected to examine ways of "strengthening the resource base available for affordable credit" and facilitating the investment cycle for timely execution of infrastructure projects.
The deliberations will also focus on extending formal credit to underserved segments through priority sector lending, strengthening rural value-chain infrastructure to address post-harvest requirements and market linkages, and designing banking products catering to young customers.
The Ministry said the themes have been identified for their potential to translate "institutional and policy interventions into measurable, people-centric outcomes."
Around 125 participants are expected to attend the conclave, including chairmen, managing directors and executive directors of public sector banks.
Senior representatives of public financial institutions, including NABARD, EXIM Bank, SIDBI, NHB, IIFCL, IFCI and NaBFID, along with officials from the Indian Banks' Association and the Department of Financial Services, will also participate.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I hope they seriously discuss priority sector lending for women entrepreneurs and small businesses. The ground reality is that despite all the schemes, access to affordable credit for smaller players remains tough. Let's see if this time something concrete comes out.
Interesting that they're focusing on GCCs (Global Capability Centres). India is becoming a hub for these, and our banks definitely need to up their game in serving these high-value clients. At least someone in the government is thinking about this.
Honestly, rather than just talking about these things, they should look at the ground realities. Bank employees are overburdened with compliance work and the branch experience remains poor. Focus on improving customer service first, then talk about deposits. Just saying.
Good to see agriculture value chain infrastructure being discussed. Our farmers really struggle with post-harvest losses due to lack of storage and cold chain facilities. If banks can play a role in financing better infrastructure in rural areas that would be a huge help.
Interesting that the Indian banking system is focusing on deposit mobilisation and infrastructure financing. This is a world-class agenda. Looking forward to seeing if the Indian banks can execute on the investment cycle financing. All the best to the participants!
A Ananya R As a young customer We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.