Retail banking has immense opportunities in a growing economy like India. As the growth story gets unfolded in India, retail banking is going to emerge a major driver.
The rise of Indian middle class is an important contributory factor in this regard. The percentage of middle to high-income Indian households is expected to continue rising. The younger population not only wields increasing purchasing power, but as far as acquiring personal debt is concerned, they are perhaps more comfortable than previous generations. Improving consumer purchasing power, coupled with more liberal attitudes towards personal debt, is contributing to India’s retail banking segment.
The combination of above factors promises substantial growth in retail sector, which at present is in the nascent stage. Due to bundling of services and delivery channels, the areas of potential conflicts of interest tend to increase in universal banks and financial conglomerates. Some of the key policy issues relevant to the retail-banking sector are: financial inclusion, responsible lending, and access to finance, long-term savings, financial capability, consumer protection, regulation and financial crime prevention.
2 Comments