Indian banking system is stable,
resilient: RBI governor Shaktikanta Das
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das
said on Friday that the country s banking system continued to be resilient and
stable, and the central bank had been engaging with domestic lenders on all
fronts for the last few years to prepare them for any future risks. His remarks
came against the backdrop of the collapse of three banks in the US.
Das said recent developments in the US banking system
had brought to the fore the criticality of banking sector regulations and
supervision. These are areas which have a significant impact on preserving the
financial stability of every country, he said while delivering the K P Hormis
Comm emorative Lecture in Kochi. I am happy to report that the way the Indian
banking system has evolved and the way it is positioned today, it continues to
be resilient and stable.
He said the US banking crisis drives home the
importance of prudent asset-liability management, robust risk management and
sustainable growth in liabilities and assets, undertaking periodic stress tests
and building up periodic buffers for any unanticipated future stress . This
also underlined that cryptocurrencies or assets could be a real danger to
banks, whether directly or indirectly, he added.
Das emphasised that the RBI had been taking necessary
steps in these areas. When we see excessive growth in deposits without
corresponding increase in credit, then there is a cause for worry. What do you
do with the excess deposits that banks are mobilising? That is a call which
banks have to take Here the question of risk management comes in. Every
investment, credit when it is given out, should be backed by appropriate risk
assessment, Das said.
He went on to say that risks and likely stress arising
out of the interest risk needed to be properly assessed and appropriate stress
tests done. In our engagement with banks over the last few years, we have been
driving home this point to do internal stress tests, have robust internal risk
management, and be very careful with asset-liability management, Das said.
The RBI s supervisory systems have been strengthened
significantly in recent years through measures which include a unified and
harmonised supervisory approach for commercial banks, NBFCs and UCBs. The
frequency and intensity of on-site supervisory engagement is now based on the
size as well as riskiness of institutions. Off-site supervision has also become
more intense and frequent, Das said. The focus is now more on identifying the
root cause of vulnerabilities rather than dealing with the symptoms alone.
At a time when India has assumed the presidency of
G20, Das said globalisation must produce better outcomes for all, and not just
a few. Actually, the backlash against globalisation had started even before
the pandemic struck, as globalisation created both winners and losers. The
international order could not provide cooperative solutions to make the process
win-win for all. This indeed is the biggest challenge for G20 as a multilateral
group. Globalisation must produce better and more equitable outcomes for all,
including the global south, he said.
Das warned that extreme weather events world over due
to climate change could lead to sudden increase in prices, leading to
inflationary pressures. Therefore, it is essential that we take concerted
climate action to safeguard the future of our planet and its inhabitants, he
added.
www.business-standard.com
dt. 18.03.2023