Govt unveils plan to merge 10 PSBs to revive growth from 5-year low

03 Sep 2019 Evaluate

In order to boost economic growth from a five-year low, the government has unveiled a mega plan to merge 10 public sector banks (PSBs) into four as part of plans to create fewer and stronger global-sized lenders. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced four new set of mergers -- Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will combine to form the nation's second-largest lender; Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank will merge; Union Bank of India will amalgamate with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank; and Indian Bank will merge with Allahabad Bank.

The exercise will bring down the number of nationalised public sector banks to 12 from 27 in 2017. This will make bank balance sheet stronger with greater capacity to lend. Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank merger will merge into Punjab National Bank to create a bank with Rs 17.95 trillion business and 11,437 branches.  The merger of Syndicate Bank with Canara Bank will create the fourth largest public sector bank with Rs 15.20 trillion business and a branch network of 10,324. Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank's merger with Union Bank of India will create India's fifth largest public sector bank with Rs 14.59 trillion business and 9,609 branches.

Besides, the finance minister also unveiled governance reforms in public sector banks, saying their boards will be given autonomy and enabled to do succession planning. Also, she said bank boards will be given flexibility to fix sitting fee of independent directors, adding that non-official directors will perform role analogous to independent directors. Post consolidation, boards will be given flexibility to introduce chief general manager level as per business needs. They will also recruit chief risk officer at market-linked compensation to attract best talent.

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