India’s financial services need to grow 20-fold to achieve $30 trillion GDP by 2047: BCG-FICCI-IBA report

06 Sep 2024 Evaluate

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in association with FICCI and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) in latest report titled ‘Banking for a Viksit Bharat’ has said that a 20-fold increase in the financial services sector is needed for India’s goal to achieve a $30 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2047. The report estimates that banks will need a capital base of $4 trillion, with one-third of this needing to be fresh capital deployment. Despite the robust current state of India’s banking system - characterized by high profitability, strong capital adequacy, and low non-performing assets (NPAs) - the sector faces challenges and opportunities to sustain its growth and support national economic ambitions.

There is a shift from physical to financial assets and informal to formal borrowing channels. Despite this, financial assets and borrowings remain under-penetrated, presenting significant growth opportunities. Banks need to innovate deposit products and enhance customer awareness. The growth in retail lending, particularly unsecured lending, has driven financial inclusion but presents challenges. With a large population outside the formal workforce, banks must reimagine operating models and underwriting capabilities to better serve this segment.

Rising costs and slow income growth necessitate a bold reimagining of the operating model. Banks need to address the ‘sticky’ legacy cost structure and increase IT investments to enhance productivity. Despite high rankings in digital maturity, Indian banks need continued investment to bridge gaps in digital opportunities, especially in product fulfilment and money insights. The sector must embrace next-generation technologies and tackle increasing cyber risks. A shift in operating models is necessary to address climate risk and leverage a $2.5 trillion financing opportunity.


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