RBI gets green signal to issue bank licenses from Election Commission

02 Apr 2014 Evaluate

Paving the way for the entry of new players into the commercial banking arena, the Election Commission (EC) allowed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue new banking licenses notwithstanding the polls. Thus, with this the decks to crucial meeting, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, stands cleared, whereby RBI would finalize upon the list of companies eligible to get a bank licence and announcement of winners could be expected over next few days.

Earlier this month, the RBI had written to the poll panel for its guidance on the subject since it did not want to stoke a controversy at a time when the election code of conduct was in force. The poll commission in its reply, wrote that Reserve Bank of India may take necessary action as deemed appropriate by it. This development came in-line with the comments made by RBI's governor that the granting of new bank licences was not linked to politics and that the process was 'purely economic and regulatory'.

Notably, this approval comes after the RBI missed the March-end deadline for issuing the first bank licence in almost a decade. Permission to set up new banks in the sector dominated by PSU banks is considered one of the most prominent reforms, body and the soul of the Rs 80 trillion banking industry.

Additionally, the RBI in its first bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement for FY15 also underscored that after this round of licensing it would graduate to a system of on-tap licences that will also include differentiated bank licences. Presently, all banks in India have to follow the same universal model of being a banker to every income or interest group which makes setting up a bank a costly affair.

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