HDFC Bank revamps top management after mega merger

The fast-growing consuming class in India is witnessing the birth of a digital lending powerhouse in the form of a homegrown Ant Group, being set up by the countrys wealthiest tycoon. These disruptions are the result of the bigger consuming class that finance has helped create, but their sustainability is yet to be tested. Among the potential issues creating instability in the banking sector is the skewered nature of individual savings skewed towards the top earners, heaping pressure on cash-strapped lenders. Higher interest rates mean paying more to lenders for mortgages and other consumer credit.

Finance companies are expected to moderate loan disbursals following the banking regulator's recent restrictions on high-margin but potentially risky business lines such as gold loans and securities financing. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently ordered curbs on IIFL Finance's gold loans and JM Financial Products' financing of bonds and stocks. This regulatory action is likely to make banks more conservative in lending to non-bank financiers, leading to concerns about liquidity for onward lending. The RBI's moves are aimed at curbing unethical practices and systemic risks in the financial sector, although they may temporarily impact credit expansion.

HDFC Bank, India's largest private sector lender, is seeking approval for a banking license in Singapore. The bank aims to tap into the Indian diaspora in Singapore for savings and term deposits, as well as cross-sell products like mortgages. HDFC Bank already has a presence in London, Hong Kong, and Bahrain. With a customer base of 93 million, the bank is expanding its reach overseas after a merger with Housing Development Finance Corp. last year.

In one corner of the Street, a select few are debating about “What will happen to HDFC Bank?” Being a widely held bank in the institutional category of investors, this was bound to happen. Let them debate as many other private & public sector banks are moving on their path. One should keep an eye on them besides the much-talked-about HDFC Bank. For private sector banks, the majority of them have seen recovery as some kind of rational trade is still taking place even in the private banking space. For PSU banks, after a short few days of volatility movement, they have been able to recover faster, indicating continued interest. Probably at another time, private banks may be getting classified as “Private Banks - Ex HDFC bank”. Yes, there will be higher volatility in the short term, but if induced by volatility if one is taking any sell decision in the private banking space, one should remember that the lenders in question have created wealth in the long term.

India's biggest private sector bank will focus on increasing its retail loanbook and capturing more deposits in FY25

India Business News: RBI governor Shaktikanta Das has said that events around the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) failure in the US highlight the need for banks to be prudent in

India Business News: MUMBAI: HDFC has become the first bank to achieve a milestone of two crore credit cards in force, the company said in a statement.