Speeches & Media Interactions

Deputy Governor Shri Rao, Chairpersons, members of the Board and CEOs of ARCs, my colleagues from RBI and ladies and gentlemen. A very good morning to all of you. 1. I am pleased to address you today at the inaugural conference of the Directors on the Boards of the ARCs organised by the Reserve Bank of India. The theme ‘Governance in ARCs – Towards Effective Resolutions’ holds significant importance to the Reserve Bank. As you may be aware, the RBI has been engaging with its supervised entities regularly over matters of governance and assurance conveying the importance of strong corporate governance as well as the need to remain vigilant to ensure the continued stability of the financial sector. 2. ARCs enjoy a special place in the financial eco system by being the special purpose vehicles set up to help lighten the banking system from the high value NPAs and release the management bandwidth to the lenders for continuing with their normal banking activities. ARCs are also the specialised agencies for maximising recovery and reconstruction efforts. Today’s conference for the Chairpersons, Directors and Chief Executive Officers of ARCs is also a recognition of the important role of ARCs in the banking ecosystem. 3. A perusal of the score card of ARCs during the last two decades1 throws up a mixed bag. There seem to be more missed opportunities and less than optimal performance by ARCs in fulfilling the principal mandates under the SARFAESI Act2. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to highlight certain key aspects, where I believe ARCs can deliver superior outcomes that could be beneficial t

Deputy Governor Shri Rao, Heads of Assurance functions from Non-Banking Financial Companies, and my colleagues from the Reserve Bank of India.  A very good morning to all of you. The Reserve Bank of India has been engaging with its supervised entities regularly over matters of governance and assurance functions, conveying the importance of strong organisational governance and remaining vigilant to ensure the continued stability of the financial sector.  Assurance functions namely, the risk management, compliance and internal audit, play a very crucial role, as guardians ensuring the regulated entity operates soundly, safely, ethically and within regulatory and legal boundaries.  Today’s conference for the heads of assurance functions is an extension of our efforts, recognising the critical role these functions play in ensuring the robustness and resilience of the financial entity itself as well as the overall financial system. The role played by NBFCs in Indian financial sector has been rapidly growing and their share in the credit portfolio has significantly gone up, more so in the last three years.  Just a decade ago, in 2013, the total credit extended by NBFCs represented approximately one-sixth of the magnitude of bank credit. However, this proportion has increased to one-fourth[1], indicating a notable acceleration in credit delivery by NBFCs compared to banks.  Indeed, NBFCs have emerged as a preferred option for numerous underserved sectors, particularly small businesses and households, due to their ability to provide more feet on street and customer friendly credit solutions. Moreover, NBFCs have embraced technology in a big way to further expedite and streamline their reach and 

It is my pleasure to be here at the FIMMDA-PDAI annual conference. This year (2024-25) is particularly special for the Reserve Bank. The RBI has entered its 90th year on April 1, 2024. I, therefore, thought it appropriate to dwell upon the journey of the Reserve Bank, especially in the context of its role in developing the financial markets in India in the recent period. I also propose to share some of my thoughts on the way forward.

I am honoured to be invited to Nomura’s 40th Central Bankers Seminar. The discussions here assume topical relevance in the context of the tectonic shifts underway in the global economy that present new challenges for the conduct of central banking. Besides divergent growth pathways and the varying speeds and magnitudes of disinflation, regime shifts impart their own layers of uncertainty.

We are holding this conference of the Reserve Bank of India Ombudsmen on a very important day, namely, the World Consumer Day. This event underscores our unwavering dedication to the well-being of the consumer in the financial sector. As custodians of the financial system – whether as a regulator or regulated entities such as banks, NBFCs or other financial institutions – our success hinges not only on promoting the resilience of the system, but also significantly on the value we bring to the lives of our citizens, who form the core of the financial ecosystem. Protection of consumer interest is one of the core guiding principles of the Reserve Bank’s policies and actions. I take it that similar is the case with the regulated entities of the Reserve Bank also.

‘He is most free from danger, who even when safe, is on his guard.’ - Publilius Syrus (1st Century B.C.)

It is an accepted norm of organising human societies that with the right to liberty comes good governance, the latter being designed around laws (formal governance) or norms (informal governance) restricting excessive exertions of the right to liberty: where individual actions are deemed to create adverse spillovers (‘negative externalities’) on the rest of the society, laws or norms – backed by an enforcement machinery – draw a line as to what is acceptable human behaviour. Governance could be for the society as a whole or an individual firm or entity or a group of entities (e.g., the public sector). An important term we all come across in our functioning, especially in the public sector, is Vigilance, which is the essence of what all of you are attempting to achieve at the Central Vigilance Commission, established in 1964 by the Government of India, to address corruption in the government sector.

1. The ‘Class of 2018’ and their parents, guests and students, Lord Meghnad Desai, Chairman of the Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics, and the academic fraternity of the Academy, I am deeply honoured to be invited to the convocation ceremony. It reminds me fondly of my graduation ceremony three decades back.

2. Although his enormous standing and body of work is well known, let me say a few words about Lord Meghnad Desai, the Academy’s Chairman, Professor Emeritus at the London School of Economics, a renowned academic and a prominent global public figure. His contributions to the field of economics and education, and particularly his commitment to teaching at the London School of Economics, are the stuff of legend. He has also been an enlightened institution builder, a shining example of which is the Centre for the Study of Global Governance that he established in 1992. Lord Desai has written extensively, covering international political economy, Marxian economics, monetary economics, economic history and globalisation (as an aside, Lord Desai’s book ‘Testing Monetarism’ was required reading for macro courses in the United Kingdom in the 1980s). He has also worked extensively on issues relating to the Indian polity and has also been a sagacious influence in the political life of the UK. In recognition of thes

I am indeed indebted to the organizers, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore for providing me this opportunity to share my thoughts on an issue, which has the potential to alter the global financial landscape in the years to come. 2. Global financial crisis and its aftermath have renewed the debates pertaining to functioning of international monetary system (IMS) and the need for multi-currency system. Is there a viable alternative fo

Mr. Hiroyuki Obata, Deputy Governor, DICJ, Japan, Mr. Carlos Isoard, Secretary General, IADI, Switzerland, Mr. Jerzy Pruski, President, BGF, Poland, Mr. Fred S. Carns, Director, FDIC, USA, Mr. G. Gopalakrishna, Executive Director, RBI, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. At the outset, on behalf of RBI, I extend a hearty welcome to all of you to India and especially to this fascinating state of Rajasthan. We thank IADI for agreeing to hold this conference j

1. Mr. Abdul Qadeer Fitrat, Governor, Central Bank of Afghanistan, Mr. Arun Maira, Member, Planning Commission, Mr. R. Gopalan, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Mrs. Kiran Dhingra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Kamran Shehzad, Deputy Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, Mr. S. Sridhar, Chairman and Managing Director, National Housing Bank, Mr. Paolo Martelli, Director, South Asia, International Finance Corporation, Mr. R.V.