Banker to Banks

Every year, this forum provides an opportunity to collectively review and analyse the developments of the past year in the forex market. But the past year has been like never before and now the focus is on the impact of the financial crisis on the real economy. The financial meltdown has resulted in effective nationalisation of major financial institutions in the US, UK and Eurozone. So far global banks, mortgage lenders and insurance firms have announced write downs

1. On behalf of the Reserve Bank of India, it is my pleasure and privilege to welcome all of you international delegates to India, to this wonderful city of Hyderabad, and to this RBI-BIS Seminar on "Mitigating Spillovers and Contagion - Lessons from the Global Financial Crisis". Seminar Context 2. This seminar is the second successive BIS seminar to be organised by the RBI, and marks an important milestone in the intellectual collaboration between the Bank for Intern

Distinguished speakers, participants, other guests, ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to be amidst you and speak to you all as we conclude this International Seminar on “Principles of Financial Market Infrastructures and Innovations in Retail Payments” organized by the Reserve Bank. 2. The theme of the seminar, which was chosen after considerable deliberations, is quite apt, given the markets around us. As you know, the term FMI refers to systemically important p

As the crisis is ebbing, capital inflows into emerging market economies (EMEs) have resumed - a consequence of a global system awash with liquidity, the assurance of low interest rates ruling in advanced economies over ‘an extended period’ and the prospects of robust growth in EMEs. According to the IMF, net private financial flows to emerging and developing economies increased from US$ 254 billion in 2006 to US$ 689 billion in 2007 and then declined, at the height of

Shri P. K. Basu, Union Agriculture and Cooperation Secretary, Dr. Chandrapal Singh Yadav, President, NCUI & Chairman, KRIBHCO, Dr Bijender Singh, Chairman, NAFSCOB, Shri B. Subrahmanyam, MD, NAFSCOB, Smt Roshan R. Warjri, Vice-Chairperson, NAFSCOB, distinguished speakers and panelists, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Introduction 1.  At the outset, I congratulate the National Federation of State Co-operative Banks for organizing this review meet o

1. Since the collapse of the leading US investment banks in August-September 2008, there has been a breakdown of trust in inter-bank and inter-institutional lending. Given that this kind of extreme risk perception will be reversed only slowly, the full resolution of the crisis will inevitably take time. 2. Additionally, there is the problem of contagion – across markets, across institutions and across countries. Each day, there is news of the crisis spreading to a new

I was really struggling to select a theme for today’s address. I intended it to be relevant but not repetitive, comprehensive but not broad brush, having a policymaker’s perspective but not too uni-dimensional. Finally the theme I zeroed down on emerged out of this very exercise of the balancing act - the dilemmas and conflicts thrown up for the policymakers by the paradoxical character of recent turn of events in the global financial markets. It is rather surprising

It is always a delight to be here in this wonderful city of Hyderabad. The location of IDRBT in Hyderabad is not an accident; it is a reflection of the growing reputation of Hyderabad as a premiere location for IT industry. Hailing as I do from this state, I know that we came from behind; twenty five years ago, there were several other cities ahead of Hyderabad on the technology scene; today, we are among the front runners. This remarkable reinvention of Hyderabad as

Introduction 1. Less than a year ago, much of what has happened in the Indian economy since last October would have been hard to anticipate. I recall, around this time last year, the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) were, what are the factors that put India on a high growth trajectory and what can we do to remain there? Today, the FAQ is, when and how do we get back on to the high growth trajectory? The sharp turn around in the FAQs summarizes in a nutshell the

Introduction 1. It is a great delight for me to be here at the conclusion of this seminar on Payment and Settlement Systems aimed at improving our understanding of the way forward on this vital segment of central bank infrastructure. Here, at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), we have traversed a steep learning curve over the last several years, and come a long way in implementing an efficient and effective payment system. I am deeply conscious of the fact that we still