The Department of Financial Services prepares for a pivotal two-day event to discuss major reforms in India's public sector banks, focusing on consolidation, digital transformation, and boosting credit growth to support the nation's economic ambitions.
The Department of Financial Services (DFS) has scheduled a two-day 'Manthan' event set for September 12-13, 2025. This gathering will involve top leadership from public sector banks (PSBs) coming together to discuss some of the major reforms needed in the banking sector today. Chaired by DFS Secretary M Nagaraju, the meeting’s main goal is to tackle key issues such as the transmission of interest rates, credit expansion, and deposit mobilization. They’ll also be exploring opportunities for further consolidation among PSBs, aiming to create banks that can compete on a truly global level.
India’s banking industry is viewed as a core component in the government’s bigger plan to transform the country into a $30 trillion economy by 2047. To make this a reality, sources say that bank credit extended to private non-financial entities will need to grow dramatically—from roughly 56% of GDP now to around 130%. But recently, credit growth has slowed down. As of June 30, 2025, outstanding credit was Rs 183.4 lakh crore, which is about a 9.9% increase from the previous year — and that’s a pretty sharp slowdown from the 18.8% growth seen in the same period last year. The main reason for this dip appears to be less growth in non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), along with notable declines in services and personal loans, according to ratings agency CareEdge.
Against this background of cautious credit expansion, the DFS plans to look into important reforms aimed at boosting productivity and pushing ahead with digital transformation in PSBs. Upgrading data capabilities and improving governance are seen as essential steps to strengthen the resilience and readiness of these banks to face future challenges. This effort builds upon the previous ‘Manthan’ held in April 2022, which focused on advancing the EASE reforms — initiatives designed to improve banking services significantly. The upcoming session is expected to pick up where that left off, aiming to unlock next-generation reforms to help modernise PSBs further.
One significant area that will be revisited is the government’s strategic consolidation framework from 2019. Back then, the number of PSBs was cut from 27 to 12 through a series of mergers, aiming to create larger, more efficient banking institutions. That move combined ten banks into four major groups, while keeping six banks independent. But despite these efforts, only the State Bank of India (SBI) and HDFC manage to rank among the top 100 banks worldwide in terms of total assets. That just shows how tough it is to scale Indian PSBs to meet global standards. At this event, discussions are expected to include new ideas and possible pathways—like further consolidation—to improve the global competitiveness of PSBs.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) rules are also likely to come up in the talks. Currently, PSBs face a cap of 20% FDI, compared to 74% in private banks. Typically, individual foreign investors are limited to owning 15%, unless the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) grants an exception. Adjusting these rules might be crucial if India hopes to attract the kind of capital needed to fund technological upgrades and compete more effectively on the world stage.
The larger economic landscape demands vigilant regulation as well. The RBI’s 2019 Financial Stability Report emphasized that it’s vital to tighten prudential regulation and address vulnerabilities among NBFCs—particularly around funding issues—to keep credit flowing smoothly and maintain overall financial stability. Industry bodies like FICCI have voiced support for deeper consolidation, pointing out the potential benefits—like increased lending capacity, better adoption of new technology, and expanded branch networks—that could help accelerate economic growth.
International agencies, including the IMF, have also stressed that these structural reforms should go hand-in-hand with operational and governance improvements. They argue that reforms need to improve efficiency, improve risk management, and better allocate credit. This shows just how complex the challenges are faced by PSBs, and why a holistic reform approach seems necessary.
All said and done, this upcoming DFS ‘Manthan’ could serve as a major turning point for India’s public banking system. It offers a real chance to align the sector more closely with the country’s broader economic ambitions—by driving credit growth, embracing digital change, and pushing ahead with further consolidation. The outcomes from this event will be closely followed by regulators, investors, and policymakers alike, as India aims to build a banking industry capable of supporting its long-term growth on a truly global level.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Verification / Sources
- https://www.goodreturns.in/news/major-bank-reforms-coming-govts-2-day-psb-manthan-meet-begins-today-what-to-expect-1456061.html - Please view link - unable to able to access data
- https://www.deccanchronicle.com/business/finance-ministry-to-hold-two-day-psb-manthan-and-unlock-next-gen-reforms-1901763 - The Union finance ministry is set to hold a two-day PSB Manthan event on September 12-13, 2025, to engage with the leadership of public sector banks (PSBs) and discuss next-generation reforms. The agenda includes enhancing productivity, digital capabilities, and governance within PSBs. The previous Manthan was held in April 2022, focusing on advancing the Enhanced Access & Service Excellence (EASE) reforms. This upcoming session aims to continue the EASE journey and unlock further reforms in the banking sector.
- https://www.financialexpress.com/business/banking-finance/govt-to-host-two-day-psb-manthan-for-banking-reforms-3974014/ - The Department of Financial Services (DFS) is organising a two-day 'Manthan' event with public sector banks (PSBs) on September 12-13, 2025. The discussions will focus on interest rate transmission, credit growth, deposit mobilisation, and potential consolidation to create global-scale banks. Chaired by DFS Secretary M Nagaraju, the meeting aims to transform PSBs into more robust institutions, building on the success of previous mergers and exploring synergies for further consolidation.
- https://www.business-standard.com/amp/industry/banking/finmin-to-hold-two-day-psb-manthan-with-top-leadership-of-psu-banks-125090501112_1.html - The Finance Ministry is planning a two-day PSB Manthan event starting September 12, 2025, to engage with the top leadership of public sector banks (PSBs) and discuss next-generation reforms. The previous Manthan, held in April 2022, focused on advancing the Enhanced Access & Service Excellence (EASE) reforms. This upcoming session aims to continue the EASE journey and unlock further reforms in the banking sector.
- https://www.pwc.in/industries/financial-services/fintech/point-of-view/financial-regulatory-technology-insights-newsletters-vinyamak/july-2019.html - In its June 2019 Financial Stability Report, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced several regulatory and developmental policy measures aimed at strengthening the banking sector. These measures include enhancing regulations and supervision, broadening financial markets, managing liquidity and market risk, and addressing issues related to stressed assets. The report also highlights the challenges faced by the non-banking financial company (NBFC) sector, emphasizing the need for stricter supervision and improved funding conditions.
- https://www.ficci.in/press_release_details/3496 - The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) welcomed the government's decision to further consolidate and strengthen the banking sector in August 2019. FICCI President Sandip Somany emphasized that consolidation would lead to greater lending capacity, better technology deployment, an expanded branch network, and enhanced national and global presence for public sector banks. This, in turn, would enable banks to play a more active role in driving India's economic growth.
- https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2019/12/23/pr19488-india-imf-executive-board-concludes-2019-article-iv-consultation - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board concluded its 2019 Article IV Consultation with India, noting that risks to the economic outlook are tilted to the downside. Key domestic risks include tax revenue shortfalls and delays in structural reforms. The IMF recommended that the recently announced public sector bank merger plan be accompanied by deep operational restructuring and far-reaching governance reforms to improve efficiency, risk management, and credit allocation.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We've since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score: 10
Notes: The narrative is current, reporting on the DFS's two-day 'Manthan' event scheduled for September 12-13, 2025. The earliest known publication date of similar content is September 5, 2025, with reports from sources like The Week and Deccan Chronicle. The narrative is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The content is original and not recycled from other sources.
Quotes check
Score: 10
Notes: The narrative includes direct quotes from DFS Secretary M Nagaraju. The earliest known usage of these quotes is in the Financial Express article published on September 11, 2025. No identical quotes appear in earlier material, indicating originality.
Source reliability
Score: 8
Notes: The narrative originates from Goodreturns, a news outlet that is part of the Oneindia group. While Oneindia is a known media group, Goodreturns is a niche financial news platform with limited reach. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) is a reputable government entity, and the quotes attributed to DFS Secretary M Nagaraju are verifiable. However, the reliance on a single, less-established outlet for the primary narrative introduces some uncertainty.
Plausability check
Score: 9
Notes: The narrative's claims about the DFS's 'Manthan' event align with reports from other reputable sources, such as The Financial Express and The Week. The figures regarding credit growth and FDI regulations are consistent with known data. The language and tone are appropriate for the topic and region. No excessive or off-topic details are present. The narrative lacks specific factual anchors like names, institutions, and dates, which slightly reduces its credibility.
Overall assessment
Veredict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary: The narrative is current and original, with no significant discrepancies or signs of disinformation. However, the reliance on a single, less-established outlet for the primary narrative introduces some uncertainty. The lack of specific factual anchors slightly reduces the overall credibility. Given these factors, the overall assessment is 'PASS' with medium confidence.