Is there excess capacity in rural banking markets: Some empirical insights for India

According to economic theory, there are at least three indicators of excess capacity in banking: (a) low loan-to-asset ratio, (b) low profitability and (c) high per unit operating expense. If excess capacity exists, it will be easiest to identify, through these indicators, at regional rural banks. Using bank level data on regional rural banks in India for the period 1991 to 2001, the paper uncovers little evidence of excess capacity using simultaneous equation techniques; univariate analysis reinforces the findings

Market Discipline, Capital Adequacy and Bank Behaviour: Theory and Indian Evidence

Policy debate with regard to financial intermediaries has focused on whether, and to what extent, governments should impose capital adequacy requirements on banks, or alternately, whether market forces could also ensure the stability of banking systems. The paper contributes to this debate by showing how market forces may motivate banks to select high capital adequacy ratios as a means of lowering their borrowing costs. If the effect of competition among banks is strong, then it may overcome the tendency for bank capitalisation that arises from systemic effects. If systemic effects are strong, regulation is required. Empirical tests for the Indian public sector banks during the 1990s demonstrate that better capitalised banks experienced lower borrowing costs. These findings suggest that ongoing reform efforts at the international level should primarily focus on increasing transparency and strengthening competition among banks.market disciplinel capital adequacy; deposit insurance; banking; India

Corporate Governance in Banking System: An Empirical Investigation

The paper examines the issue of corporate governance in the Indian banking system. Using data on banking systems for the period 1996-2003, the findings reveal that CEOs of poorly performing banks are likely to face higher turnover than CEOs of well performing ones.

Determinants of Credit Risk in Indian State-owned Banks: An Empirical Investigation

The determinants of credit risk of banks in emerging economies have received limited attention in the literature. Using advanced panel data techniques, the paper seeks to examine the factors affecting problem loans of Indian state-owned banks for the period 1994-2005, taking into account both macroeconomic factors as well as microeconomic variables. The findings reveal that at the macro level, GDP growth and at the bank level, real loan growth, operating expenses and bank size play an important role in influencing problem loans. The study performs certain robustness tests of the results and discusses several policy implications of the analysis.credit risk; banking; state-owned banks; India

Risk, capital and operating efficiency: Evidence from Indian public sector banks

The paper examines the interaction between risk, capital and operating efficiency in a simultaneous equation setting. Using data on Indian state-owned banks for 1993-2000, the analysis finds these variables to be intertwined, with each reinforcing the other, although the results differ across bank size class.Risk; capital; operating efficiency; banking; India

Is there excess capacity in rural banking markets: Some empirical insights for India

According to economic theory, there are at least three indicators of excess capacity in banking: (a) low loan-to-asset ratio, (b) low profitability and (c) high per unit operating expense. If excess capacity exists, it will be easiest to identify, through these indicators, at regional rural banks. Using bank level data on regional rural banks in India for the period 1991 to 2001, the paper uncovers little evidence of excess capacity using simultaneous equation techniques; univariate analysis reinforces the findings.regional rural banks; excess capacity; india

The Relationship Between Risk and Capital: Evidence from Indian Public Sector Banks

The study investigates the relationship between changes in risk and capital in the public sector banking system in India, using both the seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) and the two stage least square (2SLS) method of estimation. Empirical findings establish a negative and significant impact of size on capital, indicating that large banks increased their ratio of capital to risk weighted assets less than other banks. Regulatory pressure is also found to have a negative and significant impact on the ratio of capital to risk weighted assets. Ceteris paribus, adequately capitalised banks decrease their capital ratio more prominently than other banks.