A Golden Era for Gujarat’s Urban Co-operative Banks: Low NPAs and High Returns
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Synopsis in Bullet Points:
- Gujarat’s Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) show strong NPA control, with an average Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) of just 0.5%, significantly lower than the national UCB average of 3.8%.
- The low NPA ratio was highlighted by Shri. Jyotindra Mehta, Chairman of NUCFDC, during the inaugural session of Sahakar Setu – The West India Urban Co-operative Banking Summit 2024 in Gandhinagar.
- The summit emphasized the importance of digital transformation, customer centricity, and transparency in UCB operations.
- Gujarat’s UCB network consists of 211 banks with 1,138 branches, holding approximately ₹84,531 crore in deposits and ₹52,333 crore in loans.
- Gujarat’s UCBs are financially stronger than UCBs in other states, contributing significantly to the state’s economy.
- Shri. Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, emphasized that the cooperative banking sector can flourish through transparent management and technological innovation.
- The cooperative sector in Gujarat, particularly in dairy production, is highly successful, with daily payments of over ₹150 crore made to milk producers.
- The summit brought together over 500 participants, including policymakers, industry leaders, and representatives from UCBs, highlighting the role of technology in promoting transparency and growth.
- Mr. Prabhat Chaturvedi, CEO of NUCFDC, emphasized the importance of centralized IT services to help UCBs meet regulatory guidelines and future customer demands.
- The event showcased the role of NUCFDC as an umbrella organization supporting UCBs, particularly in technology adoption and governance.
Gujarat UCBs: A Beacon of Financial Stability
At the moment, Gujarat’s Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) are leading the way in India for financial management practices. With a remarkable Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) ratio of just 0.5%, these institutions are proving their tenacity and dedication to upholding sound financial practices. When one considers that the national average for UCBs is 3.8%, Gujarat’s UCBs are a bright example of successfully controlling NPAs. At the opening panel of Sahakar Setu: The West India Urban Co-operative Banking Summit 2024, which was hosted at The Leela in Gandhinagar, Shri. Jyotindra Mehta, Chairman of the National Urban Co-operative Finance and Development Corporation (NUCFDC), spoke about this outstanding accomplishment.
The Role of NUCFDC and the Importance of Digital Agility
Leaders in the industry were able to discuss the future of the UCB sector during the one-day summit, with a particular emphasis on the significance of digital transformation. To reach distant and last-mile consumers, Shri. Jyotindra Mehta underlined that UCBs must embrace customer-centric methods and provide tailored financial solutions. Additionally, he emphasized the need for regulatory compliance and governance standards in helping UCBs carve out a sizable place for themselves in the larger banking industry.
UCBs’ ability to adjust to contemporary digital tools and governance practices will be essential to their continued success as they develop. The summit also looked at how technology might support sustainable growth and increase transparency, opening the door to a stronger UCB ecosystem.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s Vision for Co-operative Banking
Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Shri. Bhupendra Patel expressed hope for the state’s cooperative banking industry during the ceremony. He emphasized the benefits of technological innovation and transparent management, saying that today is the “golden time” for cooperative banks to prosper.
The Chief Minister praised the efforts made in revolutionizing the cooperative banking industry by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shri. Amit Shah, India’s first cooperative minister. He outlined how their leadership, with an emphasis on technology and transparency, in particular, has helped the industry flourish. Over the past 20 years, Gujarat has made great progress in this area by taking proactive measures ahead of time rather than waiting for changes to happen.
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Achievements of the Gujarat Co-operative Sector
The cooperative sector in the state has long been acknowledged for its outstanding accomplishments, especially in the dairy sector. Gujarat’s success in milk production has been attributed to the transition from “mass production” to “production by the masses,” as underlined by Cooperation Minister Shri Jagdish Vishwakarma. Direct benefit transfers (DBT) are used to pay milk farmers in the state more than ₹150 crore per day, demonstrating the cooperative sector’s robust financial position.
Furthermore, the UCB network in Gujarat is financially secure and quite large. 211 urban cooperative banks with 1,138 branches are in operation throughout the state at the moment. With ₹52,333 crore in loans and ₹84,531 crore in deposits, these banks are expected to make ₹1,300 crore in profit a year. Gujarat’s cooperative banking system has shown to be more resilient than those in other states, which has made a major economic contribution to the state.
The Role of Technology in Co-operative Banking
The importance of digital technology in revolutionizing the financial industry, including UCBs, was also highlighted at the summit. The event’s subject, “Technology for Transparency and Transformative Growth,” focused on how developments in technology might promote sustainable growth and transparency in the cooperative banking sector.
Additionally, according to Shri. Jyotindra Mehta, there are more than 1,500 UCBs across India, with about 218 of them situated in Gujarat alone. Even though a large number of these banks are small, having deposits under ₹50 crore, they are essential to the support of their communities. Notwithstanding the difficulties in adjusting to new technology, the NUCFDC is putting out great effort to offer these banks scalable, reasonably priced solutions that will enable them to prosper in the contemporary world.
NUCFDC’s Commitment to Supporting UCBs
As the governing body for urban cooperative banks in India, NUCFDC is essential in helping UCBs with governance and technological support. The CEO of NUCFDC, Shri. Prabhat Chaturvedi stressed the significance of building a robust, economical, and cyber-resilient IT infrastructure. With the use of this infrastructure, UCBs will be able to comply with regulations, provide digital goods and services, and eventually spur company expansion.
NUCFDC is currently developing centralized IT services, encompassing cybersecurity standards, hardware and software solutions, and consultancy services. By giving UCBs the resources they require to function effectively without having to make large expenditures in IT infrastructure, these initiatives will lessen the load on them.
Advisory Support for Smaller UCBs
Mr. Chaturvedi gave particular instances of NUCFDC’s continuous assistance for UCBs during the summit. In one of these initiatives, a Tier-3 UCB with headquarters in Mumbai was advised on modernizing its core banking system and helped arrange for the mass purchase of PCs for its branches. The umbrella group is also wrapping up a trial run for audit software that will be made available to UCBs nationwide through subscription. Smaller banks will be able to acquire cutting-edge software through this subscription model without having to pay for expensive hardware upkeep or purchases.
A Bright Future for Gujarat’s UCBs
Due to their strong financial management and low non-performing asset (NPA) levels, Gujarat’s Urban Co-operative Banks have become industry leaders in the cooperative banking space. The state’s UCBs are expected to see sustained growth and prosperity if they embrace technology innovations and open governance. The future of cooperative banking in Gujarat and elsewhere appears bright, because of the backing of institutions such as NUCFDC and the state government’s dedication to promoting creativity.
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