RBI to speed up issuance of banking licences

A day after Lok Sabha passed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, RBI Deputy Governor K C Chakrabarty on Wednesday said the process for issuing new banking licences will be expedited.

"The process will be expedited... I don't think, it should take much time," Chakrabarty told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by IDBI Bank.

He, however, didn't give a timeframe.

Referring to issuing of licences to corporates, the deputy governor said first the guidelines on banking licences should be in place.

On Tuesday, Lok Sabha passed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011.

Among other things, the bill seeks to raise the voting rights of retail/minority investors in private sector banks to 26 per cent from 10 per cent.

The Bill also allows RBI to supersede boards of private sector banks and increase the cap on voting rights of private investors in public sector banks to 10 per cent from the present 1 per cent.

Changes brought by the new Bill will enable RBI to issue new banking licences.

Replying to a question whether the RBI is comfortable with the fact that Competition Commission of India (CCI) will regulate mergers and acquisitions in banking space, Chakrabarty said, "This law is approved by the Parliament and in a parliamentary democracy, what Parliament says is supreme. So, I can't say as an institution that I am uncomfortable."