Digitization of Indian banking sector – need of the hour; with special reference to post demonetization period

The world has witnessed an accelerated pace of financial globalization, where wireless networks have made their presence felt. India is no exception, where digital technology has to a lesser extent disrupted financial services in India. Digital banking could refer to end to end processing of banking transaction operations which have been initiated by the client. It could take various forms such as ATMs, NEFT, Telebanking etc. As is a well acknowledged fact banking and financial services form the backbone of an economy and are required to meet the challenges posed by changing technology, to satisfy the consumer preferences towards digital technology, to meet demands for micro payments, of being environment friendly and meting equal treatment to all. There has been a spurt in online banking and the government has been taking measures to promote the same. In a surprise move the Government of India decided to demonetize the two highest denomination notes namely Rupees 500/- and Rupees 1000/-. One of the main objectives of the move was creation of a cashless economy. Subsequently a number of stringent measures were taken by the government to promote digital banking. However, there are a number of hurdles in keeping with the developing nature of the economy such as existence of a large unorganized sector, erratic internet connectivity and poor penetration of smart phones. Besides many small banks do not have digital banking and problem of security risk and most importantly lack of awareness of banking facilities are omni present in India. What is needed is for the government to take initiative in providing regulatory measures with active participation from public and private sector.