PICKING THE WINNERS

AFTER ALMOST two years of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns, the banking industry is finally showing some resilience. Most banks are well-stocked with capital and liquidity, and profitability and asset quality numbers are improving. The big challenge is credit growth. In addition, the real picture of non-performing assets (NPAs) will come out only after the end of several regulatory forbearances. This was the backdrop against which Business Today and KPMG commenced its annual exercise. The task was to analyse banks’ balance sheets and reach out to them for their initiatives on innovation, fintech engagement, talent and workforce man-agement and enterprise resilience.

The innovation category received 80-plus nominations. Under talent and workforce, banks responded to the future of workplace parameters with innovative practices like work from home, hot seat concept, gig, and contract manpower. Post-Covid-19, enterprise resilience, especially technology and risk resilience, has taken centre stage, and the banks responded with such initiatives.

The next step was to engage with a jury that comprised Anand Sinha, former Deputy Governor,