Contemporary Issues and Challenges of Institutional Finance in Bihar: An In-depth Study

It has been observed that the Public sector banks in Bihar are prominent in institutional credit and deposits. They play a vital role for expansion of the economic activities and filling the credit gaps. The number of customers visiting the banks has come down due to the use of technology in their functioning. Wide spread use of debit cards, credit cards, ATM cards, UPI transactions, services of CSPs, internet and mobile banking services has changed the banking habits of the customers. The network of banks through Grahak Seva Kendras or Customer Service Points is expanding rapidly. Public sector banks lead in deposits and advances in comparison to the private banks, cooperative banks and other small finance banks. Commercial banks have twice non-performing assets vis- a- vis the regional rural banks. The state has enormous constraints due to the prevalence of weak governance, lack of infrastructure, complex social stratification, persistent poverty, etc. High dependence on public sector banks, credit gaps, credible underwriting digital innovations and high non-performing assets are the major challenges before the institutional finances in Bihar.