A Surendran, a general manager and head of international banking with Federal Bank of India, tells The Banker  about the bank's innovative payments strategy designed to improve access to banking channels and boost the provision of electronic transactions.

India's vast infrastructure needs should make a larger bond market in the country indispensable. However, there are many regulatory obstacles to overcome.

In a country where the number of landline phone owners and PC users is relatively low, and mobile phone ownership almost universal, mobile banking offers healthy opportunities to expand financial inclusion in India.

India's HDFC Bank recently upgraded its ATM network. The bank's chief information officer, Anil Jaggia explains how it has increased transaction speeds, boosted sales and implemented SMS-based anti-fraud measures.

Eager to take advantage of India's economic strength and increase their presence in the region, foreign banks are coming up against strict branch-licensing laws as India seeks to protect its banking sector from the vagaries of the global market. Writer Rekha Mehon

Indian banks are demonstrating a return to good health and new players are set to enter the market. But overbanked urban areas and a seeming reluctance to enter a period of consolidation continues to hamper the industry's development. Writer Rekha Menon

In response to pressure from the Reserve Bank of India, Indian banks have made huge investments in modernising their IT infrastructure during the past 10 years. But there is still much work to be done, particularly around customer relationship management, payments and financial inclusion. Writer Rekha Menon

Technology, in the guise of mobile and smart-card banking, is bringing the remote sectors of India's population within reach of the country's banks. Writer Rekha Mehon