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

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

India's leading exchange, the NSE, faces new competition as the MCX-SX plans to enter the equities trading arena. Yet the battle is broadly welcomed by the country's banking industry, which anticipates it will bring the product innovation needed to strengthen the sector on a global level. Writer Rekha Menon