IDBI Intech Ltd

Overview of development banking in India

Development Banking emerged after the Second World War and the Great Depression in the 1930s. The demand for reconstruction funds for the affected nations compelled in setting up of national institutions for reconstruction. At the time of Independence in 1947, India had a fairly developed banking system. The adoption of bank dominated financial development strategy was aimed at meeting the sectoral credit needs, particularly of agriculture and industry. Towards this end, the Reserve Bank concentrated on regulating and developing mechanisms for institution building. The commercial banking network was expanded to cater to the requirements of general banking and for meeting the short-term working capital requirements of industry and agriculture. Specialized Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) such as the IDBI, NABARD, NHB and SIDBI were set up to meet the long-term financing requirements of industry and agriculture.

Formation of Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI)

The Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) was established in 1964 under an Act of Parliament as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India. In 1976, the ownership of IDBI was transferred to the Union government and it was made the principal financial institution for coordinating the activities of institutions engaged in financing, promoting and developing industry in India. IDBI provided financial assistance, both in rupee and foreign currencies, for green-field projects and also for expansion, modernization, and diversification purposes. In the wake of financial sector reforms unveiled by the government since 1992, IDBI also provided indirect financial assistance by way of refinancing of loans extended by State-level financial institutions and banks and by way of rediscounting of bills of exchange arising out of the sale of indigenous machinery on deferred payment terms.

After the public issue of IDBI in July 1995, the government shareholding in the bank came down from 100% to 75%.

IDBI played a pioneering role, particularly in the pre-reform era (1964–91), in catalyzing broad-based industrial development in India in keeping with its government-ordained 'development banking' charter.Some of the institutions built with the support of IDBI are the Securities and Exchange Board of India, National Stock Exchange of India, the National Securities Depository Limited, the Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited, the Credit Analysis & Research Ltd, the Exim Bank (India), the Small Industries Development Bank of India and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India.