'Domestic bank credit base abroad grew 32%'

Credit growth extended by Indian banks operating abroad increased by 31.7 per cent to $107.7 billion, while credit extended by foreign banks operating in India increased 27.5 per cent to $56.6 billion during 2012-13, the Survey on International Trade in Banking Services said.

Deposit mobilised by Indian banks’ branches operating abroad increased by 45.5 per cent during 2012-13, said the Survey released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday. In case of foreign banks operating in India, deposit growth moderated to 3.2 per cent from 14.3 per cent in the previous year, the Survey said. 

The survey -- that covered 170 overseas branches, 184 overseas subsidiaries of Indian Banks and 316 branches of foreign banks operating in the country -- is intended to provide information on International trade in banking services (ITBS) for India in respect of the branches/subsidiaries of Indian banks operating abroad and foreign banks in India.

Going by the main findings, domestic bank branches operating abroad employed 64.5 per cent of employees from local sources, 32.5 per cent from India and remaining from other countries.  In case of foreign banks working in India, the share of local employees in total employees was 99.6 per cent in 2012-13.

On income and expenditure, it noted that the total income of Indian overseas branches increased by 28.1 per cent to $ 6.7 billion in 2012-13.  

In case of foreign banks operating in India, the total income increased by 13.1 per cent to $ 9.7 billion. 

During 2012-13, it continued, total fee income generated by 170 overseas branches of Indian banks increased to $ 1.7 billion in 2012-13 from $1.4 billion in 2011-12.  In case of foreign banks operating in India, total fee income generated declined to $ 1.4 billion from $ 2 billion in the previous year.

Bahrain, Belgium, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, UAE, UK and USA were the major countries which together accounted for nearly 92.2 per cent of the total banking services of the branches of Indian banks operating abroad.