Punjab National Bank is shedding high-cost deposits and has de-risked its loan portfolio. With these efforts, the top line growth might not have been impressive, but K R Kamath, the bank's chairman and managing director, tells Manojit Saha, the balance sheet is healthier now. Edited excerpts:The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had recently tightened liquidity to contain exchange rate volatility. How would that impact your bank?We have remained liquid for the last one year or so. We don't have a pressure on liquidity; we have surplus liquidity of around Rs 5,000 crore.RBI has said the measures are temporary. How long, in your view, would liquidity conditions  continue?It is a short-term measure because when the rupee was depreciating, RBI had to take quick action to stabilise the currency. It is difficult to say how long the steps would continue because it is a dynamic situation. Other things remaining unchanged, I think, in a couple of months, these steps might be withdrawn.In the first qu

Double-digit growth will return from October: K R Kamath

Business Standard

Interview with Former independent director, YES Bank

Madhu and Shagun's sudden actions are unexplainable: Wouter Kolff

S L Bansal

At a time when banks are seeing increasing slippages of bad loans, S L BANSAL, chairman and managing director of Oriental Bank of Commerce, is focusing on the bank's recovery efforts to keep the non-performing assets (NPA) under check. He tells Manojit Saha that the lender will open more branches to garner low cost deposits. Edited excerpts:

Will reduce slippage-recovery gap to bare minimum: S L Bansal

Interview with CEO, Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance

For us, bancassurance is a biz model: John Holden

East Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Africa in flux, the World Bank's Country Director has been there, done that but is excited about India all the same

Lunch with BS: Onno Ruhl

We will continue with doorstep banking services: C S Ghosh

It's effectiveness on company boards that matters: S K Roy

Interview with MD & CEO of IFFCO Tokio General Insurance

Company will emphasise on Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions: Yogesh Lohiya

Yogesh Lohiya

Private general insurer IFFCO Tokio General Insurance is looking to expand its non-motor business, as 60% of its present business is in the motor segment

'We are looking to expand non-motor business'

Interview with Financial services secretary

Banks moving in the right direction to cut NPAs: Rajiv Takru

We are focusing on selling products to individuals: Manasije Mishra

P>ICICI Bank's CEO says the only important thing to keep in mind while adding to the pressure in the vessel is to ensure that it doesn't explode! 
P>Had he not gone to IIM Ahmedabad, Kundapur Vaman Kamath would have been happy managing his father&#39;s roofing tile business near his ancestral village, Kundapur, which is 100 km from Mangalore.

LUNCH WITH BS: K V Kamath

P>As with India, luck and grit played an equal role in Edelweiss Capital taking off as a global-style full-fledged investment bank.

LUNCH WITH BS: Rashesh Shah

P>The man who reduced Punjab National Bank's net NPAs to near-zero, promises to shake things up in the country&#39;s infrastructure financing also.

LUNCH WITH BS: Surinder Singh Kohli

P>SBI's chief outlines his plans to re-energise the country's top bank and his foray into new areas including wealth management and M&amp;A financing.

LUNCH WITH BS: O P Bhatt

P>India's ace deal-maker explains what allowed him to represent both Dhirubhai Ambani and Nusli Wadia while being on Essar Shipping's board.

LUNCH WITH BS: Nimesh Kampani

P>The head of ICICI-Pru, India's largest private insurance firm, has a great work-life balance but gets fazed when asked about heading ICICI Bank.

LUNCH WITH BS: Shikha Sharma

T R Ramachandran

Interview with MD & CEO, Aviva Life Insurance

We need more flexibility in bancassurance rules: T R Ramachandran

The global banking giant Barclays has appointed John Winter as CEO of Barclays Corporate Banking on 1 January 2010

Page 28 - Interviews