‘Bank employees need to brace with changing banking landscape’

Calling upon his bank employees to brace with the changing banking landscape, Karnataka Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Srikrishnan Hari Hara Sarma on Saturday said employees should adapt to the change and outperform in the banking sector.

Speaking on the inaugural day of the two-day conference of the All India Karnataka Bank Employees Association, Mr. Sarma said many fintech companies were now entering banking sector. “Banking is all about risk management. We need to adapt to technology, compete and outperform them (fintech operated banks).”

The Karnataka Bank, Mr. Sarma said, has adopted digitalisation, which has changed banking to a large extent. Bank accounts were now opened digitally. Banking services were reaching customers directly through mobile phone, tabs, and laptop. Many banking processes have now gone background. It is necessary for employees, the human asset of the bank, to rally behind the institution to reach greater heights, he said.

Last couple of years, Mr. Sarma said, the bank has gone to accommodate requests of transfer of employees within branches in a city. The bank has made recruitment more transparent. Measures were being taken to upskill employees. Like his predecessors, he has continued the legacy of having good harmony with representatives of the two unions of Karnataka Bank employees, he said.

Not beneficial

All India Bank Employees Association General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam said that policies pursued by the Central government were not beneficial to the country and people.

Mr. Venkatachalam said policies pursued by the present government and earlier governments were not beneficial to majority of people. Indexes namely Global Hunger Index shows Indian at the bottom. Policies were benefiting a section of the society, while a large section of people were suffering, he said.