Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) organised a full-day conference dedicated to discussing challenges related to HR in the banking industry in India. The conference, titled 'Banking HR Conclave 2018' was held on the 27th of July in Hotel Taj Vivanta, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai. McKinsey & Co were the knowledge partners of this conference.

The banking sector in India is in a perfect storm. A confluence of macroeconomic, consumer-related, technological and regulatory factors has created both unprecedented opportunities and unforeseen challenges for the sector. The role of human resources will be pivotal in enabling banks to succeed in these times. Understanding the scale of disruption and its impact is a critical starting point for HR organisations to co-design the future of the workplace becoming its much-valued architects.

This was the backdrop on which the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) organised the first ever full-day conference dedicated to discussing challenges related to HR in the banking industry in India. It was an effort to create an exclusive meeting place for member bankers, HR experts and decision makers. The event was held on the 27th of July in Mumbai and was attended by over 150 delegates from the HR departments of various banks across India. The event boasted of an eminent list of speakers and panellists comprising of Managing Directors, CEOs and CHROs of leading banks. To bring an outside perspective to HR, CHROs of prestigious organisations beyond banking were also part of the panels.

The event kicked off with a passionate address by Shri V G Kannan, CEO of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) emphasising how the current macroeconomic, consumer-related, technological and regulation disruptions have created unprecedented opportunity and unforeseen challenges for the sector. He spoke about how the role of HR and Human Capital Management will be pivotal in enabling banks to succeed in this digital age. Understanding the scale and impact of disruption is a critical starting point for organisations to co-design the future of the workplace. Banks have been spending most of their energy and mind space on either ‘technology’ or ‘stressed assets’. They do not spend enough time to review the shortcomings of their HR programmes and how they help, motivate and develop people. The objective for the day was to help bankers deliberate and interact on key issues to find the best solution for aligning HR policies with organisation’s strategies and goals and building robust and sustainable human capital in modern-day digital banks.

Ms Arundhati Bhattacharya, former chairman of State Bank of India, was the keynote speaker and shared her insights and ideas for the banking sector in India.

To read more, please subscribe.