Business report of Barclays in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business report of Barclays in India - Essay Example Barclays Bank became a major player in the retail banking industry in India shortly before the economic crisis wherein credit policy was loose and tempting for consumers. This study details the strategies used by Barclays Bank with the purpose of investigating whether these strategies are sustainable or whether they need further enhancement or policy decisions for improvement. Methods used for analysis are evaluation of environmental analysis of factors affecting Barclays’ operation in India. Using the PEST and Porters 5 forces of competitive analysis, study is able to view external factors that act as barriers for the operation of the bank. Likewise, the study looked at the sustainability factors that are internal to the operations of the bank and is able to infer the strengths and weakness in its operations. Result of analysis could be used as benchmark information for future plans of the bank. Introduction Barclays bank targeted the under-served population of India in its e ntry to the retail banking system of the country. Barclays believe that the â€Å"unbanked† sector is a great potential for marketing its innovative banking products. Since this is a great challenge for Barclays Bank, it is worth investigating if this strategy has been sustainable. In this report, the strategic approaches taken by Barclays Bank to enter the retail banking system of India will be analyzed and criticized. The industry life cycle and the theory of Porters five forces will be used to better understand the industry context in which the bank operates. The value chain and the competitive position of the bank will also be examined in order to arrive at a decision on whether to carry on with the operations or what needs to be developed some more. 1. Analysis of the environment 1.1. Life cycle of the banking industry in India An industry life cycle has been defined as a period of time from the introduction of an industry to its decline and stagnation. Typically, an ind ustry life cycle is described in the illustration below: The industry life cycle is depicted as a period where the industry has a beginning, followed by the growth, maturity and final phase of decline. (Financial Dictionary) Relating this to the industry life cycle of the Indian banking industry, records show that the banking industry in India is already in existence for about 200 years, but it has been subjected to various reforms. Before the nationalization of its banks took place in July 1955, banks in India were held by the private sector that was characterized by weaknesses, lack of capitalization and systemic deficiencies. Banking system at that time ignored the credit requirements of the agricultural and other needy sectors. Growth in the Indian banking system started when the government nationalized the State Bank of India, followed by nationalization of SBI subsidiaries in 1955, 14 major banks in 1969 and nationalization of 7 other banks with deposits over 500 crores in 198 0 (India, Finance & Investment Guide). The third wave of changes in India occurred in 1991 when the government allowed entry of new foreign entities to join the banking industry. 1.2 PEST Analysis Political. The bank sector of India is governed by the Reserve Bank of India. It is the sole agency that issues banking licenses, devising guidelines and regulations, specifies lending rates, reserve and liquidity ratios to commercial banks (Banks in India) The