(Reuters) - A committee of Indian lawmakers will hold discussions with four government-owned banks early next year under banking laws which among other things govern mergers and acquisitions, according to a government document.
The meeting will also include “informal discussions” with India’s central bank over the law governing its functioning and regulatory supervision, besides separate deliberations with five insurance companies over the country’s insurance laws, said the document.
Informal discussions will be held with representatives of UCO Bank (UCBK.NS) and Union Bank of India (UNBK.NS) on January 2, 2024, and between Bank of Maharashtra (BMBK.NS) and Bank of India (BOI.NS) on January 6, 2024, in western cities of Mumbai and Goa, said the document issued on Nov. 16.
It did not specify the reasons for the talks.
A meeting with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, Life Insurance Corporation (LIFI.NS), SBI Life Insurance (SBIL.NS), National Insurance Co, Oriental Insurance, and the New India Assurance Co (THEE.NS) is also proposed on Jan. 2.
Two Indian finance ministry sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that no proposal to merge the public sector banks is being considered by the government and that the discussions were part of a ‘routine exercise.’ An email sent to the country’s federal finance ministry remained unanswered.
The Indian government, in 2019, announced the merger of 10 state-owned banks into four lenders.
Government-owned banks still account for over 60% of India’s banking system by assets and deposits.