New Delhi, Mar 12 (KNN) The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) organised the “RRB Conclave 2026: Next-Gen Reforms for RRBs – Challenges & Opportunities” this week in New Delhi to deliberate on policy reforms and future strategies aimed at strengthening Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).
The one-day conclave, held under the guidance of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, brought together chairpersons of RRBs, senior government officials and banking sector representatives to discuss opportunities, challenges and the roadmap for next-generation reforms in the sector.
Discussions focused on key themes including banking for emerging India, innovation in agricultural financing, digital and technology transformation, financial inclusion and customer experience, human resource development and capacity building for RRBs, as well as strengthening collaborative approaches within the banking ecosystem.
The event was attended by Ashish Madhaorao More, Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services; Atul Kumar Goel, Chief Executive of the Indian Banks’ Association; and Goverdhan S. Rawat, Deputy Managing Director at the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), along with senior officials from DFS and sponsor banks of RRBs.
During the deliberations, the Joint Secretary emphasised the need to modernise the information technology infrastructure of RRBs and strengthen consortium-based approaches by leveraging technology.
He also highlighted the importance of a shift in perspective to ensure that RRBs increasingly function as banks that remain consistently accessible to rural communities.
He further underlined the importance of innovative communication strategies and enhanced social outreach to improve engagement with rural customers. RRBs were encouraged to adopt best practices from across the banking sector and strengthen their customer-centric approach.
The discussions also emphasised the need to expand vernacular and linguistically accessible digital banking services and to establish structured mechanisms for collecting and institutionalising customer feedback through digital platforms
(KNN Bureau)
