We've Won Ranji Trophy, Now We Have To Play Test Cricket

7-10 years, says K V S Manian, MD & CEO of Federal Bank. In an interview with Manojit Saha & Subrata Panda in Mumbai, he talks about mid-yielding assets being the focus area of the lender, along with boosting fee income and strengthening the current account deposit base. Edited excerpts:

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You took charge in September last year. What is the vision you have for the bank?

Federal Bank, as an old private-sector bank, is leagues ahead of most of the banks. It has done the best in this cohort of banks. But it has not reached the cohort of the large private sector banks. We want to be the fifth largest private lender, which puts me in the big league. We have 18-20 per cent market share in Kerala; it has a huge regional strength and now we want to be a more nationally recognised bank. We are halfway there.

What are your biggest challenges?

Declining interest rates are a challenge for all banks. Broadly, if the interest rate was in the upward cycle, many initiatives I want to do would have been easier, but in this environment, there is a downward pressure on yields. Secondly, the brand, the team, and the people have to make the transition from playing league matches to Test matches. We have won the Ranji Trophy, but now we have to play the Test matches. This is the main job to be done.

Where do you see your total business in the next few years?

Overall, we should be growing in the mid-to-late teens, depending on the market environment.

What areas do you want to improve?