 "Rivals to benefit as mega bank merger to slow loan growth: Analysts")
Equity analysts predict that India’s move to merge several of its state banks will slow their loan growth, and many brokers advise buying shares of the lenders’ rivals who stand to benefit from the uncertainty.
While the mergers will reduce the number of state-owned banks to 12 from 27 and are aimed at creating bigger and healthier lenders, the time needed for integration and challenges related to staff, branch and process overlaps are expected to be the main immediate risks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government late Friday surprised analysts by announcing a series of mergers that will create four new
