Arundhati Bhattacharya

We underestimate our people. Given a challenge, most of our people will do it, especially the youngsters who take to technology like duck to water.

Whatever I have said is in the interest of the system, and it has never been taken amiss.

India has a very young population which is comfortable doing business on a screen than do it one on one with a banking executive. They want quick fulfilment of desires, and may not have the time to go to a bank to get things done. Many of them are comfortable working from home.

Because SBI is so large, serving customers in India's big cities and small rural villages alike, it has a pressing need for better tools and technology to monitor lending risks.

If we want to be the banker to every Indian as we want to be, then we will have to use technology.

If you look at the international markets, for projects that are capital-intensive, the minute the construction phase is completed and production is supposed to start, normally all these loans get refinanced.

Demonetisation is a disinflationary process. So, this will bring down prices in the long run. It will also help in bringing down interest rates.

Why should a country have to take on itself a huge burden of managing a totally cash economy?

Things have their own pace, and if we work with that pace and anticipate the issues correctly, we can have good results.

Until you get your reputation made, you have to work twice as hard... there is always a doubt in your superior's mind as to whether you will put family before your job.

It was my first day at work - and beginning my training on the job, I was given the job of writing cheques and entering their details. The branch was surrounded by hordes of people... soon, they had to close the gates to manage the crowds, and they started pushing in.

Senior officials are always looking for good juniors, so when the opportunity comes, they give you the responsibilities.