The Risk Management in Indian Banks: An Evaluation through Z Risk Index

Abstract

Nothing is constant but risk in today’s dynamic environment. Banking is the business of risks and all banks are exposed to a variety of risks viz. a viz. credit risk, liquidity risk, foreign exchange risk, market risk and interest rate risk. It is very important to handle these risks in a pre-emptive, proficient and cohesive manner to maintain sound financial health of a bank. The purpose of this empirical study is to make an assessment as to how far Indian banks have been successful in achieving their objectives of minimizing the negative effects that risks can put on the financial results and capital of a bank. The need of the hour is an efficient risk management system comprising risk identification, measurement and control. An effort has been made to assess the financial health of the commercial banks in India by analyzing their riskiness and the probability of being insolvent. The insolvency risk for 73 Indian banks (26 public sector banks, 20 private sector banks and 27 selected foreign banks) using Z-Index along with the probabilistic prediction of their book value bankruptcy over a period of nine years i.e. from 2005-06 to 2013-14 has been analyzed and a comparative analysis among public, private and foreign banks to examine the probability of their book value bankruptcy has been made.