Dear Members,

Greetings to all!

On behalf of IIBF, I take the opportunity to wish all of you a happy, healthy and a safe life ahead. The first half of the year was an eventful period where once again, we encountered the adversity of the pandemic. Let us all hope and pray that the situation reaches normalcy sooner than later.

I would now like to take you through the initiatives undertaken by your Institute recently.

Introduction of the Professional Banker qualification.

Banking functions are becoming more specialised. Therefore, a banker, apart from having a general knowledge of banking operations, needs to acquire specialised knowledge in different verticals to remain competitive and be ahead of the curve. Most of the banks have created dedicated verticals in risk, credit, treasury, international banking etc. Many verticals in a bank have interlinkages with other verticals. For example, risk is an integral part of credit and treasury management. Hence, an officer handling the credit or treasury function in a bank needs to know about the nuances of risk management also. Thus, acquiring knowledge of interlinked verticals will help you in acquiring knowledge in specialized areas as well.

In order to meet the twin objectives of bridging the skill gaps and having a system of continuous professional development, a gold level aspirational qualification called “Professional Banker” has now been introduced by the Institute. This qualification is open to candidates who have five years’ experience and seeks to create a pool of professionals in specialized and inter-linked verticals to enable them to meet emerging challenges. A chart depicting the Professional Banker qualification is given below for your reference.

Introduction of a new certificate course

A certificate course on “Resolution of Stressed Assets of Banks, with special emphasis on the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code 2016” has been introduced by the Institute. IBBI is the knowledge partner for this course.

The certificate course aims to develop among banking professionals and employees an understanding of the Code, procedure to be followed for resolution of stressed assets, role of bankers in an insolvency resolution process under the Code and to further strengthen their capacity to discharge their duties and responsibilities, including commercial decisions with utmost care and diligence, in the best interests of all stakeholders. As management of NPAs including its resolution is a critical activity in banks, this certificate course will help bankers in enriching their knowledge on the subject.

The examination on the subject is conducted at increased frequencies in the remote proctored mode.

Introduction of additional certificate courses

The Institute will also be introducing two new certificate courses on:

• Strategic Management & Innovations in Banking
• Emerging Technologies

The first exams on the above subjects has been tentatively scheduled to be held in October 2021.

E-learning

Presently, the Institute offers e-learning covering some of the important courses / subjects like JAIIB, CAIIB, Credit Management, MSME, International Trade Finance, AML/KYC, Prevention of Cyber Crimes and Fraud Management, IT Security, Diploma in International Banking & Finance etc. We are also in process of developing new e-learnings on other contemporary topics like Treasury, Risk Management etc.

Joint certification programme by IIBF with XLRI on Leadership Development Programme

The Institute has tied up with XLRI for developing and co-branding of a program on soft skills involving leadership / team building with an emphasis on banking professionals at the mid-level.

The objective of the programme is to transform good managers in banks into effective leaders, with a human centric approach. The first batch of this programme will start on 24th July 2021.

Joint certificate programme with Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS) on Advanced Strategic Management for Top Executives of Banks/FIs

IIBF caters to all important verticals in banks through its wide-ranging training programmes specially designed for the officers working at different levels such as new entrants, Junior/Middle Management and Senior Management. However, in order to tread the path to reach the pinnacle, a need was felt to develop a high value, short duration programme for the Top Management Executives of Banks in the area of Strategic Management and Leadership.

In order to have such a high quality; high-end programme, the Institute will be collaborating with Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), one of the reputed management institutions affiliated to University of Mumbai, for delivering a short duration Management Development Program on “Advanced Strategic Leadership” for Top Executives of Banks, Financial Institutions and NBFCs. 

The objective of the programme will be to enable the top executives of banks to have a compelling vision, enhance their capacities to formulate and execute strategies and lead their organizations across geographic boundaries by anticipating the future and acquiring a competitive advantage.

The details of the programme will be announced shortly.

Training Programmes

The Advanced Management Programme (AMP), one of the flagship programmes of the Institute which is conducted in collaboration with IIM Calcutta has been well accepted by the banking fraternity. The Institute commenced its 10th batch of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) on 6th June, 2021. The 10^th  batch of the program was inaugurated virtually by Mr. Rajkiran Rai G, President, IIBF and Managing Director & CEO of Union Bank of India. The AMP programme is designed with a focus on building leadership capabilities at Banks & Financial Institutions.

Besides the AMP, the training vertical of IIBF conducts niche programmes covering different functional areas of the banks. New programmes on MSMEs, Agricultural Financing have also been drawn up by the Institute. The Institute has state of the art studios at its offices at Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi. This has enabled trainings to be conducted in the virtual mode in a seamless and effective manner.

The Institute has devised customized training programmes for various Banks to cater to their specific needs. The purpose of customized training programmes is skill upgradation to make the employees ready to deliver on those skills

Research Activities

The Institute has received good response in the following research schemes:

• Micro Research
• Macro Research
• Diamond Jubilee and CH Bhabha Banking Overseas Research Fellowship (DJCHBBORF)
• Scheme for Research in Banking Technology (Jointly with IDRBT)

The results of these schemes will be shortly announced by the Institute.

Collaboration with GARP, USA

IIBF has entered into a MoU with the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), USA for offering the Financial Risk & Regulations (FRR) program to JAIIB or CAIIB holders at a preferential rate of USD 300. The FRR program gives an overview on core aspects of Risk Management viz Credit Risk, Market Risk, Operational Risk and Asset & Liability Management (ALM). The registration window will be open until July 31, 2021 after which, the details of registered candidates will be shared with GARP, USA.

I am happy to state that the collaboration by IIBF with GARP has seen an encouraging response among the bankers.

Collaboration with Chartered Banker Institute

On 27th June 2017, IIBF had entered into a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with the Chartered Banker Institute offering a pathway for the Certified Associates of the Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB) from India to have their qualifications recognized by the Chartered Banker Institute, and be able to become Chartered Bankers by studying the Chartered Banker Institute’s Professionalism, Ethics & Regulation module, and successfully completing a reflective assignment.

Taking forward this MRA, a pathway has now been made available for the Junior Associates of the Indian Institute of Bankers (JAIIB) to also acquire the Chartered Banker Status through the JAIIB Professional Conversion Route.

The JAIIB Professional Conversion Route has also seen a good response.

Lastly, I would appeal to all to please stay safe and healthy by taking appropriate precautions and by following the advice provided by your local health authorities.

With warm regards,

Biswaketan Das

22^nd July 2021.