Rise and Fall of Industrial Finance in India

Examining the sources of finance for Indian industry, this paper traces the transition from a state-owned and state-dictated financial sector to a regime of financial liberalisation. There are still a number of rough edges to this transition. With the initiation of financial sector reforms and the demise of development banking, there are indications that the industrial sector faces a credit crunch. While newer sources of finance could have compensated for the paucity of bank financing, the exit of development banks before establishing a successful corporate debt market has turned out to be costly for long-term financing. In this context, the experience of the Brazilian Development Bank could serve as a useful model for India.