Indian Banks' Chief Information Officers Forum
Background
IN April 2015, the Fifth Conference of Chief Information Officers of Banks (CIOs/IT Heads) was held at IDRBT. A majority of the CIOs/IT Heads of Banks participated in this meeting, wherein the idea of forming a CIO Forum was discussed. The idea elicited an overwhelming support from all the delegates and the Institute initiated the process of forming a CIO Forum.
Taking it forward, the Institute convened a meeting of a Core Group consisting of CIOs from banks to work out the modalities for the formation of the CIO Forum. This Core Group, in its meeting held on June 26, 2015 at IDRBT, decided to form The Indian Banks’ CIO Forum (IBCF). Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India & Visitor, IDRBT, inaugurated The Indian Banks’ CIO Forum on October 23, 2015.
Recent Meeting
The 15th Meeting of the CIO Forum was held on December 28, 2023. In his inaugural address, Prof. D. Janakiram, Director, IDRBT, emphasised the need for bringing in the latest innovative technologies to the Banking and Financial Sector, with a special focus on Generative AI. He reiterated the Institute’s commitment to contributing in the innovative areas identified by the CIO Forum for the wider benefit of the banking community.
Shri Mahesh Ramamoorthy, CIO, Yes Bank Ltd., stressed on the need for fusion teams for optimal outcomes and argued that better architectural awareness helps in holistically complete solutions. Shri. Mahendra S Joshi and Shri Chetan Mahapatra, ReBIT, dwelt upon the “Digital Personal Data Protection Act” and Shri Avinash Raghvendra, President, Axis Bank Ltd., underscored the necessity to divide the core to effectively manage the challenges arising from the surge in UPI transactions, especially given the potential risks of excessive dependence on a singular platform.
Mr. Viresh Gupta, Chief Technology Officer, Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd., shared best practices like separating lending modules from the core and Mr. Babu Thomas, Vice President & Head – IT, Federal Bank, drew attention to the cost implications of maintaining separate systems, advocating for customised solutions based on customer needs while avoiding the impact of one system on another.
Shri Hemant Verma, Chief General Manager, Punjab National Bank, expressed the need for shaping data centers with strategic utilisation of edge computing and cloud computing, for it would not only enhance IT security but also synchronise enterprise operations, fortify resilience, and allow for adaptable scaling of computing costs. Shri Praveen Mata, CCIL, further enriched the discussions on current and future trajectory of smart data centres and the intricate intersection of technology and banking infrastructure.
Discussions were also held on best practices in IT strategy, integration of security into mainstream operations and adoption of zero-trust principles. 30 Chief Information Officers (CIOs) from various public and private sector banks participated.
The CIO Forum is fast emerging as a very focused and fruitful platform to enable the best of technology in the Indian Banking and Financial Sector. The CIO Forum is coordinated by Dr. Abhishek Kumar Thakur, Faculty, IDRBT.