Deregulation, Ownership, and Productivity Growth in the Banking Industry: Evidence from India

This paper analyzes the relationship between deregulation and total factor productivity (TFP) growth in the Indian banking industry using a generalized shadow cost function approach. TFP growth is decomposed into a technological change, a scale, and a miscellaneous component. A disaggregated panel data analysis, using the population of public and private banks over 1985-96 that covers both pre- and post-deregulation periods, indicates that a significant decline in regulatory distortions and the anticipated increase in TFP growth have not yet materialized following deregulation. While private sector banks have improved their performance mainly due to the freedom to expand output, public sector banks have not responded well to the deregulation measures.