This article views the operations of foreign banks in historical perspective, and taking a cue therefrom, provides an analysis of contemporary policy that has promoted their aggressive expansion. The paper begins with a brief overview of the genesis and development of foreign banks in India. This is followed by an account of their operations, relative to the concurrent growth of domestic banks, during the colonial period. It then moves on to an account of developments in the post-independence period, including legislation related to prudential regulation, demarcating the pre- and post-nationalisation phases, and the pre- and post-liberalisation phases. All along, the focus is on the changing dimensions of foreign banks relative to domestic banks.
