top of page

By:

Divyaa Advaani 

2 November 2024 at 3:28:38 am

The Real Reason You’re Not Expanding

AI Generated Image There is a silent struggle unfolding in boardrooms, networking events, and leadership circles across the country — a struggle rarely spoken about, yet deeply felt by business owners who have already achieved substantial success. Many founders who have built companies worth tens or hundreds of crores find themselves facing an unexpected hurdle: despite their competence and experience, they are unable to scale to the next level. Their operations run smoothly, their clients...

The Real Reason You’re Not Expanding

AI Generated Image There is a silent struggle unfolding in boardrooms, networking events, and leadership circles across the country — a struggle rarely spoken about, yet deeply felt by business owners who have already achieved substantial success. Many founders who have built companies worth tens or hundreds of crores find themselves facing an unexpected hurdle: despite their competence and experience, they are unable to scale to the next level. Their operations run smoothly, their clients are satisfied, and their teams respect them, yet expansion remains frustratingly slow. Recently, a business owner shared a thought that many silently carry: “I’m doing everything right, but I’m not being seen the way I want to be seen.” He was honest, humble, and hardworking. He listened more than he spoke, stayed polite at networking events, delivered consistently, and maintained a quiet presence. But in a world where visibility often determines opportunity, quiet confidence can easily be mistaken for lack of influence. The reality is stark: growth today is not driven only by performance. It is powered by perception. And when a founder’s personal brand does not match the scale of their ambition, the world struggles to understand their value. This is the hidden gap that many high-performing business owners never address. They assume their work will speak for itself. But the modern marketplace doesn’t reward silence — it rewards clarity, presence, and personality. If your visiting card, website, social media, communication, and leadership presence all tell different stories, the world cannot form a clear image of who you are. And when your identity is unclear, the opportunities meant for you stay out of reach. A founder may be exceptional at what they do, but if their personal brand is scattered or outdated, it creates confusion. Prospects hesitate. Opportunities slow down. Collaborations slip away. Clients choose competitors who appear more authoritative, even if they are not more capable. The loss is subtle, but constant — a quiet erosion of potential. This problem is not obvious, which is why many business owners fail to diagnose it. They think they have a sales issue, a market issue, or a demand issue. But often, what they truly have is a positioning issue. They are known, but not known well enough. Respected, but not remembered. Present, but not impactful. And this is where personal branding becomes far more than a marketing activity. It becomes a strategic growth tool. A strong personal brand aligns who you are with how the world perceives you. It ensures that your voice carries authority, your presence commands attention, and your identity reflects the scale of your vision. It transforms the way people experience you — in meetings, online, on stage, and in every business interaction. When a founder’s personal brand is powerful, trust is built faster, decisions are made quicker, and opportunities expand naturally. Clients approach with confidence. Partners open doors. Teams feel inspired. The business grows because the leader grows in visibility, influence, and clarity. For many business owners, the missing piece is not skill — it is story. Not ability — but alignment. Not hard work — but the perception of leadership. In a world where attention decides advantage, your personal brand is not a luxury. It is the currency that determines your future. If you are a founder, leader, or business owner who feels you are capable of more but not being seen at the level you deserve, it may be time to refine your personal positioning. Your next phase of growth will not come from working harder. It will come from being perceived in a way that matches the excellence you already possess. And if you’re ready to discover what your current brand is saying about you — and how it can be transformed into your most profitable business asset — you can reach out for a free consultation call at: https://sprect.com/pro/divyaaadvaani Because opportunities don’t always go to the best. They go to the best perceived. (The author is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)

The bold reforms to turn around PSBs

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

PSB

Last time, I analysed the status of PSBs when NDA took over the reins in 2014. The Government immediately initiated the bold reforms to turn around PSBs. The results surprised the financial and political circles as PSBs earned a record profit of Rs. 1.41 Lakh Crores in FY24 from massive losses of Rs 85,390 Crores. This doom-to-bloom story of PSBs was achieved through consistent efforts by the government during last 10 years.

Government initiatives to revive PSBs after 2014 The government implemented a comprehensive 4R strategy: Recognising NPAs transparently, Resolution and Recovery, Recapitalising PSBs, and Reforms in the financial ecosystem.


1. The first step was Recognising NPAs transparently by unearthing the NPAs hidden under the carpet by previous regime. The painstaking Asset Quality Review (AQR) Exercise was undertaken for this. The amount of Rs. 2.27 Lakh Crores shown as total Gross NPAs of PSBs on 31 st March 2014, ie 4.7 per cent of gross advances, became Rs. 5.4 Lakh Crores as on March 2016 Rs.8.95 Lakh Crore as on 31 st March 2018 after the Asset Quality Review Exercise unearthed the hidden NPAs. This shows that huge quanta of NPAs were buried under the Carpet.


2. A massive Resolution and Recovery initiative was undertaken. To strengthen this The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code was (IBC) introduced on 28 th May 2016. It gave a clear legal framework for banks to recover large NPA amounts from defaulters and allowed eligible companies to close down bad businesses. The IBC, among different channels, is the key mechanism for banks to recover stressed assets. IBC accounted for the greatest recovery mechanism, as in 2022-23, 43 per cent of the total amount recovered was through IBC alone. These clean up measures started showing results; GNPAs of PSBs dropped to Rs.4.28 Lakh Crores ie 5 per cent of Gross Advances. The Gross NPA ratio reached a historical multi-year low of 2.8 per cent, with net NPA at 0.6 per cent of Gross Advances by March 2024. The stern measures were initiated to prevent defaulters from taking new loans to pay back old ones. Wilful defaulters were stopped from starting new businesses. They were not even allowed to raise money from stock markets. This prevented the repetition of the disaster by again creating new NPAs.


3. The third step was Strengthening of PSBs by infusing capital which is called as Recapitalisation. This builds confidence in the ability of these banks to stay afloat. As part of the strategy, the government infused an unprecedented amount of Rs 3,10,997 crore to recapitalise PSBs during 2016-17 to 2020-21. For this Rs 34,997 crore were sourced through budgetary allocation and Rs 2,76,000 crore through issuance of recapitalisation bonds.

The recapitalisation programme provided much-needed support to the PSBs and prevented the possibility of any default on their part.


4. All these measures started showing results. The total outstanding credit of PSBs has surged by over 90 per cent during last 10 years and reached to Rs. 87.55 lakh crore in FY24.


5. Simultaneously the Government initiated the Banking Sector reforms and addressed issues of credit discipline, ensured responsible lending and improved governance. Besides, there was the adoption of technology, and amalgamation of banks, and the general confidence of bankers was maintained. Banks Board Bureau (BBB) was established on April 1, 2016 as an autonomous body tasked to search and select appropriate persons for the Board of Public Sector Banks for professionalising their management and recommend measures to improve Corporate Governance. BBB was replaced by Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB) on July 1, 2022 with chairman and mandate remaining the same. However instead of lauding these remarkable achievements of Government, political critics are attributing a motive of government to privatize these PSBs by strengthening them. In the next article this aspect will be discussed.

(To be continued…)

(The writer is a Freelance Author and Speaker on Banking. Views personal.)

Comments

bottom of page