Are banks open in India despite the lockdown due to the Coronavirus crisis?

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused numerous businesses to close down temporarily, except for a few of them. Banks have been open in spite of the Coronavirus pandemic. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the lockdown in Maharashtrian urban areas may be extended beyond March 31. He furthermore also said that essential services such as groceries, banks, share markets and key financial services will continue to operate during the Coronavirus crisis. 

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Are banks open?

There are selective branches across the country that will be open during the Coronavirus pandemic to make essential services such as cash deposits and withdrawals, clearing of cheques, remittances and government transactions. These services will be provided to the customers from March 23, 2020. Other non-essential services are suspended until prior notice. In such an alarming situation, some bank employees have been working from home while others have been going to the office.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic in India, only few employees are working in banks to avoid overcrowding. The governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Shaktikanta Das, said that there are some banks that will be operating after March 23, 2020, and there will be more of digital payments initiated to avoid the spread of Coronavirus in any manner. He also added that most of the services the bank offers are available online and for non-essential services, the customer does not need to go to the bank if he/she can avail the service online.

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Lockdown in India - Precautions taken by the banks

The banks have been making sure that consumers' hands are sanitized before entering the bank. Not more than 10 people are being allowed inside the banks. The bank employees are also wearing gloves to avoid any type of contact.

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