Financial Performance Evaluation of Small Finance Banks: A CAMEL Analysis

Small finance banks (SFBs) are a special category of banks incepted by the Reserve Bank of India in 2015 to cater to the financial needs of the underserved population of the country with the aim of financial inclusion. They serve the priority sector and the unorganised sector of the country. This article analyses and evaluates the performance of these banks on the basis of various financial parameters such as capital adequacy, asset management, management quality, earning quality and liquidity derived from the CAMEL framework. Following a robust evaluation methodology, namely data envelopment analysis (DEA), a sample of all the SFBs operating in India to date is taken. As per the composite rating of CAMEL, results show that the majority of SFBs exhibit satisfactory performance. Utkarsh SFB Limited is ranked at the first position and is followed by Fincare SFB Limited on the second position. Jana SFB Limited stands at the last position amongst all the banks, preceded by ESAF SFB Limited. The results of DEA show average inefficiency among SFBs. The calculated efficiency scores of SFBs highlight that Capital SFB, Fincare SFB, Jana SFB, Shivalik SFB and Utkarsh SFB are the most efficient banks, with a technical efficiency score of 1. ESAF SFB has the lowest efficiency score. Scale inefficiency is the major reason for inefficiency. The study provides valuable insights to the authorities, managers and investors about the performance of these banks and gives them a future vision of the sustenance of these banks.