India, Sept. 26 -- A bank employee should have a sustainable working life. A customer should be able to access banking services when needed. These two expectations should not be treated as competing interests.

India's banking industry should now consider a five-day working week for its employees, alongside a clear commitment to keeping essential banking services available throughout the week. This is more than a question of an additional holiday. It is an opportunity to modernise the way banks organise their people, branches and technology around customer needs.

The banking customer has changed significantly. The traditional branch remains important, but it is no longer the only gateway to financial services. UPI, IMPS, NEFT, RTGS, mobi...