Paper Title
THE BASEL JOURNEY: FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE SHIFTS IN INDIAN PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS ACROSS REGULATORY REGIMES

Abstract
This study examines the effects of Basel regulatory standards on the financial performance of India’s Public Sector Banks (PSBs), with a focus on shifts in profitability, operational productivity, and asset quality. Findings indicate that Basel I and II were associated with improvements in core financial metrics. In contrast, the transition to Basel III has led to decreases in Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE), coupled with a rise in Non-Performing Assets to Net Advances (NPANA). Although operational metrics, such as Business per Employee (BPE) and Operating Profit to Total Assets (OPRTA), showed improvement, these gains did not lead to sustained profitability. The research emphasises the necessity of a regulatory balance that promotes both financial resilience and the operational efficacy of PSBs. This paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of regulatory impacts on banking performance, providing meaningful insights for policymakers and researchers alike. Keywords - Basel standards, Financial performance, Indian Public Sector Banks, Profitability, Regulatory impact