# Nirmala Sitharaman asks PSBs to make banking cool for Gen Z 2026-08-20T14:36:55+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged public sector banks (PSBs) to shed their 'government bank' image and adopt a more youth-friendly approach to attract Gen Z customers. Speaking at an event, she said private banks are perceived as 'cool' by young people and asked PSBs to understand what drives that perception. Sitharaman proposed that PSBs take banking campaigns to college campuses, set up 'Yuva Kiosks' at branches, and offer lifestyle-linked benefits such as fitness centre coupons. She also suggested free online learning content in partnership with educational platforms and a dedicated portal by the Indian Banks Association (IBA) for banking awareness among youth. ## Indian Opinion Analysis India's PSBs have long struggled with an ageing customer base and a perception of bureaucratic service. This push comes as private and digital-first banks capture the majority of first-time account holders under 25. The real test will be whether PSBs can invest in technology and redesign branch experiences without the usual delays of government approvals. Watch for the IBA's portal timeline and whether any PSB launches a campus-specific account product in the next quarter. ## Coverage - businesstoday.in Straightforward report of Sitharaman's speech with direct quotes, no editorialising or favouring of any side. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Gen Z, Indian Banks Association, Nirmala Sitharaman, PSBs, Yuva Kiosks Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/nirmala-sitharaman-asks-psbs-to-make-banking-cool-for-gen-z/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/nirmala-sitharaman-asks-psbs-to-make-banking-cool-for-gen-z/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/