Book excerpt: In The Inside Story of Indian Banking, journalist and author Sandip Sen deep dives into data and interacts with over 60 bankers, lawyers, analysts and professionals to present a thrilling account of deep-rooted corruption and path-breaking reforms in India's banking industry. He maps the trajectory of Indian banking-from its chaotic beginnings under colonial rule to bank nationalization in 1969, from banking post liberalization to the present-day mergers, and a crisis where frauds balloon as laws are tightened. The book not only highlights the deep-rooted problems, but also offers solutions from bankers themselves.