India, April 8 -- Banking services in India are classified under the essential services list. Banking and financial institutions were under immense pressure to ensure business-as-usual amidst the lockdown and health crisis.

Banking operations such as cash deposits, withdrawals, clearing of cheques and other traditional teller services had to be executed by maintaining a safe distance of at-least a meter. Social media was abuzz with a bank employee's effort to handle cheques with tongs and sanitize them with a steam iron.

The operational and technical challenges for both the customers and employees highlighted a lacuna and the general lack of agility in our banking systems when faced with an emergency situation. The immediate learnings f...