The document summarizes the history of banking in India from pre-independence to present times. It discusses how the Banking Companies Act of 1949 defined banking and banks. It then outlines the key stages in Indian banking history - pre-independence with the presidency banks, post-independence nationalization of banks in 1969 and 1980, introduction of private banks in 1990s, and ongoing reforms. The document also briefly discusses the role of RBI as the central bank and regulator and the current scenario of public, private, and foreign banks in India.