Will banking meet the sorry fate of newspapers? With the tech industry creeping up on licensed deposit-taking institutions in India, it’s time to take the question seriously. 

Alphabet’s Google already provides one of the two most popular payment wallets in the US. But now Google Pay wants to push time-deposit products of small Indian banks that don’t have much of a retail liability franchise of their own. According to a press release, Equitas Small Finance Bank will offer Google Pay customers up to 6.85% interest on one-year funds as part of a “branded commercial experience” on the platform. The Mint newspaper, which has reviewed the application interface built by Setu, a Bangalore-based fintech, says other lenders may also sign up...