Banks struggle with margin pressure as loan growth slows amid high interest rates: S&P Global | Mint

Indian banks and prominent financial institutions are facing margin pressure according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, as detailed in a report by ANI.

The report further elaborated that loan growth in six of India’s biggest banks on an aggregate basis is expected to decline to 12.3% in the fiscal year closing March 31, 2025. This figure is clearly a sharper than expected slow-down from the 22.5% growth registered in the past fiscal year.

The market intelligence report elaborated that: “Indian banks face margin pressures as loan growth slows amid high interest rates…net interest margins at most lenders are expected to edge lower, the estimates show. Weaker NIMs are expected as deposit rates catch up and monetary easing looms.”

Still, even after the slowdown in loan growth, Indian banks are continuously reporting higher net profits even though at a slower rate. It is expected that the net interest margins (NIMs) of most of the prominent banks are going to take a hit in the coming months as deposit rates recover and monetary easing comes into picture.

To counter the same, many banks have reduced the disbursal of consumer loans, personal loans and shifted focus on mobilizing retail deposits to boost their balance sheets.

The Reserve Bank of India has continued to maintain its benchmark interest rates at a higher level even after central banks in the US i.e., the Federal Reserve and Europe began easing their interest rates in 2024.

RBI has focused on keeping inflation in check. Still, the report explained that the central bank has allowed rupee depreciation as a de-facto easing measure. Since November 2024 the rupee has dropped by 2.8% in value and has touched an all-time low.

Now in such a scenario, to control unsecured lending to riskier customers, the RBI raised risk weights by 25 percentage points on unsecured lending. This step has had wide implications forcredit cards,personal loans, along with credit to non-banking financial institutions.

How have been the results of the banks?

India’s leading public sector bank, State Bank of India is projected to report a 5.6% jump in net profit to ₹701.16 billion for the fiscal year concluding March 31, 2025. A marginal rise from past years ₹663.79 billion.

Whereas, India’s largest private sector bank by market capitalization, HDFC Bank, witnessed its gross advances rise by a meagre 3% year-over-year in the quarter ending December 2024. On the other hand deposits of the bank rose by 16%.

The report further stated that the bad loan ratio in Indian banks has improved a lot, reaching a multi-year low, as RBI targeted asset quality improvements across the banking sector.

As per RBI’s December 2024 financial stability report the gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio of scheduled commercial banks fell to 2.6% in the month of September 2024. This drop was driven by slippages, steady credit demand and higher write-offs.