Indian banks have agreed to repay ₹ 1 trillion in loans under the central banking system, which is much lower than previously expected, indicating an improvement in borrowing ability among recurring economic activity.
While many loan accounts may turn sour, things are likely to be better than the last period in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, given that only 1% of bank loans are for repayment, which is part of what analysts initially estimated.
The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) loan scheme was aimed at assisting depressed borrowers to avoid the epidemic by allowing them to defer payments, among other measures. To date, 16 private and public banks have disclosed the number of loans they have approved under the scheme.
However, most ₹ 1 trillion loans should be restructured as banks have until March 31 for commercial and small business loans, and until June 30 to apply from the business sector.
Loan restructuring can include extending repayment periods and lowering interest rates, coupled with the suspension of a facilitator to help a struggling borrower manage cash flow better.
Indeed, this round of debt is marked by a greater limit than the last when banks indiscriminately use this profit to kick the cannon down the street. Analysts estimate that about 70% of all loans repaired in the previous cycle end up in the non-performing category. Things are different now. To avoid a recurrence of how its tolerance has been misused in the past, the RBI imposed stricter targets on imports.
“We are taking a proactive approach to real estate applications, and we are aware of the challenges facing companies,” State Bank of India (SBI) chairman Dinesh Khara told a news conference on February 4.
India’s largest lender, SBI, has approved a loan repayment of 18,125 crore, most of them from the corporate sector. While the bank has the largest share of debt among its peers due to its loan size, it is only about 0.73% of its total loan. The main advantage of banks under this scheme is that it does not require them to set aside NPA-like provisions for these loans.
While the RBI allows banks to repay loans without classifying them as bad in August, experts estimate that 5-8% of all loans will be repaid. Ratings company Icra Ltd in December reduced its rates to 2.5-4.5%, which now appears to be higher than what banks are currently reporting. For example, a large central bank such as Punjab National Bank (PNB) expected to receive up to Rs 40,000 crore, but the bank agreed to repay only 11,998 crore.
“In this case, ₹ 9,000 crore belonged to companies, which we have requested before 31 December. Applications for reconstruction were not as expected, “said S.S. Mallikarjuna Rao, chief executive officer of PNB, on February 6.
While banks are aware of shoplifting in the coming months, the situation looks much better than expected. Analysts are also angry about how the simple monetary policy of the central bank has allowed many to keep moving, while regulators are tightening asset quality. As part of its settlement, the RBI lowered its repo level by 115 basic points (bps) since March 2020. While deciding to withdraw some of the measures announced during the epidemic, the RBI reassured the market of continued asset support last Friday.
“India’s economic recovery in 2021 will support the ability to borrow from borrowers after the end of support measures. As a result, significant deterioration in goods quality is now much lower than Moody’s previously anticipated, “the notes rating agency said on February 5.
