Encouraging Credit Growth and Balanced Mix
Management described credit growth buildup as "extremely encouraging" with a balanced mix across customer segments; the bank expects to grow above system next year (system growth guidance ~12%–13%, bank targeting a couple of hundred basis points above that).
CRR Release Aided Deployment
The CRR release enabled credit deployment slightly ahead of expectations, providing an additional catalyst to lending activity during the quarter.
Funding Discipline, CASA Momentum and Cost of Funds Reduction
Management maintained rate discipline on deposits; CASA growth was positive. Cost of funds fell by ~10–11 basis points quarter-on-quarter, providing margin tailwinds.
Strong Liquidity Buffer — LCR at 116%
Liquidity position remains healthy with reported LCR of 116% for the quarter; management does not expect material impact from upcoming April 2026 guidelines.
Branch Productivity and Distribution Scale
Per-branch productivity at an aggregate level is ~INR 305 crore. New distribution (roughly 4,800 branches over prior years) contributes slightly north of 20% of incremental deposits. Recently reported 9,600+ branches (~6% of country branches) and 100 million customers; added ~1.5 million new liability relationships in the quarter.
Card Spend and Consumer Demand
Overall card spend grew ~15% year-on-year (3.4% sequentially). Discretionary card spend rose ~21% YoY and nondiscretionary ~13% YoY, indicating improving consumer activity and discretionary demand.
Asset Quality Remains Strong
Management highlighted low accretion to GNPA and decadal lows in industry net NPA metrics. Slippages ex-agri were ~24 basis points for the quarter; recoveries and write-off dynamics keep net impairment metrics moderate (net credit cost cited around ~37 bps when adjusted for recoveries).
Provisioning for Agri Compliance Recognized
A one-time regulatory-related agri provisioning of ~INR 5 billion was taken in December and already absorbed in results, demonstrating proactive regulatory compliance coverage.