Public Sector Banks Hit Record Rs 93,675 Crore Profit Amid NPA Decline

The aggregate business of the government-owned banks has increased to an impressive Rs 261 lakh crore with advances growing by 12.3 per cent year-on-year and deposits by 9.6 per cent, according to a Finance Ministry statement issued on Wednesday.

The Return on Assets of public sector banks was 1.08 per cent while the cost of funds improved to 4.97 per cent, reflecting better efficiency and profitability during the first half of the current financial year.

The Secretary of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), M. Nagaraju, chaired a review meeting of public sector banks here, with the Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) to assess their performance for the H1 FY 2025-26.

On the asset quality front, it was noted that PSBs continued to register improvement in recoveries. The National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL) has acquired debt aggregating Rs 1.62 lakh crore and achieved significant recoveries during the first half of the year. Banks were advised to leverage digital platforms such as BAANKNET for faster and transparent resolutions and to maintain focus on strengthening early warning systems.

The meeting reviewed key areas including financial performance, asset quality, recovery and resolution, digital transformation and progress under government flagship schemes. UIDAI made a presentation on the usage of Aadhaar for digital identity integration and de-duplication. Discussions were also held on the theme of human AI convergence in banking.

The DFS Secretary appreciated the consistent performance of PSBs and stressed the need to sustain momentum in low-cost deposit mobilisation and credit growth, particularly in the MSME and agriculture sectors. Banks were advised to further strengthen risk management, underwriting practices, and operational resilience to sustain profitability in an evolving financial environment.

Public Sector Banks also showcased advancements in digital banking and mobile app services. A live demonstration highlighted improvements in user interface, multilingual options and transaction efficiency.

The Secretary emphasised that digital banking must remain inclusive and secure, urging banks to enhance cyber resilience, ensure operational continuity and improve the quality and timeliness of grievance redressal. Adoption of responsible AI and data analytics was encouraged to improve customer service delivery, the statement said.

The progress under key government schemes was reviewed in detail. Banks were advised to strengthen the implementation of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, PM Vidya Lakshmi Yojana, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, and JanSamarth digital lending initiatives, with emphasis on reducing application turnaround time and expanding assisted journeys through Business Correspondents and SLBC coordination.

The Secretary also reviewed performance under financial inclusion programmes such as PMJDY, PMJJBY, PMSBY, APY, PMMY and PM SVANidhi, and emphasised the importance of the ongoing "Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar" campaign. Directions were given to ensure seamless implementation, enhance public awareness of the integrated unclaimed asset portal and intensify outreach in underserved and aspirational districts.

In alignment with the Government's vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, PSBs presented progress under identified champion sectors such as renewable energy, green infrastructure, food processing, tourism and data centres.

Banks were encouraged to scale up credit in these sectors, adopt sustainable financing practices and enhance preparedness for the transition to the Expected Credit Loss (ECL) framework through robust models and data-driven provisioning, the statement added.

- IANS