Private sector lenders see robust uptick in advances, faster growth in deposits

A handful of private sector lenders announced robust growth in advances, but deposits continued to outpace as on March 31, 2021.

The filings, ahead of the fourth quarter results of the banks, come for the period when Covid cases were still under control and the unlocking of the economy had l

ed to improved prospects of economic recovery.

HDFC Bank

In a regulatory filing on Monday, HDFC Bank said its advances rose to ₹11.32-lakh crore as of March 31, 2021, compared to ₹9.93-lakh crore in the same period a year ago. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, advances grew by 4.6 per cent over ₹10.82-lakh crore as of December 31, 2020.

“As per regulatory (Basel 2) segment classification, domestic retail loans as of March 31, 2021, grew by around 7.5 per cent over March 31, 2020, and around 5 per cent over December 31, 2020; domestic wholesale loans as of March 31, 2021, grew by around 21 per cent over March 31, 2020, and around 4.5 per cent over December 31, 2020,” it said in a regulatory filing.

Its deposits grew to about ₹13.35-lakh crore as of March 31, 2021, versus ₹11.47 lakh crore a year ago. It amounted to a grow of about five per cent on a quarterly basis compared to ₹12.71-lakh crore as of December 31, 2020.

IndusInd Bank

IndusInd Bank reported a three per cent increase in net advances and 27 per cent rise in deposits as on March 31, 2021, compared to a year ago. Its net advances increased to ₹2.13-lakh crore as on March 31, 2021, versus ₹2.06-lakh crore a year ago. Deposits increased to ₹2.56-lakh crore as on March 31, 2021, compared to ₹2.02-lakh crore a year ago.

Private sector lender YES Bankalso showed a cautious growth in advances but a sharp rise in deposits.

It reported a 0.8 per cent increase in loans and advances rose to 1.72-lakh crore as on March 31, 2021, from ₹1.71-lakh crore a year ago.

The bank said gross retail disbursements in the fourth quarter of 2020-21 increased by 154.3 per cent to ₹7,828 crore from ₹3,078 crore a year ago.

Deposits surged 54.7 per cent to ₹1.62-lakh crore as on March 31, 2021, from ₹1.05-lakh crore in the same period a year ago.

Federal Bank reported a nine per cent increase in gross advances and 13 per cent growth in total deposits as on March 31, 2021, on an annual basis.

The bank’s total deposits rose to ₹1.72-lakh crore as on March 31, 2021, while gross advances grew to ₹1.34-lakh crore in the same period.

A report by ICICI Securities noted that as unlocking of the economy has unfolded, the banking industry has seen a gradual pick-up in loan growth from a credit growth of about 5.6 per cent in October 2020 to about 6.5 per cent in February 2021.