Minister of state for finance Shiv Pratap Shukla has said that the gross bad loans of public sector banks (PSBs) hit 15% of advances in last financial year (FY18). The gross non-performing assets (NPA) ratio for PSBs stood at 14.6% in 2017-18. IDBI Bank topped the list in terms of gross bad loans at 28% of gross advances followed by Indian Overseas Bank (25.3%); UCO Bank (24.6%); United Bank of India (24.1%); Dena Bank (22%); Central Bank of India (21.5 %); Bank of Maharashtra (19.5 %) and Punjab National Bank (18.4%). Country's largest lender SBI had gross NPAs to the tune of 10.9% of gross advances as on March 31, 2018.
Except for Vijaya Bank, with gross NPA of 6.3% as also the lowest amongst all PSBs during the financial year and Indian Bank at 7.4%, the rest of the lenders had their NPAs in double digits. In the last 25 financial years, the gross NPA ratio for PSBs was highest in 1993-94 at 24.8% and was also higher in six other financial years.
Considering the rising bad loans, the minister highlighted that the RBI had asked banks for Asset Quality Review (AQR) in 2015, adding that the exercise revealed high incidence of non-NPAs in PSBs. Under AQR, the expected losses on stressed loans, not provided for earlier under flexibility given to restructured loans, were reclassified as NPAs and provisions were made against them. Meanwhile, he said banks have set up a committee on resolution of stressed assets and have adopted a five-pronged strategy to clean up their balance sheets. Besides, he underlined ‘A number of measures have been taken to streamline recovery...The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) has been enacted to create a unified framework for resolving insolvency and bankruptcy matters’.
Start Research-backed Investing ...Now. Subscribe to Sapphire
MoneyWorks4Me is a SEBI-registered Investment Adviser (IA) dedicated to helping investors build long-term wealth through transparent, research-driven, conflict-free guidance. Founded in 2008, we started our journey as a Research Analyst (RA), providing deep fundamental analysis, intrinsic value insights, and long-term investing frameworks for Indian equities. In 2017, we transitioned to a full-fledged SEBI-registered Investment Adviser, strengthening our commitment to acting as a fiduciary—always putting the investor’s interest first.
To become India’s most trusted, research-powered fiduciary advisory platform—where every investor, regardless of experience, can make calm, confident, and well-reasoned investment decisions.
MoneyWorks4Me ensures this through: