Archive · 16 Dec 2025
NBFCs Outpace Banks in Loan Growth
In India, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) like Bajaj Finance and Muthoot Finance are growing faster than banks in giving out loans.
This is the fourth year in a row that NBFCs have grown faster.
The biggest growth is in companies that lend money for gold and other diversified loans.
Even though there are fewer NBFCs now because of new rules, the ones that are left are doing really well.
They are giving out more loans than banks, and the quality of these loans is getting better.
However, the money that new digital lending startups are getting has gone down.
This is because investors are being more careful about who they give money to, not because the lending business is doing badly.
Overall, the lending market in India is still growing strong.
NBFCs like Bajaj Finance and Muthoot Finance are growing faster than banks in loan disbursement.
Retail NBFCs' loan books grew by 16.6% year-on-year in H1FY26, compared to 11.7% for banks.
Gold-loan companies like Muthoot Finance and IIFL Finance saw the highest growth rates.
Funding for digital lending startups has halved in 2025 due to investor caution.
Despite funding cuts, digital lenders sanctioned 64 million loans worth Rs 97,381 crore in H1FY26.
- Who
- Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) like Bajaj Finance, Muthoot Finance, and IIFL Finance
- What
- NBFCs outpacing banks in loan growth
- When
- April-September 2025 (H1FY26)
- Where
- India
- Why
- Diversified lenders and gold-loan companies leading the growth
- Growth Rate
- Retail NBFCs: 16.6% Y-o-Y (H1FY26), Banks: 11.7% Y-o-Y (H1FY26)
- Top Performers
- Muthoot Finance (42% Y-o-Y), IIFL Finance (34.5% Y-o-Y), Bajaj Finance (23.1% Y-o-Y)
- Market Share
- NBFCs: 18% (FY25), Banks: Lower than historic highs
- Funding for Lending Startups
- $752 million (2025 YTD) down from $1.53 billion (2024)
- Loan Growth
- Digital lenders sanctioned 64 million loans worth Rs 97,381 crore (H1FY26)
- Loan Quality
- Overdue loans >90 days: 2.1% (Sep 2025) down from 3.3% (Mar 2023)