Archive · 23 Jul 2025
Loan Growth Slows in India: Factors and Outlook
Imagine banks are like stores that lend money.
Lately, these stores haven't been lending as much.
This is happening because people and companies don't need to borrow as much money as before.
Also, banks are being careful about lending, especially in certain areas.
Even though the government is trying to help by making more money available and lowering interest rates, lending is still slow.
Banks are also making less profit on the loans they do make.
Experts think this trend will continue for a while, with some small growth expected.
Loan growth at banks has slowed down, falling between March and May.
Reduced borrower appetite and cautious lending contribute to the slowdown.
Banks are cautious on unsecured lending, and are reluctant to lower corporate loan rates.
Banks have seen a contraction in their net interest margins.
Analysts predict bank credit to grow by 11-12% in FY26.
- Who
- Banks and borrowers.
- What
- Loan growth is slowing down.
- When
- The slowdown is observed between March and May, with expectations of continued slow growth in FY26.
- Where
- India
- Why
- Due to reduced borrower appetite, cautious lending, and economic factors.
Banks
Borrowers
Lending and Borrowing
Banks
Cautious lending practices due to previous losses in certain sectors, and reluctance to lower corporate loan rates for fear of margin pressures.
Borrowers
Borrowers with a reduced appetite for loans due to being flush with funds, and a slow pick-up in private capital expenditure.
- Non-food credit growth (May)
- 8.5% year-on-year
- Decline in loan growth (March-May)
- 6.3 percentage points
- Surplus liquidity in system (June)
- Rs 6 lakh crore
- Expected bank credit growth (FY26)
- 11-12%
- GDP growth
- 6.5%