RBI Gov warns banks as retail money moves to alternative investments
By : Falaknaaz Syed
Update: 2024-08-08 15:53 GMT
Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday expressed concern about alternative investment avenues becoming more attractive to retail customers which could pose structural issues for banks. Das said that this trend is resulting in banks facing challenges on the funding front, with deposits trailing loan growth.
“Banks are taking greater recourse to short-term non-retail deposits and other instruments of liability to meet the incremental credit demand. This, as I emphasised elsewhere, may potentially expose the banking system to structural liquidity issues," says RBI governor Das at the monetary policy press conference. With credit growth outpacing deposit growth, banks have raised their term deposit rates in addition to mobilising funds through higher issuances of certificates of deposit (CD). He called on banks to mobilise deposits through innovative products and services by leveraging their vast branch network.
The RBI governor also highlighted potential risks in certain lending segments such as the rapid growth in home equity loans (top-up home loans) without following regulatory prescriptions, along with the growth in certain segments of personal loans. Das said the regulatory prescriptions relating to loan to value (LTV) ratio, risk weights and monitoring of end use of funds are not being strictly adhered to by certain entities in this regard.
Banks and NBFCs have also been offering top-up loans on other collateralized loans like gold loans.
That said, the governor maintained that the financial sector remains sound and that the central bank’s past regulatory measures to clamp down on non-banking financial companies and unsecured lending are also yielding results.
“With increased activity levels in the top-up loan segment, RBI’s caution to lenders on caliberating underwriting norms and closer monitoring of the end use is a step in the right direction. Such loans not only raises concerns on overleveraging but it also raises suspicion on the quality of such borrowers as they may alsouse such top-up loans to service the existing loans,” said Anil Gupta Senior Vice Presidentc Co Group Head - Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA Ltd
The RBI governor also highlighted potential risks in certain lending segments such as the rapid growth in home equity loans (top-up home loans) without following regulatory prescriptions, along with the growth in certain segments of personal loans. Das said the regulatory prescriptions relating to loan to value (LTV) ratio, risk weights and monitoring of end use of funds are not being strictly adhered to by certain entities in this regard.
Banks and NBFCs have also been offering top-up loans on other collateralized loans like gold loans.
That said, the governor maintained that the financial sector remains sound and that the central bank’s past regulatory measures to clamp down on non-banking financial companies and unsecured lending are also yielding results.
“With increased activity levels in the top-up loan segment, RBI’s caution to lenders on caliberating underwriting norms and closer monitoring of the end use is a step in the right direction. Such loans not only raises concerns on overleveraging but it also raises suspicion on the quality of such borrowers as they may alsouse such top-up loans to service the existing loans,” said Anil Gupta Senior Vice Presidentc Co Group Head - Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA Ltd