Banks post robust performance in FY25; GNPA declines to multi-decadal low: RBI
Mumbai (PTI): Commercial banks maintained robust performance in 2024-25, with the gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio declining to a multi-decadal low of 2.2 per cent at March-end, according to a RBI report released on Monday.
The banking sector remained resilient during 2024-25, supported by a strong balance sheet, sustained profitability and improved asset quality, said the Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2024-25.
Bank credit and deposit growth continued in double-digits, albeit with a moderation. Capital and liquidity buffers remained well above the regulatory requirements across bank groups.
"Strong banking sector fundamentals provide a buffer against risks, which, together with prudent regulation, create conditions for sustained credit flow," the report said.
Net profits of commercial banks increased during 2024-25, albeit at a slower pace compared to the previous year, it added.
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Combined net profit of all scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) rose 14.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 4.01 lakh crore during 2024-25. In 2023-24, their profit had increased by 32.8 per cent to about Rs 3.5 lakh crore.
The RBI report said the profitability of the SCBs remained robust with the return on assets (RoA) at 1.4 per cent and return on equity (RoE) at 13.5 per cent in 2024-25.
During H1: 2025-26, RoA and RoE of the SCBs stood at 1.3 per cent and 12.5 per cent, respectively.
The capital-to-risk-weighted assets ratio of SCBs was 17.4 per cent at March-end 2025 and 17.2 per cent at the end of September 2025, the report said.
"Asset quality strengthened further, with the gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio declining to a multi-decadal low of 2.2 per cent at end-March 2025 and 2.1 per cent at end-September 2025," it pointed out.
Also, the consolidated balance sheet of urban co-operative banks recorded higher growth in 2024-25 than the previous year.
Their asset quality improved for the fourth consecutive year, alongside the strengthening of their capital buffers and profitability.
According to the report, the non-banking financial companies continued to record double-digit credit growth along with robust capital buffers. Their asset quality also improved during the year.
The report presents the performance of the banking sector, including commercial banks, co-operative banks and non-banking financial institutions, during 2024-25 and 2025-26 so far.
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Two injuries, one DNF, a DQ as India end messy World Relays campaign
Gaborone (Botswana) (PTI): Amoj Jacob and Ragul Kumar got injured during the men's 4x400m and 4x100 races respectively as India ended their World Athletics Relays campaign in disappointment on the second day of competitions here on Sunday.
The Indian camp had high hopes of making the 2027 World Championships in the men's 4x400m relay but the team did not finish (DNF) the race as Jacob suffered cramps and pulled out of the race after taking the baton from the first leg runner Dharamveer Choudhary. Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal TK were to run in the third and fourth legs.
Those teams which could not qualify for the 2027 Beijing World Championships by reaching the final round of each of the six relay events on Saturday were given another chance in the second qualification round on Sunday.
The top two teams in each of the two heats (in all six relay events) booked the Beijing ticket on Sunday.
India will now have to try and qualify for the World Championships through the Top Lists of the World Athletics, which is a long and tedious process.
In the men's 4x100m race, third leg runner Ragul Kumar fell down the track after failing to hand over the baton inside the exchange zone to fourth leg runner Gurindervir Singh, which clearly showed the lack of coordination among the runners.
Harsh Santosh Raut and Animesh Kujur ran the first two legs.
The Indian quartet was disqualified and Kumar was seen being taken away from the Field of Play with the help of the volunteers.
It was a comedy of errors in the case of the women's 4x100m race, which saw the baton being dropped during an exchange between first leg runner Tamanna and second runner Nithya Gandhe, though the Indians finished the race in 53.09 seconds.
Gandhe started running quite a distance, but after realising that the baton was not in her hand, she turned and ran back to pick it up.
The only silver-lining for the Indian contingent was the national record time in the mixed 4x100m relay race, though the quartet of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS finished sixth in heat number two with a time of 41.35 seconds, bettering the previous national mark of 42.30 seconds set in March in Chandigarh.
The mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Theerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur ended at fifth in heat number one with a time of 3 minutes and 19.40 seconds.
On Saturday, all the five Indian relay teams had failed to make it to the respective final rounds and thus missed out on the 2027 World Championships berths.
