Housing Loans By Psbs Rise 53%

Public sector banks (PSBs) have increased their exposure to housing loans by 53 per cent to Rs 29,456 crore during the year ended March 31, 2002, from Rs 19,204 crore during the last fiscal.

Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), the largest player in the home loans market, has outstandings of Rs 17,169.21 crore as on March 31, 2002, while ICICI Bank, the new private player, has outstandings of Rs 2,852 crore.

State Bank of India, the largest public sector player and second to HDFC, increased its exposure by 66.52 per cent to Rs 8,198 crore from Rs 4,923 crore in fiscal 2001.

Collectively, SBI and its associates have shown a rise of 66.31 per cent in their loan exposure to Rs 10,365 crore compared with Rs 6,232 crore in the previous year.

Nationalised banks have, however, recorded a slower growth of 47.17 per cent in FY02 to Rs 19,091 crore compared with Rs 12,972 crore in the previous year.

State-owned Bank of Baroda has shown the highest increase in its home loan exposure. The bank's portfolio zoomed 207 per cent to Rs 1,410 crore from Rs 459 crore in FY01.

Oriental Bank of Commerce also showed a 189 per cent jump to Rs 1,261 crore in fiscal 2002 compared with Rs 435 crore in the previous fiscal.

Indian Bank showed a 115 per cent spurt in home loans at Rs 650 crore compared with Rs 301 crore in FY01.

Punjab National Bank has also become another major player with outstandings of Rs 2,245 crore. The bank's exposure to home loans increased by 44.37 per cent in the last one year.