RBI says 36% of total bad loans from six key sectors

Gross non-performing assets in system have grown to 4.1% in FY14 from 3.4% a year ago

The Reserve Bank has said about 36% of the overall 4.1% bad assets in the system have been created by six sectors of the economy - infrastructure, metals, textiles, chemicals, engineering and mining.

These sectors, though, have only 30% of the credit share.

The central bank, in its annual report for FY2013-14, said gross non-performing assets in the system have grown to 4.1% in FY'14 from 3.4% a year ago.

It also said the contribution of mandatory priority sector loans to the overall bad assets have come down during the last fiscal.

Stating that the state-run banks are the chief sources of stress, RBI said these six specifically identified sectors of infrastructure, metals and products, textiles, chemical and chemical products, engineering industries and mining and quarrying alone contributed 36% of gross NPAs, as against their 30% contribution to total advances.

The gross non-performing assets ratio for the non-priority sector grew to 4% as of March 2014 as against 3% in the year ago period, while the same for priority sector stood stable at 4.4%, it said.

"The non-priority sector has contributed more in the deterioration of the loan asset quality of the banking sector in recent years," it said, adding that the contribution of PSL loans to the overall bad loans narrowed to 36% as of FY'14 from 40% in FY'13.

Commenting on the health of the sector, the RBI said it "remains satisfactory".

On reports of some improvement shown by the banks in the asset quality in the fourth quarter, the RBI hinted at there not being a cause for celebration yet, as this was due to the asset sales to ARCs.

Additionally, it also highlighted the lurking threat, pointing out at the high growth in restructured assets during the previous fiscal 2012-13.