SBI set to rope in strategic advisor, to focus on capital conservation

As a step to attain scale and gain efficiencies, the bank merged five associates banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) with itself in 2017-18

The country’s largest lender, State Bank of India, plans to rope in a strategic advisor to conserve capital, increase return on assets and optimise the balance sheet. This comes in the backdrop of a decline in net loss to Rs 65.47 billion in 2017-18 due to a sharp rise in provisions for bad loans.

According to SBI executives, the aim is to do things efficiently with an eye on profitability, and get a feedback on areas, including which business to enter and which to exit. 

The bank reported a net loss of Rs 65.47 billion, and a pre-provision operating profit