Indian Bank draws up plan on growth, earnings: MD & CEO

: Indian Bank has laid out a business plan with clear visibility on growth, earnings and asset quality, a top official of the bank has said.

The bank's managing director and CEO Padmaja Chunduru said the business mantra would be 'growth with profitability with primary focus on increasing CASA deposits, curtailing costs, increasing fee income, arresting slippages and accelerating recover."

She said this while addressing the bank's annual general meeting here Thursday.

The focus would continue to be on offering efficient and excellent customer service, she said.

"The bank has a well laid-out business plan with a clear visibility on growth, earnings and asset quality that create significant value for all its stakeholders," she said.

 

Commenting on the bank's financial performance, she said the global business touched Rs 4.30-lakh crore mark contributed by 15.50 per cent growth in advances and 16.20 per cent growth in deposits with CASA growth of 9.17 per cent.

"What makes this achievement all the more satisfying is that in a span of just 18 months, your bank could add Rs one lakh crore of business", she said.

She said retail, agriculture and micro, small and medium enterprises (RAM) sectors grew by year-on-year by 13.4 per cent, 24.8 per cent and 14.5 per cent respectively.

On the profitability front, she said the bank recorded an operating profit of Rs 4,880.62 crore and net profit of Rs 321.95 crore.

"Your bank was one among of the five public sector banks which were able to clock net profit during FY2018-19, which is indicative of the efficient and effective management of resources", she said.

She said the bank's asset quality improved in 2018-19 with gross NPA ratio at 7.11 per cent and net NPA ratio at 3.75 per cent, an improvement from the previous year position of 7.37 per cent and 3.81 per cent respectively.

Bank remains sound and well capitalised with CRAR of 13.21 per cent. The bank raised capital of Rs 295.48 crore under employees share purchase scheme in May 2019, she said.

She noted the government has initiated and implemented various reforms including goods and services tax, insolvency and bankruptcy code,

"The return of the same government at the Centre with a greater and stronger mandate reinforces our view that the sectoral reforms aiming at strengthening the system will gather momentum," she said.