
NBFCs gain fresh momentum as RBI eases bank lending norms
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The business environment is set to turn favourable for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), thanks to two recent developments. On 25 February, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) eased risk-weight norms for bank lending to NBFCs, reducing it from 125% to 100%, effective 1 April.
This move should lower capital adequacy ratio requirements of banks for such lending, freeing up more funds for NBFCs. The measure follows a 25-basis-point (bps) repo rate cut on 7 February and is expected to ease investor concerns about systemic growth. A lower interest rate cycle benefits NBFCs relative to banks, as it erodes banks’ cost advantage from low-cost current and savings account (CASA) deposits, allowing NBFCs to compete more effectively.
Read this | Lower capital requirements for bank loans to NBFCs to ease funding woes Potential beneficiaries among listed NBFCs would be M&M Financial Services Ltd and Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co. Ltd. Their funding from banks has been in the range of 45%-50% of their total borrowings at least since the last four quarters to Q3FY25.
For competitors Bajaj Finance Ltd and Shriram Finance Ltd the metric is lower. Here, investors would closely monitor if benefit of lower cost of funds will be retained by these companies or passed on to their customers at least partially. But more than the cost of funds, credit availability from banks is crucial for NBFCs to grow their loan books.
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