

New emergency credit scheme to aid banks, limit bad loans, brokerages say
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai: India's latest emergency credit scheme could turn out to be a timely tailwind for banks, offering both incremental loan growth and a crucial buffer against rising stress linked to the West Asia war, three brokerages said in a report.The Union cabinet on Tuesday allocated ₹18,100 crore under the fifth edition of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS 5.0), unlocking ₹2.55 trillion in additional credit flow to businesses to help them tide over the war-induced liquidity stress.Analysts see this loan-support scheme as credit and asset quality supportive, with the sovereign guarantee structure sharply reducing downside risks for lenders.“ECLGS 5.0 is a net positive for banks—a modest loan growth tailwind and a more meaningful near-term asset quality buffer. These loans carry zero credit risk, with no provisioning drag or capital consumption,” Nomura Global Markets Research said in a note on 6 May.At a time when the market is watchful on the impact of the West Asia crisis on bank asset quality, ECLGS 5.0 provides a meaningful policy cushion, the foreign bank’s research note said.The scheme allows eligible borrowers ranging from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to larger corporates and airlines to access additional working capital loans backed by a government guarantee.