Tight liquidity, deposit struggle pushes SBI to raise ₹6,000 cr via CDs at 6%

₹6,000 crore through certificates of deposit (CDs) at a rate of 6%, a rare move by India’s largest lender, amid tight liquidity and mounting pressure on banks to mobilize deposits, five fixed-income traders told Mint.SBI’s presence in the CD market has raised eyebrows, traders said, as it signals growing difficulty among banks in raising deposits to fund rising credit demand.The funds were raised through CDs maturing in March 2026. Union Bank of India also raised ₹200 crore via May maturity paper at 6.45%, while Small Industries Development Bank of India raised ₹4,500 crore through one-year paper at 6.95%.Certificates of deposit are low-risk fixed-income instruments where investors deposit money for a specified period at a fixed interest rate—typically higher than savings accounts—in exchange for not withdrawing funds until maturity.SBI’s three-year CD issuance at 6% is around 90 basis points higher than the interest rate it offers on bulk deposits of 46–179 days, which stand at 5.1% for the public and 5.6% for senior citizens.“State Bank of India tapping the CD market, that’s rare, isn’t it? I think they came, so it kind of underscores the point that supply is quite robust in the shorter end and credit off-take is well but deposits are a challenge,” said Killol Pandya, fixed income head at JM Financial Asset Management.While the amount is not large relative to SBI’s balance sheet, the act of raising short-term funds itself is unusual, Pandya added.Emails sent to SBI and Union Bank of India did not receive responses until press time.SBI last raised funds through CDs in November 2024, when it borrowed ₹1,650 crore.