Mumbai: State Bank of India (SBI), the largest lender in the country, announced a standalone net profit of ₹19,683.75 crore for the March quarter of FY26 (Q4FY26), marking a 5.6% increase compared to the same period last year.
The bank's net interest income (NII) also saw a year-on-year rise of 4%, reaching ₹44,380 crore.
SBI's capital adequacy ratio (CAR) improved to 15.4% as of March 31, up from 14.25% a year earlier, exceeding the regulatory requirement of 12.3%.
In terms of asset quality, SBI reported an enhancement with a gross non-performing assets (NPA) ratio of 1.49%, down from 1.57% in the previous quarter and 1.82% a year ago.
Economic Outlook: The economic landscape for India and the banking sector remains uncertain due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which began in late February. The situation has led to energy supply disruptions, particularly affecting industries reliant on fuel.
On the stock market, SBI's shares were trading at ₹1,020.55, reflecting a decline of 6.5% from the previous close.
Government Support: In response to the economic stress, the government introduced the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0 to support various sectors impacted by the conflict, notably in fuel-linked manufacturing and aviation.
SBI's chairman, C.S. Setty, indicated that the ECLGS 5.0 could benefit over 11 million borrowers, with the bank identifying ₹70,000–80,000 crore in eligible loans under this initiative.
