Npas in Indian Banks : Burgeoning level, rising concern

Target oriented approach in Indian banks has eroded the quality of lending, leading to high level of NPAs that has resulted in negative impact on their profitability due to the necessity of provisions, recoveries and write offs as per RBI guidelines. NPAs also negatively impact the capital adequacy ratio, net worth and credibility of banks. Rising NPAs have direct impact on the bottom line as legally banks cannot book income on such accounts. Indian banks need to be more proactive in all their operations, particularly risk identification and management, to operate profitably in the prevailing milieu. The book discusses credit risk, which is one of the major risks faced by Indian banks because lending policy is a significant driver of NPAs. Analysis reveals that there is a rising cause for concern about NPAs. The parameters indicate a need for initiating strategic imperatives at both micro and macro levels, failing which the situation can spiral out of control. The book is written with the express purpose of analyzing trends in NPAs in Indian banks and putting forth useful suggestions for managing credit risk. It should be of use to banking professionals and finance students.