Nov 16 2023, 19:28
RBI tightens norms for consumer loans amid rise in unsecured debit:
The Reserve Bank of India has increased risk weights for consumer credit exposure in commercial banks, including personal loans, by 25 percentage points to 125%. This comes after warning about the risks of surging personal loans. Unsecured loans have been an outlier at 23%, compared to an average of 12% -14%. This has led to record borrowing and household savings dropping to multi-year lows.
The Reserve Bank of India has asked institutions to increase the risk weights with respect to consumer credit exposure of commercial banks by 25 per cent to 125 per cent, merely a month after flagging the high growth in certain components of consumer credit and asking NBFCS, banks to strengthen internal surveillance mechanisms.
This hike includes personal loans but excludes housing loans, education loans, vehicle loans and loans secured by gold and gold jewellery.
Risk weights mean the amount of capital lenders have to keep aside to cover credit risk from a particular loan segment. The higher a risk weightage, the more amount of capital needed to be set aside by lenders for the loans.
Credit growth in unsecured loans has been an outlier at about 23 per cent as compared with an average of 12-14 per cent of credit growth in the country, according to the RBI. It has even outpaced the overall bank credit growth of about 15 per cent seen over the last year.
"Banks and NBFCs would be well advised to strengthen their internal surveillance mechanisms, address the build-up of risks, if any, and institute suitable safeguards in their own interest. The need of the hour is robust risk management and stronger underwriting standards," RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said on October 6, 2023.
RBI has also decided that the consumer credit exposure of NBFCs, which are categorised as retail loans, will now attract a risk weight of 125 per cent, up from 100 per cent.
source:et
Nov 17 2023, 08:24