SBI Chairman, CS Setty, noted that thanks to sustained demand, the bank's mortgage loan portfolio is poised to cross the significant mark of 10 trillion rupees in the current quarter. Previously, the country's largest lender had already surpassed the threshold of 9 trillion rupees in mortgage loans in the last fiscal year.
CS Setty told PTI that they hope to reach the 10 trillion rupee milestone specifically this quarter. He also emphasized that SBI holds nearly a 28 percent market share in the mortgage lending segment, focusing on ensuring the accessibility of housing financial products across the country.
To enhance accessibility, the bank has established over 460 mortgage processing centers across India. Setty pointed out that key factors driving customers to the bank are transparent pricing and consumer trust in the bank's processes, including documentation verification and due diligence of developers.
He added that people trust SBI most when taking out mortgages because all formalities, including developer vetting, are properly executed there. Furthermore, Setty stressed that mortgage loans should not be viewed merely as an isolated banking product, given their substantial contribution to economic activity and multiplier effect across numerous related industries.
According to him, mortgage lending is extremely important for the economy, as over 200 sectors depend on commercial and residential real estate. He emphasized that mortgages must be seen as an integral part of India's economic growth.
Regarding mortgage securitization, Setty noted that the total volume of outstanding funds in the industry exceeds 30 trillion rupees; however, the assets remain relatively illiquid, which limits banks' ability to recycle capital and expand lending. Unlike the global market where the mortgage portfolio is more liquid, in India it is predominantly illiquid, despite isolated instances of securitization.
The bank is working to introduce securitization structures into the market. However, effective operation of such structures requires sufficient involvement from the non-banking sector. Therefore, the bank is consciously working to develop and support such structures to strengthen financing capabilities and deepen the overall ecosystem. He reported that they are engaging with investors regarding the structure and tenor of the securities and plan to execute one such deal this year, which will help the bank increase its lending capacity.
As the end of the month approaches, marking the conclusion of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) preferential swap window, Setty expressed confidence that the bank will attract around $10 billion from non-resident Indians and foreign investors. Earlier this month, the RBI extended the closure of the Non-Resident Foreign Currency Deposit Swap Window (FCNR-B) by one month, until August 31, instead of the original date of September 30. Nevertheless, the special currency swap window in USD and INR for providing cheap hedging against currency risks to Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) attracting External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) remains open until December 31, 2026.

