Newly appointed State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Dinesh Khara said on Wednesday that maintaining a quality loan portfolio, employee and customer safety would remain his top priorities. Khara, who took the reins on Wednesday, said the bank will continue to strive to deliver an even better customer experience. He succeeded Rajnish Kumar as chairman of the country’s largest lender.

“The top priority is the safety of our employees and customers as well as the quality of the (loan) book that we have been able to maintain so far. We would like to see that we are able to come to the rescue if the case yes, someone needs help, ”Khara told reporters after taking charge.

He said if a business were to struggle due to the stress of COVID-19, the bank would be more than happy to support it, within the framework prescribed by the RBI.

In August, the RBI authorized a one-time restructuring program for personal loans and corporate borrowers affected by stress from COVID-19. He said the bank’s ad hoc restructuring demands are within manageable limits.

“When it comes to corporate restructuring, I think that to date we haven’t seen a lot of companies reaching out to us. There are some. Whatever numbers we have seen, there is nothing very unusual. I would say it’s all within manageable limits, ”Khara said.

Recently, the bank launched a feature on its website to help retail clients verify their eligibility for a one-time loan restructuring.

“When we look at the success (on the installation on the bank’s website), that in itself is a reflection of people who are considering a restructuring. I would say that whatever numbers we have seen so far and given our book, I think it’s very manageable, “he added.

He said the new restructuring standards announced by RBI are quite liberal.

“I think whatever impairment will be there due to COVID-19, we would be able to handle the restructuring window that was made available recently by RBI and even by the previous circular that was there,” said declared Khara.

Regarding the capital situation of the bank, he said that the bank is well capitalized.

“We have raised funds through Levels I and II and our capital adequacy position is very comfortable. The type of credit growth that we are seeing, we are quite comfortably positioned at the moment,” he said. declared. The bank would tap into the capital market to raise additional funds as and when needed, he added.

Speaking about monetizing Yono, the bank’s digital lending platform, Khara said there are several options on the discussion table.

“At the material moment, we will come and share with you when we come to final thoughts,” he said.

He said that for SBI, physical branches and digital platforms would be necessary imperatives.

“This is not a choice situation. We have to live with both and we will have to make sure that all of our delivery platforms – physical and digital – are working equally well,” he said.

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