SBI to send chocolates to borrowers who are likely to default on monthly repayments
State Bank of India is adopting a novel way to ensure timely repayments, especially by its retail borrowers, by greeting those likely to default on monthly instalments with a pack of chocolates.
The move, aimed at ensuring better collections, comes amidst rising level of retail lending in the system coupled with increasing delinquency levels on the back of the upward movement in the interest rates.
SBI’s retail loan book grew over 16.46 percent to Rs.12,04,279 crore in the June 2023 quarter from Rs. 10,34,111 crore in the year-ago period, making it the largest asset class for the lender whose total book stood at Rs. 33,03,731 crore, growing at 13.9 per cent on-year.
In fact for the entire system, the double-digit loan growth of around 16 per cent has been led by retail loans only.
“With two fintechs which use artificial intelligence, we are piloting a novel way of reminding our retail borrowers of their repayment obligations. While one is doing conciliation with borrowers, the other is alerting us on the propensity of a borrower to default. And to such borrowers who are likely to default, the representatives from this fintech will visit them, carrying a pack of chocolates for each of them, and remind them of the forthcoming EMIs,” said, Ashwini Kumar Tewari, managing director in-charge of risk, compliance and stressed assets at SBI.
