Credit Risk Management and Financial Performance of Indian Commercial Banks: A Study

Credit risk is a major risk to commercial banks and financial institutions. Credit risk of financial institutions is inherent with the nature of the business, and should be managed well for their survival. The present study examines the role of credit risk management and its impact on the financial performance of commercial banks in India. For the study, secondary financial data are collected from published annual reports of 20 commercial banks, consisting of 12 public sector commercial banks and eight private sector commercial banks, covering six years, from 2013-14 to 2018-19. Risk of commercial banks is measured through non-performing loan ratio, capital adequacy ratio, loan loss provision ratio, cost per loan ratio, and leverages of sample banks. Financial performance of banks is measured through three alternative measures of profitability, namely return on assets, return on equity, and net interest margin. Pooled data are used for panel regression analysis. Empirical study results revealed mixed and varied indication about credit risk management and its influence on the financial performance of commercial banks. The study results indicate that profitability of the banks is falling due to increasing NPAs. However, the capital adequacy ratio enhances the profitability of public sector banks more than the private sector commercial banks.