Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman (File photo: PTI)“On the whole, it was a very tonic-like meeting where I have heard good things, positive things. Not one voice said there’s a concern. None of them voiced liquidity concerns,” Sitharaman said, adding that “the message” was consumption is happening. “I have not heard liquidity as a problem from anybody. That is one thing that I want to take as a message,” FM told reporters after her meeting with private sector banks, financial institutions and micro finance entities.
She said the bankers have said that the services sector was showing a strong appetite for credit. She also said demand will pick up and motivate the economy to move at a faster rate, which will help every sector. Sitharaman said many of the microfinance institutions, which attended the meeting, work in deep interiors of the country and they have said demand for loans in rural areas remains strong.
“Near unanimity prevails that in those areas, there is still demand, there is still activity going on.” Last week, after her meeting with heads of state-run banks, Sitharaman had said that public sector banks, along with select non-banking finance companies, will fan out across 400 districts of the country to provide loans to farmers, retail borrowers and micro, small and medium enterprises.
The government is keen to ensure adequate credit flow across the country in the lead up to the festive season. Private sector banks have also been invited to join the outreach programme of PSU banks. Lenders also said in the meeting that the problem in the commercial vehicle segment was cyclical and hoped there would be a revival in next one or two quarters.
