Indian private lender Dhanlaxmi Bank said it does not plan to shut down branches or shrink operations, but has initiated steps, including salary cuts, to control costs as it grapples with pressured margins.
“We have no plans to shut down any of our branches. We want to grow,” PG Jayakumar, the bank’s chief executive, told reporters.
The small-sized bank also plans to surrender excess real estate in metros and major cities.
Last week, the Economic Times newspaper reported that the bank plans to shut 30 branches in major cities as part of a revival plan.
The bank swung to a net loss of about 370 million rupees ($7.2 million) in the December quarter as costs soared and revenues shrank.
Consumers and businesses have rushed to park their money in long-term deposits, burdening banks with high costs, while lenders have been struggling to grow their loan books to boost profits.
“Strain on profits in one or two quarters is not going to affect us badly,” Dhanlaxmi said in a statement on Monday.
It plans to focus on loans against gold, small and medium enterprises and retail businesses for growth and expects a net interest margin of 2.5-3 per cent in the current financial year that ends in March.
The bank said it plans to raise 2 billion rupees each of tier 2 and tier 1 capital in the fiscal first and second quarter, respectively.
Shares of the bank, which has a market capitalisation of $126.3 million, ended down nearly 2 per cent in a weak Mumbai market on Monday.
