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Bajaj Finance Ltd reported a steady March quarter performance, with profit growth supported by strong lending momentum and easing credit costs, even as asset quality remained broadly stable.
Net profit rose 22% to ₹5,465 crore, compared with ₹4,480 crore in the year-ago period, while revenue increased 18% to ₹21,606 crore.
The company said Rajiv Bajaj will step down as a non-executive director and will not seek re-election at the upcoming annual general meeting scheduled for July 30, 2026.
Rajiv Bajaj, who is the managing director of Bajaj Auto Ltd , held a non-executive role at Bajaj Finance, with no involvement in day-to-day operations. The company’s business continues to be led by its management team.
The company’s core business continued to drive growth, with, assets under management (AUM) up 21% YoY and net interest income (NII) rising 20%.
Profit before tax stood at ₹6,484 crore, up from ₹4,904 crore a year earlier, reflecting healthy underlying operating performance.
A key driver of earnings this quarter was a decline in provisioning.
Impairment on financial instruments fell to ₹1,952 crore, compared with ₹2,141 crore in the year-ago period and ₹3,370 crore in the previous quarter, when the company had taken an accelerated provisioning hit.
The company had earlier strengthened its expected credit loss (ECL) framework, including a one-time provisioning impact of about ₹1,406 crore in the December quarter, which is now supporting profitability.
Asset quality trends remained largely stable:
Gross NPA: 1.27% vs 1.18% YoY
Net NPA: 0.52% vs 0.56% YoY
While gross NPAs saw a marginal uptick, the improvement in net NPAs indicates strong provisioning buffers, keeping delinquencies under control.
The lender continues to maintain strong financial buffers:
Capital adequacy ratio (CRAR): 21.55%
Liquidity coverage ratio (LCR): over 220%
These levels provide sufficient headroom to support future growth.
The board has recommended a final dividend of ₹6 per share (face value ₹1) for FY26, including a special payout of ₹0.60 per share linked to gains from stake sale in Bajaj Housing Finance.
Shares of Bajaj Finance Ltd ended 0.99% higher at ₹932.80 apiece on Wednesday. The stock has risen over 2.5% in the past year, outperforming the benchmark Nifty 50, which has declined nearly 1% during the same period.