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New
Delhi: State Bank of India has no plans to hike its
corporate lending rates in the short term, but said there
was a chance of home loan rates going up after RBI tightened
norms for the housing sector.
The
bank also expects its lending to corporates growing by
18-19 per cent in the current fiscal.
"The
interest rate will remain stable. Our prime lending rates
will remain the same," SBI chairman AK Purwar said
on the sidelines of 'Euromoney Conference' in New
Delhi yesterday
This
is despite the hike in repo rate by RBI by 0.25 per cent
to 4.75 per cent in the busy season credit policy.
SBI
lends money to corporates at about 10.25 per cent. The
bank offers lower rates to blue-chip clients as well;
the rate is higher than the benchmark PLR for others.
Asked
whether home loan rates will go up, he said, "There
is some chance." SBI's charges 7.75-8.25 per cent
interest on home loans for 5-20 years.
"The
interest outlook is stable in the short term. It is difficult
to say about the interest rate outlook for the medium
to long run because of the oil prices," he said referring
to the surge in crude prices globally that has pushed
up inflation in India.
Purwar
said the bank's non-food credit will grow by 18-19 per
cent in the current fiscal.
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