Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd unlikely to cut rates this year

KOLKATA: Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd, earlier known as SKS MicrofinanceBSE -0.90 %, said it might not lower rates in the next two-three quarters, to protect margin and profitability. Its lending rate at 19.75% is the lowest among Microfinance companies while most of its rivals lend at 22-24% rate. Company president Dilli Raj said it is operating at 9.6% margin, lower the permissible 10% limit stipulated by Reserve Bank of India. "There is no need to cut  lending rate as we are operating below the 10% margin cap. A rate cut in the next two-three quarters is unlikely," Raj told ET, backtracking his earlier stance in April when he had said that a 15 bps rate cut was a certainty and was to happen soon.The company reported a net profit of Rs 303 crore for the fiscal 2015-16 compared with Rs 188 crore in the preceding one, despite a 380 bps reduction in lending rates. A lower operational and borrowing cost improved its profitability. The ..