Leh, October 15: Chief Secretary of UT Ladakh, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, presided over the 13th Union Territory Level Bankers Committee (UTLBC) meeting held in Leh. The meeting focused on the performance of banks in the UT for the quarter ending June 2025.
The meeting highlighted that priority sector advances in UT Ladakh achieved 39% of the annual credit target, disbursing ₹3,447.5 crore. Under the non-priority sector, banks achieved 40% of the target, disbursing ₹3,128.6 crore.
Deposit growth showed a positive trend, with total deposits growing by 13% year-on-year, reaching ₹10,354.42 crore as of June 2025. Credit growth also showed improvement, with total advances growing by 8% year-on-year, reaching ₹4,148.00 crore during the same period. The credit-deposit ratio stood at 41.60%.
The meeting also focused on the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme (CGFS), which allows banks to extend loans without collateral to eligible borrowers in UT Ladakh. The Regional Director of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Jammu, emphasized the importance of this scheme to promote financial inclusion and support economic activities in remote areas.
A comprehensive presentation on the performance and key achievements of the banks was delivered by Smt. Tsering Wangmo, Chief Manager, State Bank of India. The presentation included credit flow to the priority sector, credit-deposit ratios, and progress on financial inclusion.
Banks including J&K Bank, State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, YES Bank, IDBI Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, and others contributed updates on their individual performance. Notably, YES Bank has taken significant initiatives to expand digital banking in the region, and ICICI Bank is actively engaged in extending loans to local entrepreneurs.
Dr. Kotwal appreciated the performance of banks and stressed the importance of lending in critical sectors such as agriculture, small businesses, and tourism. He highlighted the need for increased disbursements under schemes like PMEGP, Stand-Up India, MUDRA, and others. He also called for better coordination between banks and government departments to facilitate timely credit delivery, particularly in remote areas.
The Director of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Government of India, emphasized the importance of improving credit flow in the region and suggested more proactive engagement with the tourism sector, given its importance to UT Ladakh’s economy.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Dr. Laltinkhuma Franklin (IAS); Ms. Shashank Ala (IAS) Admin Secretary(Rural Development); Shri Bhupesh Choudhary (IAS) Admin. Secretary (agriculture & horticulture); Sh. Rudra Goud P.T (IAS) Admin secretary (Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry & Fisheries/Industries & Commerce); Sh. Chnadra Shekar Azad, Regional Director, RBI, Jammu on VC, Sh. Meetesh Sharma, Assistant General Manager RBI Jammu on VC, Sh. Rakesh Kumar (IAS) DC Kargil on VC, Sh. Sonam Norbu (JKAS) ADDC Leh, Sh. Tsewang Dorjey Zonal Head J&K Bank, Sh. Tsewang Dorjey AGM (NABARD), and Assistant General Manager, SBI, Shri Ravinder Singh, along with senior officials from the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD, and member banks, as well as representatives from relevant government departments and financial institutions.
