Rate cuts by RBI ease corporate debt burden, sectoral gains uneven: BoB Report

New Delhi [India], August 28 : The Reserve Bank of India's decision to lower interest rates has led to a marked decline in borrowing costs for companies, thereby boosting debt serviceability across several sectors, according to a report by the Bank of Baroda (BoB).

However, the report also noted that the benefits have not been evenly distributed, with a few key industries disproportionately influencing the overall trend.

According to the report, net sales of a sample of 2545 companies increased by 4.9 per cent in the first quarter of Financial Year 2026 (Q1 FY26).

In the same period last year, sales had increased by 10.6 per cent. Expenditure growth remained modest at 4.3 per cent compared with 8.7 per cent in Q1 FY25. Interest costs registered a growth of 9.6 per cent in Q1 FY26, compared with 23.8 per cent in Q1 FY25.

Since February 2025, the central bank has lowered the repo rate by 100 basis points. The report noted that the companies' profit growth remained stable at 11 per cent.

Pointing to the uneven impact, the report highlighted that this is especially true for crude oil and the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) segment.

According to the report for the non-BFSI segment, growth in net sales was recorded at 3.6 per cent in Q1 FY26, and in Q1 FY25, net sales rose by 7.2 per cent.

Expenditure and interest costs were lower, resulting in an improvement in profitability.

For the ex. BFSI companies, PAT growth was 13.3 per cent in Q1 FY26, compared with 5.7 per cent in Q1 FY25, the report added.

However, these results have been skewed by a single large company in the crude oil sector, the report added.

The report further noted that excluding these sectors, the net sales growth for the non-BFSI segment stands at 4.7 per cent (7.2 per cent in Q1 FY25), while PAT growth was 8.3 per cent in Q1 FY26, compared to 7.1 per cent in the same period last year.

The report noted that the management commentary of the companies indicates a recovery is underway, with the outlook remaining largely positive.

A normal monsoon, festive demand, low inflation, reduced interest rates, and income tax benefits will support demand recovery, the report added. Infrastructure and related sectors will continue to benefit from the government's capital expenditure push.

Export-oriented sectors have navigated the challenging external environment reasonably well and remain well-positioned to face any future challenges.

At the same time, service-linked industries continue to post a steady growth performance, according to the report.

"This suggests that we can expect a gradual improvement in the next few quarters," noted the report.

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