ICICI Bank reported higher profits for the September quarter, driven by strong loan growth, higher net interest income and lower provisions

NEW DELHI: ICICI Bank on Saturday reported a 20.1 per cent year-on-year increase in standalone net profit to Rs 14,843 crore for the second quarter of the financial year 2026-27, supported by strong loan growth and lower provisions.The country’s second-largest private sector lender posted a 22.28 per cent rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 16,333.18 crore for the July-September quarter, compared with Rs 13,357.06 crore in the corresponding period last year, according to an exchange filing.Net interest income (NII), the difference between interest earned and interest paid, rose 17.7 per cent year-on-year to Rs 25,339 crore from Rs 21,529 crore a year earlier.Core operating profit increased 21.8 per cent to Rs 20,805 crore, while profit before tax rose 20.4 per cent to Rs 19,724 crore.The bank’s net interest margin (NIM), a measure of lending profitability, stood at 4.18 per cent, down from 4.30 per cent in the year-ago quarter and 4.36 per cent in the preceding quarter.Meanwhile, ICICI Bank’s advances grew 30 per cent year-on-year to Rs 18.32 lakh crore as of September 30. However, excluding loans extended by its international branches against foreign currency non-resident (FCNR-B) deposits under a concessional swap scheme, advances growth stood at 24.1 per cent.Deposits rose 27.1 per cent to Rs 20.50 lakh crore during the period. Excluding FCNR-B deposits, deposit growth stood at 17 per cent.Asset quality improved, with the gross non-performing asset (NPA) ratio declining to 1.20 per cent at the end of September, compared with 1.58 per cent a year earlier and 1.38 per cent in the preceding quarter. The net NPA ratio fell to 0.30 per cent from 0.39 per cent a year ago.Provisions and contingencies declined to Rs 850.69 crore from Rs 914.11 crore in the corresponding quarter last year.The bank’s overall capital adequacy ratio stood at 16.68 per cent as of September 30, up from 15.76 per cent a year earlier.On a consolidated basis, total assets grew 22.6 per cent year-on-year to Rs 32.93 lakh crore at the end of September.