Agartala, 27th April 2026: Tripura’s banking network is widening, yet questions over credit efficiency continue to shadow its growth, according to the 154th Quarterly Report of the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) released by Punjab National Bank.
The report highlights a steady rise in infrastructure and deposits. Bank branches grew from 604 in 2024 to 618 in 2025, strengthening financial inclusion in semi-urban and rural belts. Deposits also climbed from ₹43,117.67 crore to ₹46,401.19 crore, underscoring public confidence in formal banking.
Credit advances mirrored this upward trend, increasing from ₹22,102.54 crore to ₹23,834.21 crore. Yet, despite parallel growth, the Credit-Deposit (CD) Ratio remained unchanged at 51 percent, a sign that lending has not kept pace with deposit mobilization. Analysts caution that such stagnation points to cautious lending, limited demand for credit, or structural hurdles in Tripura’s economy—factors that could slow down economic activity.
An adjusted CD ratio, factoring in funds from RIDF and NEDFi, showed a slight improvement from 56 to 57 percent, but the gain was modest and driven by external channels rather than core lending.
One encouraging development was in priority sector lending, which rose from ₹11,963.71 crore to ₹13,651.53 crore. This reflects stronger credit flow to agriculture, MSMEs, and weaker sections, aligning with RBI’s inclusive growth mandate.
Commenting on the findings, Kiran Bhowmik, PhD Scholar in Economics at Tripura University, observed: “Tripura’s banking sector is expanding in numbers, but efficiency in credit deployment remains a concern. Without stronger productive lending, the broader economic impact will remain constrained.”
