Chief Secretary Reviews Banking Performance in Ladakh at 14th UTLBC Meeting

Leh, December 17, 2025:

The Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, chaired the 14th Union Territory Level Bankers Committee (UTLBC) meeting to review the performance of banks operating in the region for the quarter ending September 2025.

During the review period, banks in Ladakh achieved 72.88 percent of the annual priority sector lending target, disbursing loans amounting to ₹803.12 crore. Overall credit disbursement, including both priority and non-priority sectors, reached ₹2,015.74 crore, reflecting 89.12 percent achievement of the annual target.

The banking sector in Ladakh recorded significant growth, with total deposits rising by 87.81 percent year-on-year to reach ₹10,656.64 crore as of September 2025. Similarly, total credit grew by 91.13 percent, amounting to ₹5,025.63 crore. The overall Credit–Deposit (CD) ratio of the Union Territory stood at 47.16 percent for the reviewed quarter.

The meeting began with a welcome address by Shri Ravi Shankar Kumar, Assistant General Manager, State Bank of India, Local Head Office, Chandigarh. A detailed presentation on banking achievements and performance was delivered by Smt. Tsering Wangmo, Assistant General Manager and Convener Bank for UTLBC, Ladakh.

Expressing concern over low CD ratios, Dr. Kotwal directed banks with ratios below 40 percent—including Bank of Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank, and J&K State Cooperative Bank—to strengthen their credit portfolios and enhance lending activities in the region.

Emphasizing sustainable and inclusive development, the Chief Secretary highlighted agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries as key sectors for focused credit expansion. He underlined the importance of fisheries in livelihood generation and fish marketing and instructed the Fisheries Department to extend loans under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to boost fish production in an environmentally sustainable and economically viable manner.

The meeting reaffirmed the UT Administration’s commitment to improving credit flow, strengthening rural livelihoods, and ensuring balanced economic growth across Ladakh.