The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the latest data on sectoral deployment of bank credit for April 2026. According to the RBI, non-food bank credit grew by 15.8% year-on-year as of April 30, 2026, compared to 9.8% growth during the same period last year. The data is based on information collected from 41 scheduled commercial banks, which account for around 95% of total non-food bank credit in the country.
➡️ Credit to the agriculture and allied activities sector grew by 13.7% during the year, compared to 9.2% growth in the corresponding period of the previous year.
➡️ Bank credit to the industrial sector also witnessed a significant improvement, growing by 15.1% year-on-year, more than double the 7.0% growth recorded a year ago. The lending to micro and small industries as well as large industries increased at a faster pace, while medium-sized industries maintained steady growth.
Among major industries, stronger credit growth was seen in sectors such as infrastructure, basic metals and metal products, engineering, petroleum and coal products, nuclear fuels, and chemicals. However, credit growth in construction, textiles, and rubber and plastic products was relatively weaker compared to other industries.
➡️ The services sector recorded the highest growth among major sectors, with bank credit rising by 18.6% year-on-year, compared to 10.1% growth a year earlier.
➡️ Personal loans also continued to grow strongly. Credit in the personal loan segment increased by 16.0% year-on-year, compared to 11.9% growth in the previous year.
The latest RBI data suggests that credit demand remains strong across agriculture, industry, services, and retail segments. The sharp rise in bank lending is generally considered a positive sign for economic activity, as higher credit growth often supports business expansion, infrastructure development, investment, housing demand, and overall economic growth in the country.
