logo
Credit card growth slows in June 2025, new additions drop at top banks

Credit card growth slows in June 2025, new additions drop at top banks

Time of India7 days ago
In signs that asset quality worries are yet to recede for India's credit card industry, some of the country's largest issuers saw significant drops in their new card additions in June 2025, data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed.
The overall industry growth slipped into negative territory for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Explore courses from Top Institutes in
Please select course:
Select a Course Category
CXO
Project Management
Technology
MBA
Artificial Intelligence
Digital Marketing
Data Analytics
Leadership
Degree
Finance
Data Science
Data Science
Others
Operations Management
Cybersecurity
others
Healthcare
Management
healthcare
Product Management
MCA
PGDM
Public Policy
Design Thinking
Skills you'll gain:
Digital Strategy Development Expertise
Emerging Technologies & Digital Trends
Data-driven Decision Making
Leadership in the Digital Age
Duration:
40 Weeks
Indian School of Business
ISB Chief Digital Officer
Starts on
Jun 30, 2024
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Customer-Centricity & Brand Strategy
Product Marketing, Distribution, & Analytics
Digital Strategies & Innovation Skills
Leadership Insights & AI Integration Expertise
Duration:
10 Months
IIM Kozhikode
IIMK Chief Marketing and Growth Officer
Starts on
Apr 7, 2024
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Technology Strategy & Innovation
Emerging Technologies & Digital Transformation
Leadership in Technology Management
Cybersecurity & Risk Management
Duration:
24 Weeks
Indian School of Business
ISB Chief Technology Officer
Starts on
Jun 28, 2024
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Operations Strategy for Business Excellence
Organizational Transformation
Corporate Communication & Crisis Management
Capstone Project Presentation
Duration:
11 Months
IIM Lucknow
Chief Operations Officer Programme
Starts on
Jun 30, 2024
Get Details
Credit card spends were also down to a four-month low of ₹1.83 lakh crore while they grew by a little over 5% over June 2024 when spends stood at ₹1.73 lakh crore.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder
War Thunder
Play Now
Undo
ICICI Bank
's total cards in use dropped by about 287,000 over May to 17.9 million at June end.
Kotak Mahindra Bank
also saw a sharp drop of 286,000 cards, while
RBL Bank
lost over 47,000 cards and
Axis Bank
saw a decline of around 6,000.
Live Events
"We keep monitoring our portfolio and we believe that the quality of the book that we have built is quite stable. In case there are early signs of stress, we take proactive actions," Sandeep Batra, executive director at ICICI Bank, had said during the lender's post Q1 earnings media call.
ICICI Bank had seen negative growth of over 31,000 credit cards in May as well. RBL Bank also has seen a consistent drop in its new card addition since it stopped sourcing from Bajaj Finance in November last year.
"We have been consciously growing this (credit card) portfolio slower," said Jaideep Iyer, head of strategy at RBL Bank. "It's important that we continue to put a high threshold for new origination of cards both from asset quality as well as cross-sell standpoint to ensure that this becomes a meaningful customer acquisition tool for the bank rather than only a credit card acquisition tool." Analysts say banks are scouting for top quality customers to arrest future delinquency issues which is limiting growth.
"Banks are cautiously growing their book and targeting only high quality customers, hence we are seeing a slowdown," said said Ashutosh Mishra, head, institutional equities research at Ashika Stock Brokin. "There is a RBI rule which directs banks to deactivate cards that have remained unused for 365 days or more, the period of declassify such cards has started again."
In terms of banks that reported an increase in card base,
HDFC Bank
added 212,000 cards and
SBI Cards
83,000 cards. The pace of additions slowed compared to previous months. They had added 274,000 cards and 126,000 cards, respectively, in May.
Federal Bank
and
IDFC First Bank
have been consistently adding new cards. In June, Federal Bank added more than 92,000 cards while IDFC First Bank added more than 70,000 cards.
Total net new card issuance fell by 235 last month as total credit card base remained flat at 111.1 million. Lenders had added over 76,000 net new credit cards in May 2025 and 51,000 net new cards in June 2024.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

TCS layoffs could impact housing market in key tech cities
TCS layoffs could impact housing market in key tech cities

New Indian Express

time26 minutes ago

  • New Indian Express

TCS layoffs could impact housing market in key tech cities

Tata Consultancy Services' (TCS) decision to lay off 2% of its workforce -- impacting over 12,000 employees -- could have ripple effects on India's housing market, particularly in key tech cities such as Bengaluru and Pune. Industry experts warn that if other IT firms follow suit with workforce reductions, it may create uncertainty in the real estate market. 'There is no doubt that TCS is the de facto bellwether of the Indian IT industry, and we can expect uncertainty in the overall housing market if these layoffs do happen – especially if other IT majors follow suit. India's IT sector significantly influences the housing sales market in India, particularly in key IT hubs such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune, where IT employees account for a sizeable share of mid-and high-value home sales,' Prashant Thakur, Regional Director & Head – Research & Advisory, ANAROCK Group told TNIE. Thakur added that their contribution peaked between 2022 and early 2024, thanks to considerable IT employment spikes, salary increments, and the relocation trends seen after COVID-19. Even in the robust premium housing market, IT professionals contribute to demand. Prestige Group, which has a strong presence on its home turf Bengaluru, however, does not see any major impact of TCS layoffs on housing demand. 'Today, significantly more jobs are being created in Bangalore and other IT hubs across the country in GCCs, tech start-ups, and other IT and AI-related organisations. In Bengaluru alone, more than 1.2 lakh jobs were created in 2024-25 in the tech sector, compared to the 12,000 job layoffs being done across the country by TCS,' Praveer Shrivastava, Sr. Executive VP, Residential, Prestige Group, told TNIE. He added, 'A record 79 million sq ft of office space was absorbed in India in 2024-25, with Bengaluru leading the list at 21.8 million sq ft. So economic activity and demand remain very strong. Demand for real estate is coming from across many segments including IT and as of now we don't see any real impact coming out of the recent newsflow.'

Buy a beach house, get a passport: Why Americans are flocking to these 5 Caribbean nations
Buy a beach house, get a passport: Why Americans are flocking to these 5 Caribbean nations

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

Buy a beach house, get a passport: Why Americans are flocking to these 5 Caribbean nations

In the Eastern Caribbean, house-hunting now often comes with a surprising bonus: a second passport. Five island nations — Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia, offer citizenship by investment (CBI) schemes starting at $200,000, a perk that's attracting growing numbers of US buyers amid political and social turmoil back home. These Caribbean passports grant visa-free access to as many as 150 countries, including Europe's Schengen zone and, for most of these nations, the UK. For the wealthy, there's also the appeal of zero capital gains, inheritance, or, in some cases, income tax. In Antigua, demand is booming. 'Up to 70 per cent of buyers now want citizenship, mostly Americans,' said Nadia Dyson of Luxury Locations, BBC reported. 'This time last year, they were lifestyle buyers. Now it's all about the passport.' While there's no residency requirement, some US citizens are opting to move full-time. According to Henley & Partners, US applicants now dominate the Caribbean CBI landscape, a sharp change from pre-pandemic years. The firm, which advises on global citizenship, said applications rose 12 per cent since late 2024, with many Americans viewing CBI as a political insurance policy. 'Only 10–15 per cent relocate. Most want a back-up passport,' said Henley's Dominic Volek, BBC reported. 'Some US clients even prefer to travel on less politically charged passports.' The surge began during COVID-19 lockdowns, when mobility was restricted, and grew after the 2020 and 2024 US elections. 'We had zero US offices before. Now we have eight,' Volek added. Buyers like Robert Taylor from Canada, who invested in Antigua ahead of a price hike, pointed that CBI helps secure future mobility and business opportunities. 'It's beautiful, the people are friendly, and the weather's perfect,' he said, BBC reported. Still, CBI programmes remain controversial. As per BBC, critics argue they commodify citizenship and open doors for abuse. Caribbean leaders like St Vincent's PM Ralph Gonsalves have called them unethical, while the EU and US have raised red flags over potential tax evasion and security concerns. EU authorities are reviewing whether these schemes could threaten the bloc's visa-free agreements with participating nations. In response, the Caribbean countries have pledged tighter controls — including regional oversight, stricter vetting, and mandatory applicant interviews. Caribbean leaders, however, insist these programmes are vital for survival. CBI funds, now accounting for 10–30 per cent of GDP in these nations, have paid for hospitals, disaster relief, and even pension schemes. Antigua's PM Gaston Browne said the money had saved his country from economic collapse. In Dominica, the government said CBI revenues have exceeded $1 billion since 1993, helping to modernise critical infrastructure. As per a report by BBC, journalist Andre Huie in St Kitts said, 'The public supports CBI because they see the tangible benefits.' Still, with global scrutiny mounting, Caribbean nations now face the delicate task of proving that these golden passports are not for sale to just anyone — without shutting off a crucial financial lifeline.

US job openings fell to 7.4 million last month as job market continues to cool
US job openings fell to 7.4 million last month as job market continues to cool

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

US job openings fell to 7.4 million last month as job market continues to cool

The American job market is showing signs of cooling as job openings decreased to 7.4 million in June, according to the Labor Department. While layoffs remained steady, fewer people are quitting their jobs. Economists anticipate a slight rise in the unemployment rate to 4.2% in July, with an expected addition of 115,000 jobs. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Washington: Employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies last month, a sign that the American job market continues to Labour Department reported Tuesday that job openings in June were down from 7.7 million in were little changed. But the number of people quitting their jobs - a sign of confidence in their prospects elsewhere - dropped last US job market has lost momentum this year, partly because of the lingering effects of 11 interest rate hikes by the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve in 2022 and 2023 and partly because President Donald Trump 's trade wars have created uncertainty that is paralysing managers making hiring Friday, the Labour Department will put out unemployment and hiring numbers for July. They are expected to show that the unemployment rate ticked up to a still-low 4.2% in July from 4.1% in June. Businesses, government agencies and nonprofits are expected to have added 115,000 jobs in July, down from 147,000 in June, according to a survey of economists by the data firm seemingly decent June hiring numbers were weaker than they appeared. Private payrolls rose just 74,000 in June, fewest since last October when hurricanes disrupted job sites. And state and local governments added nearly 64,000 education jobs in June - a total that economists suspect was inflated by seasonal quirks around the end of the school far this year, the economy has been generating 130,000 jobs a month, down from 168,000 last year and an average 400,000 a month from 2021 through 2023 during the recovery from COVID-19 lockdowns.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store