Bajaj Finance Ltd Q1 FY2026 Concall Summary & Transcript Notes

Source transcript PDF: https://www.stockscans.in/document/wyptbz1a3h0r8eyh38p060e4.pdf

# 1. Financial Performance

## A. Key Figures
   *   **AUM:** **25%** YoY growth · **PBT:** **21%** YoY · **PAT:** **22%** YoY
   *   **ROE:** **19%** · **Net NPA:** **50 bps** · **GNPA:** **3%** · **NNPA:** **0.5%**
   * Tier 1 Capital Adequacy: 21.19% · NII Growth: 4.8% QoQ · NIM Change: -10 bps QoQ
   * **Net Total Income:** **21%** YoY · **Opex/Income Ratio:** **32.7%** · **ROA (BHFL):** **2.3%**
   *   **Other Income:** **-23%** YoY · **Net Gain (MTM):** **₹79 Cr**

## B. Revenue & AUM Growth
   *   **Robust Franchise Growth:** AUM and earnings expanded at strong double-digit rates, supported by balance sheet doubling over three years with minimal portfolio disruption.
   *   **NIM Pressure Explained:** Recent margin compression driven by strategic redeployment of **20% lower liquidity buffers** into mutual funds, which carry non-interest income treatment.
   *   **Repricing Discipline:** Margins stabilized QoQ as asset and liability repricing moved in tandem, mitigating interest rate volatility.

## C. Profit Margins & ROE
   *   **Efficiency & Resilience:** High-margin expansion and low cost ratio underscore operating leverage, with BHFL maintaining stable ROA amid competitive headwinds.
   *   **Core Earnings Stability:** Excluding volatile fair value gains, underlying profitability was flat sequentially—indicating resilient core operations.

## D. Balance Sheet Strength
   *   **Temporary Portfolio Shift:** Mutual fund investments were short-term; proceeds have been redeployed into G-Secs and T-bills, normalizing liquidity positioning.
   *   **Income Reclassification Impact:** Fair value gains boosted non-interest income but diluted NIM; future reinvestment in G-Secs will shift returns back to interest income.

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# 2. Loan Book & Asset Quality

## A. Key Figures
   *   **Loan Loss to Avg AUF:** **2.0%** (↑26% YoY)
   *   **Stage 2 & Stage 3 Assets:** **₹878 Cr** (Stage 2 ↑₹324 Cr)

## B. GNPA & NNPA Trends
   *   **Deteriorating Segment Quality:** Sharp YoY rise in two- and three-wheeler GNPA amid portfolio wind-down, with MSME GNPA showing the most severe sequential deterioration.
   *   **Asset Quality Pressure:** Elevated credit costs concentrated in strategic exit segments; urban B2C remains stable with minimal GNPA shift.

## C. Restructuring Volume
   *   **Targeted Remediation Strategy:** Restructuring focused on MSME segment to retain viable borrowers, with restructured accounts showing higher revival potential and influencing Stage 3 provisioning dynamics.
   *   **Near-Term Volume Outlook:** Additional **₹150 Cr** in restructuring expected next quarter before stabilization, reflecting proactive stress mitigation in mid-sized MSMEs (₹7–17 Cr turnover).

## D. Provisioning Coverage
   *   **Coverage Under Pressure:** Declining provisioning coverage ratios in MSME for Stage 2 and Stage 3 assets amid rising stress, while commercial lending benefits from stronger recoveries.
   *   **Product-Level Divergence:** Overall coverage varies significantly by product type and balance sheet composition, indicating segmented risk management approach.

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# 3. Funding & Cost of Funds

## A. Key Figures
   * Cost of Funds: 7.79% (sequential improvement of 20 bps)
   *   **Liquidity Buffer:** **₹15,000 Cr** (as of 30th June)
   *   **NCD Rates:** Improved by **90 bps** (current: 7%–8%) – incremental only
   *   **CP Rates:** Improved by **80–90 bps** due to market repricing
   *   **Deposit Contribution:** Expected to decline from **19% to 15–16%** of balance sheet
   *   **Retail Deposit Inflows:** Reduced to **one-third** of prior ₹1,400–1,500 Cr monthly run-rate

## B. Funding Strategy & Liability Management
   *   **Shift in Funding Mix:** Increased reliance on **NCDs, ECBs, and bank borrowings** to optimize cost structure and reduce dependency on higher-cost retail deposits.
   *   **Proactive Deposit Rationale:** Decision to slow retail deposit growth was driven by **70–80 bps higher cost** versus alternative sources, supporting NIM preservation.
   *   **Benchmark Linkage Advantage:** **85% of bank borrowings** linked to external benchmarks enabled **full transmission of 100 bps rate cuts**, enhancing funding cost flexibility.

## C. Liquidity & Repricing Dynamics
   *   **Liquidity Optimization:** Temporary deployment of buffers into mutual funds yielded **significantly better returns** than government securities amid falling rates.
   *   **Cost Reduction Lag:** Despite favorable market conditions, **only 20 bps decline in Q1 cost of funds** due to time lag in liability book churn.

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# 4. Segment & Product Mix

## A. Key Figures
   * AUM Mix: ~31% mortgages · 0.4% MFI · 2.3% gold loans
   *   **BFSL AUM:** **₹6,100 Cr** (Q1) · **77,000** new customers added
   *   **MSME Portfolio:** **₹50,000 Cr** total · **₹15,000 Cr** doctor loans (**$2 Bn**)
   *   **Gold Loan AUM Growth:** **₹2,000 Cr** net addition per quarter
   *   **LAP & Affiliated Volumes:** **₹75–80 Cr** monthly contribution

## B. Mortgages & Urban B2C
   *   **Unprecedented Attrition:** Mortgage segment facing record-level customer attrition due to intense competitive pressure.
   *   **Stable Core Mix:** Overall AUM composition remains consistent YoY, with only minor declines in winding-down portfolios.
   *   **Fee Income Momentum:** Strong B2B performance drove recent fee growth, though YoY comparisons are skewed by prior-year embargoes.

## C. MSME & Doctor Loans
   *   **Franchise Scaling:** BFSL demonstrates robust early-stage traction with strong AUM and PAT growth, signaling effective market penetration.
   *   **Portfolio Shift:** Business and professionals segment saw a sharp drop in current rates—from 99% to 25%—over 4–5 months, prompting strategic intervention.
   *   **Structural Resilience:** Doctor loans remain a high-quality, stable segment within MSME, historically maintaining **99% current repayment rates**.
   *   **Limited Competition:** Only two lenders—Jain’s organization and one private bank—have sustained long-term MSME lending, highlighting market depth challenges.

## D. Auto & Used Car Loans
   *   **Rationalization Underway:** Auto finance and MSA businesses are being actively scaled back, with captive 2W/3W book expected to shrink to **3,500–4,000 units by Mar '26**.
   *   **Modest Scale, High Hurdles:** Car loans operate in 50 cities but face growth constraints unless ROE reaches **13%–14%**, a key threshold for expansion.
   *   **Portfolio Volatility:** Used car AUM declined to **₹200 Cr** amid recent market pressures, despite earlier parity with new car loan growth.

## E. Gold & LAP Growth
   *   **High-Growth Engines:** Gold loans are a key AUM driver with **₹2,000 Cr** quarterly net additions, while LAP and allied segments contribute steadily at **₹75–80 Cr/month**.

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# 5. Distribution & Technology

## A. Key Figures
   * App-Based Customer Reach: 15% live adoption · 2–3 million new customers/year expected
   *   **Distribution Network:** **4,192** locations (incl. **1,254** gold loan branches) · **~240,000** active distribution points
   * **Customer Base Trajectory:** **4.7 Mn** new customers recently · **90 Mn** app users expected by year-end · **120 Mn** total customers targeted this year

## B. App Ecosystem & Super App Evolution
   *   **Strategic Platform Build:** App now serves as core distribution and integration engine, enabling pre-purchase loan approvals and onboarding **BALIC, government services, and Apple’s share market**.
   *   **Organic Super App Path:** Management emphasizes **progressive capability-building** over declarative strategy, with open architecture (e.g., **5 home loan providers**) enhancing utility without payments-focused fintech partnerships.
   *   **Scalability Signal:** App projected to reach **9 Cr users** by year-end, underpinned by strong top-of-funnel and embedded financial services.

## C. Distribution & Customer Franchise
   *   **Extensive Physical-Digital Reach:** Network expansion continues with **85 new gold loan branches** in Q1, supporting robust customer origination across diverse product needs.
   *   **Sustained Acquisition Engine:** Despite near-term fluctuation in new customer volume, company maintains **4–6 Cr annual acquisition run rate**, backed by **significant dry powder** and partnership leverage.

## D. AI & Operational Enablement
   *   **Productivity Through AI:** Dedicated deployment of **150 AI specialists** reflects deep investment capacity, aimed at enhancing efficiency amid rising headcount and attrition pressures.
   *   **Group-Led Tech Synergy:** Parent enables AI and tech alignment across subsidiaries (e.g., BFSL, BALIC), driving cost savings and cross-sell while preserving autonomy.

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# 6. Credit & MSME Risks

## A. Key Figures
   *   **Loan Losses:** ₹70–75 Cr above plan in winding-down book
   *   **MSME Provisioning:** 42% (GS2) → **49%** (GS3)
   *   **Customer Concentration:** 5% (pre-COVID) → **4%** (current) with 3+ lenders; down from peak of **11–12%**
   *   **BL Multi-Loan Exposure:** Reduced from **21%** to **17%**
   *   **Industry Stress:** **13 of 17** tracked industries slowing, **3 in contraction**
   *   **Two-/Three-Wheeler Volumes:** Down to **35,000** from **65,000** YoY

## B. Leverage & Delinquency
   *   **Consumer Leverage Under Scrutiny:** Firm-wide de-risking underway to reduce exposure to multi-loan borrowers, a primary driver of losses.
   *   **Elevated Credit Stress:** Despite wind-down efforts, loan losses significantly exceeded plan, signaling persistent pressure in legacy portfolios.
   *   **Proactive MOB Management:** Credit actions intensified since February across all segments, targeting delinquency reduction through tighter **MOB 3–12** controls below pre-COVID levels.
   *   **Risk Discipline Over Growth:** Strategic shift prioritizes credit quality amid deteriorating conditions, with no clear inflection point for MSME recovery in sight.

## C. Unsecured Lending Stress
   *   **Broadening Stress in Unsecured Book:** MSME segment saw sudden deterioration in February, prompting portfolio pruning and expectations of markedly slower growth from Q2.
   *   **Unexpected Segment Vulnerability:** Even historically resilient segments like doctor loans are now under stress—unprecedented since COVID—highlighting systemic pressures.
   *   **Limited Bank Participation:** The unsecured nature of MSME loans explains muted response from traditional banks, leaving non-banks more exposed.

## D. Working Capital Pressure
   *   **Macroeconomic "Perfect Storm":** Contraction across **13 of 17 industries**, shrinking credit supply (per RBI data), and elongated working capital cycles are jointly pressuring repayments.
   *   **Structural Borrowing Behavior:** MSME owners routinely apply to **3–4 lenders simultaneously**, amplifying leverage risks in a tightening environment.

## E. Portfolio Pruning
   *   **Selective Wind-Down Executed:** Two- and three-wheeler portfolios actively scaled back to **half historical volumes**, focused on sustainable loss performance and early vintage control.
   *   **MSME Under Review:** While pruning is complete or ongoing in most segments, MSME exposure remains under assessment, reflecting its complexity and volatility.

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# 7. Guidance & Outlook

## A. Key Figures
   *   **AUM Growth Assessment:** **23–24%** (updated from 24–25%)
   *   **Non-Interest Income Growth Guidance:** **13–15%** for current year
   *   **Cost of Funds (FY '26):** **760–765 bps** (ex. future rate cuts)
   *   **NIM Outlook:** **Flat for current year** with **+5 to 10 bps upside potential** from RBI rate cuts

## B. AUM Growth Assessment
   *   **Cautious Reassessment:** AUM growth tracking at 23–24%, reflecting a modest downward nudge due to current trends, though management stresses this is not a formal guidance cut and changes are expected to be marginal.
   *   **Forward Clarity Ahead:** A more definitive view on AUM trajectory anticipated post-Q2 results, with leadership cautioning against overinterpreting minor revisions amid persistent uncertainty.
   *   **Divergent Internal View:** Sidhant projects AUM growth around **15%**, signaling internal prudence despite official assessment, driven by subdued disbursement momentum.

## C. Non-Interest Income Target
   *   **Stable Fee Growth Outlook:** Non-interest income guidance maintained at 13–15%, supported by full-year benefit of prior-year fee and charge revisions.

## D. NIM Outlook
   *   **Neutral Stance with Upside Bias:** NIM expected to remain flat for the year, with a **5 to 10 bps tailwind** possible from ongoing rate cut pass-through, particularly on repo-linked assets.
   *   **Pass-Through Dynamics:** Full rate cuts passed to external benchmark-linked customers; FRR-linked borrowers receiving gradual reductions in line with falling cost of funds.

## E. FY26 Growth Trajectory
   *   **Growth Moderation Expected:** FY26 likely to underperform medium-term trends, with disbursements expected **flat to down**, and only single-digit growth possible via early MOB focus and portfolio churn.
   *   **Credit Quality Recovery:** 3 and 6 MOB performance improving, with principal tracking on path to **pre-COVID levels**, a key milestone for portfolio health.
   *   **Leadership Stability:** CEO has resumed operating role until March 2028; formal succession plan under Board supervision, to be reviewed closer to transition.
   *   **MSME Segment Resilience:** Despite slow segment-wide growth and no near-term acceleration, diversified portfolio provides **buffer against broader weakness**.