• Net interest margins: First-quarter NIM compressed to 3.28% due to rising deposit costs and lower-yield corporate deployments outside Jammu and Kashmir, but management expects margins to return to the guidance level of 3.5% or above starting next quarter.
• Deposit franchise: The bank maintains a 42% CASA ratio compared to the industry average of 39%, with management targeting a further 1–2% improvement through newly launched liability initiatives.
• Advances growth guidance: Management revised its full-year loan growth expectation upward from 12% to 15–18% following 25% growth in the first quarter, with retail lending expected to account for 50–60% of the loan mix.
• Branch network expansion: To mitigate geographic concentration risk, the bank plans to add 50–70 branches outside Jammu and Kashmir over the next two years, aiming for a 70:30 regional-to-national branch ratio within four to five years.