NBFC credit growth rises to 15.8% in August 2026: RBI data
Why in the news
On 6 October 2026, the Reserve Bank of India published its monthly data on sector-wise credit deployed by NBFCs for August 2026. Overall growth picked up sharply compared with a year earlier.
Key facts
- Overall NBFC credit grew 15.8% year-on-year in August 2026, against 10.0% in August 2025.
- Agriculture and allied activities saw the biggest turnaround, with growth of 17.4% compared with 5.1% a year ago.
- Industry credit grew at 8.4%, almost unchanged from 8.3%.
- Services growth eased to 16.2% from 24.0%, as trade and transport slowed.
- Retail loans sped up to 22.0% from 13.6%. Housing and gold jewellery loans grew faster, while vehicle loans stayed robust with a marginal improvement.
| Sector | Aug 2026 (y-o-y) | Aug 2025 (y-o-y) |
|---|---|---|
| Overall NBFC credit | 15.8% | 10.0% |
| Agriculture and allied | 17.4% | 5.1% |
| Industry | 8.4% | 8.3% |
| Services | 16.2% | 24.0% |
| Retail loans | 22.0% | 13.6% |
About the data
The release, titled Sectoral Deployment of Credit by NBFC, is compiled by the RBI from returns filed by NBFCs in the Upper and Middle Layers and by housing finance companies (HFCs). Together these account for roughly 87% of all credit given by NBFCs. Growth is measured year-on-year for each major sector and for retail sub-segments.
Exam angle
- Remember the headline figure: 15.8% in August 2026 versus 10.0% a year ago.
- Retail loans were the fastest-growing segment (22.0%), and agriculture showed the largest jump.
- Services was the only major sector where growth slowed (24.0% to 16.2%).
- Coverage of the data: about 87% of NBFC credit, from Upper and Middle Layer NBFCs plus HFCs.