State Bank of India (SBI) wrote off ₹1,51,857 crore in loans involving borrowers with dues above ₹100 crore between FY2016-17 and FY2025-26, according to an RTI response. The bank recovered ₹20,838 crore against these technically or prudentially written-off loans, equal to about 14% of the amount. Separately, SBI took 309 loan accounts with claims of ₹1,49,895 crore to the NCLT or similar resolution forums between FY2017-18 and FY2025-26. It recovered ₹49,727 crore through resolution plans, leaving a difference of ₹1,00,168 crore, or nearly 67% of the claims. The figures have renewed attention on bad-loan recovery, NCLT settlements and transparency in large borrower accounts.Read our Instagram coverage of this achievement here: Bumppy Instagram NewsHow Much Did SBI Recover?The RTI data provides two separate pictures of SBI's recovery efforts. In the large-borrower write-off category, the bank recovered only around 14% of the ₹1.52 lakh crore written off during the decade-long period. The NCLT data separately shows that only about one-third of the ₹1.50 lakh crore claimed across 309 accounts was recovered through resolution plans.SBI wrote off ₹1,51,857 crore involving large borrowers.Recovery against these write-offs stood at ₹20,838 crore.309 loan accounts went to NCLT or similar forums.Claims in those cases totalled ₹1,49,895 crore.SBI recovered ₹49,727 crore through resolution plans.Large Loan Write-Offs ExplainedThe figures cover borrowers with outstanding dues of more than ₹100 crore and relate to technical or prudential write-offs. Such a write-off is an accounting treatment used for loans considered difficult to recover; it does not mean the borrower is automatically freed from the legal obligation to repay.The data showed that FY2019-20 recorded the highest write-off in this category, at ₹46,348 crore. SBI recovered ₹4,548 crore against that year's amount, according to the RTI information reported by India Today.NCLT Cases Saw Large HaircutsThe NCLT figures cover a different process. Between FY2017-18 and FY2025-26, SBI referred 309 accounts to the NCLT or similar resolution mechanisms. The bank's combined claims stood at ₹1,49,895 crore, while approved resolution plans resulted in recovery of ₹49,727 crore.The gap of ₹1,00,168 crore represents a reported haircut of around 67% on the claims covered by these cases. A haircut is the difference between the creditor's claim and the amount recovered under a resolution plan, rather than a separate measure of loan write-offs.Follow Bumppy Media on Instagram for more updates: Bumppy Media Instagram Page Latest Data Raises Transparency QuestionsThe RTI response has also drawn attention to the disclosure of borrower identities. According to the reporting on the response, SBI did not provide the names of the large borrowers, citing exemptions under the RTI Act related to commercial confidence, fiduciary information and personal information.The issue has attracted scrutiny because SBI had reportedly disclosed such names to the same applicant in 2020. However, the current RTI response and the NCLT recovery figures should be viewed separately from any claims about individual borrowers.Key HighlightsSBI wrote off ₹1,51,857 crore involving borrowers owing more than ₹100 crore.Recovery against these write-offs was ₹20,838 crore, around 14%.SBI referred 309 accounts to NCLT or similar forums over nine years.Claims in those accounts totalled ₹1,49,895 crore.Recovery through resolution plans was ₹49,727 crore.NCLT settlements resulted in a reported ₹1,00,168 crore gap, or about 67% of claims.ConclusionThe RTI data highlights the scale of SBI's bad-loan recovery challenge involving large borrowers over the past decade. The bank's write-offs and NCLT settlements represent different processes and should not be combined as a single loss figure. The numbers nevertheless show a significant gap between loan claims and eventual recoveries in several cases. The disclosures are likely to keep attention focused on banking recovery mechanisms, insolvency resolutions and transparency around high-value borrowers.Disclaimer: This article is provided only for knowledge and news-information purposes and is based on publicly reported RTI data. A loan write-off does not by itself mean that the borrower's legal repayment obligation has been cancelled.
