Trend of softening interest rate is here to stay, says Rajnish Kumar

SBI recently sprang a surprise by reporting a sharp rise in retail loan slippages in the Q1 FY17

The country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), recently sprang a surprise by reporting a sharp rise in retail loan slippages in the first quarter ended June 2017. Terming it as an unusual quarter in view of the bank’s merger with five of its associate banks, Rajnish Kumar, managing director (National Banking Group), SBI, tells Abhijit Lele that the lender has a firm grip on asset quality. He also says interest rates will trend downwards. Edited excerpts:
 
The market got a surprise by huge retail loan slippages, and you described it as an unusual quarter. Should it be