1. At a Glance
Central Bank of India, once the poster boy of NPAs, now flirts with profitability. With EPS growing 5x in 3 years, a foray into insurance, and gross NPAs finally (finally!) below 3.2%, the old-timer PSU is showing signs of life. But is it too little, too late?
2. Introduction with Hook
If public sector banks were Bollywood characters, Central Bank was the tragic sidekick—always in trouble, always ignored.
Now?
It’s gone from “Please merge me” to “Please rate me.”
- EPS up from ₹1.24 (FY22) to ₹4.81 (FY25)
- Net NPA down to 0.50%
- Entered insurance via stake in Future Generali
After years in PCA purgatory, CBI’s breakout might just be the sleeper hit of PSU banking.
3. Business Model (WTF Do They Even Do?)
They’re a classic PSU bank — but here’s how the income flows:
- Retail & Corporate Banking (Core bread & butter)
- Treasury Operations (Govt. securities, forex, bonds)
- Insurance Collab – Recent 25% stake in both FGIICL (General) & FGILICL (Life)
The bank is trying to shift gears from lending to also distributing — pushing more third-party products, and even tying up for co-lending with fintechs.
