Kolkata, Feb 15 (PTI) Private sector lender Axis Bank today said it is planning to raise the retail portfolio soon. "We want to increase retail portfolio to 25 per cent of the total lending in the near future," Axis Bank executive director SK Chakrabarti said here today on the sidelines of an interactive session with Merchants Chamber of Commerce.

Currently, its total retail portfolio constitutes 21 per cent of its transactions on a retail asset size of Rs 19,000 crore. Charkrabarti said the bank, despite trying to increase the retail portfolio, will not get into rate war in any of the retail lending segments.

Speaking about auto loan, he said it constitutes 17 per cent of the retail business and it wants it to expand but with adequate check and balance to maintain asset quality. Asked about possibility of NPA in the coming quarters, Chakrabarti said though 2 per cent of its total asset was restructured recently after the slowdown and some portion of that may turn stress-asset but it will be manageable.

Chakrabarti expressed confidence in maintaining profit growth despite lower treasury income in coming quarters. PTI BSM MD BEN