‘Retail loans will be the focus after IPO’

MUMBAI: In the first IPO by a private sector lender in a decade, Kolhapur-headquartered RBL Bank on Wednesday announced a ₹1,230-crore initial public offering, which will hit the market on August 19.

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The company will sell shares in a price band of ₹224-225, and is looking to raise ₹832.50 crore, MD and CEO Vishwavir Ahuja told HT. Excerpts.

RBL was earlier a regional bank. How much has changed in last six years?

The internal cultural transformation has gone down very well. We are present in 16 states. There is a one-bank approach.

What segments will you focus on?

We want to improve the ratio of corporate and retail loans from 60:40 to equal balance.

What new products are you looking at in retail segment?

In the last 18 months, we have focussed more on the secured lending portfolio, including loan against property with good cash flows. We will get into personal loans, and then take it to the next level, as we evaluate the needs of small entrepreneurs.

Your plans after the IPO?

The IPO is more to say we are matured enough to create transparency, visibility, regulatory comfort and so on. Raising funds is not a challenge for us.