However, the previous year's numbers are not comparable as, since then, ING Vysya Bank has merged with Kotak Bank . MUMBAI: Two leading private banks - HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra - kicked off the earnings season with decent profits, but with a marginal increase in bad loans too. Earlier this year, the central bank had asked lenders to make provisions for a Rs 26,000-crore loan extended to the state after food grains went missing.Kotak Bank, too, reported stress in small businesses. A report by Jefferies earlier this month said that it expects HDFC Bank to continue to increase market share on the back of its strong capital position. The bank's share price fell nearly 3% to Rs 761 following the results.HDFC MD and CEO Aditya Puri, however, played down the increase in bad loans.

Source: Economic Times July 21, 2016 19:18 UTC