Nagaland: NStCB records 5.79% rise in net profit, announces 8% dividend

•    Launches two loan schemes at 57th AGM•    Records improved credit-to-deposit ratio, lower net NPAs Dimapur, October 21 (MExN): The Nagaland State Cooperative Bank Ltd. (NStCB) recorded a 5.79% increase in net profit to Rs 13.195 crore during the 2025–26 financial year, alongside 2.82% growth in overall business.Presenting the results during its 57th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 16, NStCB Managing Director Jonah Sema highlighted improvements in the bank’s credit-to-deposit ratio, asset quality and membership during the year.According to a press release from NStCB, the bank’s credit-to-deposit ratio improved from 68.68% to 73.46%, while gross non-performing assets (NPAs) declined to 12.24% and net NPAs fell to 0.25%.Its Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) stood at 28.47%, far exceeding the Reserve Bank of India’s prescribed minimum requirement of 9%, it said.Total bank deposits stood at Rs 1,147.46 crore as of December 31, 2026, while financial advances grew by 6.94%, it added.Total membership rose by 5.03%, reaching 4,532 members.Board members, cooperative society delegates and officials during the 57th Annual General Meeting of the Nagaland State Cooperative Bank Ltd. in Dimapur on October 16. ( Photo Courtesy: NStCB Photo) Meanwhile, NStCB projected a 10.50% increase in total owned funds under its Development Action Plan for 2026–27, from Rs 13,796.97 lakh as of March 31, 2026, to Rs 15,245.49 lakh by the end of the financial year.The AGM, held at the bank’s registered head office in Dimapur, was attended by delegates from cooperative societies across Nagaland, district board members and the General Manager (OIC) of the NABARD Regional Office, Dimapur.The meeting approved an 8% dividend payout to shareholders.According to the release, the payout was endorsed by the Board of Directors at its 320th meeting on August 28, 2026, and subsequently approved by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies.Addressing the occasion, Commissioner and Secretary for Cooperation, Nagaland, Orenthung Lotha, stressed the need for coordination among the bank’s board, management and shareholders. He urged the bank to adopt modern banking technologies, regulate operational expenditure and improve administrative efficiency.Lotha also launched two loan schemes: the PACS Integrated Value Chain Development Scheme (PIVCDS), which provides credit support to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) for procurement, processing, value addition, storage, packaging and marketing logistics; and the Need Bridge Loan Scheme, a retail credit product intended to provide eligible individuals with convenient financing for personal and lifestyle expenses. Presenting the statutory auditor’s report, board member Nungsang Aier said the bank received an audit grade of B+, scoring 70.90 marks across indicators covering capital adequacy, asset quality, management, earnings, liquidity and compliance controls.Registrar of Cooperative Societies Bendangla Longkumer oversaw the board elections, in which Voto Neikha was declared elected unopposed to represent Sede Agri & Allied Cooperative Society Ltd. from Kohima district.Longkumer advised the bank to maintain oversight of loan quality, internal controls and NPA management, emphasising that the institution’s success should be measured by the economic empowerment of primary cooperatives and rural families.The AGM also reviewed the role of the bank’s PACS Development Cell in transforming primary agricultural credit societies into sustainable, multi-service grassroots business hubs.NABARD General Manager (OIC) P. Bulte highlighted March 31, 2027, as the deadline for completing all systemic parameters under the nationwide PACS Computerisation Project. He urged the 231 PACS covered under the scheme in Nagaland to coordinate with audit and system integration teams.The meeting also featured the distribution of certificates and cash prizes to top-performing cooperative societies, self-help groups, joint liability groups and bank branches across A, B and C categories, the release informed.