SBI loans get costlier; lending rates up by 50 basis points

Country's largest bank State Bank of India Thursday raised lending rates by 50 basis points, making its home, auto and corporate loans costlier.

The bank revised the base rate, or the minimum lending rate, upwards by 50 basis points from 9.50% to 10%, effective from August 13, State Bank of India (SBI) said in a statement.

The benchmark prime lending rate (BPLR) also goes up by similar percentage points to 14.75%, making loans for existing borrowers dearer by at least 50 basis points.

Following the Reserve Bank's decision to raise short-term key rates in its first quarter review of monetary policy last month, lenders responded by increasing interest rates. Over two dozen banks, including Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Oriental Bank of Commerce have raised interest rates.

The RBI raised the short-term lending (repo) rate by 50 basis points to 8% and the short-term borrowing (reverse repo) rate by a same margin to 7%. The central bank hiked key policy rates 11 times since March 2010 in its bid to tame inflation.

Subsequently, the interest rate under the Marginal Standing Facility, an additional borrowing window, has gone up to 9% from the earlier level of 8.5%.