Bank of Baroda technically wrote off ₹35,715 crore in loans involving borrowers with outstanding dues of ₹100 crore and above between FY2020-21 and FY2025-26, while recovering ₹9,946 crore from such accounts during the same period, according to figures disclosed by the state-run bank in response to an Right to Information application. The bank also reported ₹7,817 crore as the amount written off while settling large loan accounts after accepting haircuts, but declined to disclose borrower-wise details.
The figures were provided in an RTI reply dated July 30, 2026, in response to an application filed on June 21 by Pune-based activist Vivek Velankar. The disclosure provides year-wise data on technical write-offs, recoveries and amounts associated with settlements involving loan accounts of ₹100 crore and above.
The bank said the ₹35,715 crore represented technical write-offs, an accounting treatment that does not by itself mean that recovery efforts have stopped.
₹35,715 Crore Technically Written Off Over Six Financial Years
Bank of Baroda reported its largest technical write-offs in FY2020-21 and FY2021-22. In FY2020-21, loans worth ₹11,916 crore were technically written off, followed by ₹11,261 crore in FY2021-22.
The amount declined to ₹8,733 crore in FY2022-23 and further to ₹2,055 crore in FY2023-24. Technical write-offs stood at ₹1,750 crore in FY2024-25, while the bank reported no such write-off for FY2025-26 in the figures disclosed.
Together, the six financial years accounted for technical write-offs of ₹35,715 crore involving accounts with outstanding loans of at least ₹100 crore.
Against this amount, Bank of Baroda reported cumulative recoveries of ₹9,946 crore. Year-wise recoveries were ₹1,892 crore in FY2020-21, ₹1,597 crore in FY2021-22 and ₹1,993 crore in FY2022-23. The bank recovered ₹1,708 crore in FY2023-24, ₹1,392 crore in FY2024-25 and ₹1,364 crore in FY2025-26.
The cumulative recovery works out to about 28 per cent of the amount technically written off during the period covered by the disclosure.
Velankar described the figures as concerning because they related to borrowers with dues exceeding ₹100 crore. He questioned the scale of the write-offs compared with the amount subsequently recovered.
₹7,817 Crore Reported as Haircut in Loan Settlements
The RTI application also sought information about large loan accounts settled through the National Company Law Tribunal or other forums after banks accepted haircuts.
Bank of Baroda declined to provide borrower-wise information but disclosed aggregate figures from FY2020-21 to FY2025-26. According to the reply, ₹7,817 crore was reported as the write-off amount taken by the bank while settling technically written-off loan accounts above ₹100 crore.
The highest amount was recorded in FY2021-22 at ₹3,132 crore. This was followed by ₹2,331 crore in FY2020-21 and ₹1,831 crore in FY2022-23. The corresponding figure fell sharply to ₹155 crore in FY2023-24 before rising to ₹368 crore in FY2024-25. No amount was reported for FY2025-26.
Velankar argued that the figures indicated that the bank had forgone substantial amounts while settling large loan accounts. He also questioned why the identities of large borrowers remained undisclosed.
However, the RTI material itself does not establish whether any particular borrower was a wilful defaulter, whether a loan had originally been sanctioned improperly, or whether any bank official or director faced disciplinary or legal action in relation to the accounts.
Bank Declines to Name Large Borrowers
One of the central issues raised by the RTI response concerns the bank’s refusal to disclose the identities of borrowers whose large loans were technically written off or settled after haircuts.
Velankar had sought the names of borrowers whose loans above ₹100 crore were technically written off during the relevant financial years, along with the amounts involved.
Bank of Baroda rejected the request for borrower-wise information, stating that the information was personal in nature and related to third parties and that disclosure would amount to an unwarranted invasion of privacy. It cited Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, 2005.
For information relating to borrowers whose loans were settled through the NCLT or other forums after accepting haircuts, the bank again declined to disclose borrower-wise details, citing exemptions under Sections 8(1)(d), 8(1)(e) and 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.
The bank also said that some of the information sought for technical write-offs and recoveries was not readily available in the requested format and that compiling it would disproportionately divert resources under Section 7(9) of the Act. It nevertheless provided aggregate and year-wise figures available from FY2020-21 onwards.
Velankar questioned why large borrowers whose accounts resulted in substantial losses for banks should remain unidentified when smaller borrowers can face public recovery proceedings. He also raised questions over accountability for those involved in sanctioning and managing large loans.
The disclosed figures show the scale of large loan write-offs at Bank of Baroda. Between FY2020-21 and FY2025-26, the bank reported ₹35,715 crore in technical write-offs involving accounts above ₹100 crore, recoveries of ₹9,946 crore and, separately, ₹7,817 crore associated with haircuts or write-offs in settlements of such accounts.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
