1. We have audited the accompanying financialstatements of Bandhan Bank Limited (the"Bank") which comprise the Balance Sheet as atMarch 31, 2025, the Profit and Loss Account, the CashFlow Statement for the year then ended, and notesto the Financial Statements including a summary ofsignificant accounting policies and other explanatoryinformation ("the Financial Statements").
2. I n our opinion and to the best of our information
and according to the explanations given to us, theaforesaid financial statements give the informationrequired by the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 as well as
the Companies Act, 2013 ("the Act") and the circularsand guidelines issued by Reserve Bank of India, in the
manner so required for banking companies and are inconformity with the accounting principles generallyaccepted in India including the accounting standardsspecified under Section 133 of the Act as applicableto banks and give a true and fair view of the state ofaffairs of the Bank as at March 31, 2025, and its profitand its cash flows for the year ended on that date.
3. We conducted our audit in accordance with the Standardson Auditing (SAs) specified under Section 143(10) ofthe Act. Our responsibilities under those Standardsare further described in the "Auditor's Responsibilities
for the Audit of Financial Statements" section of ourreport. We are independent of the Bank in accordancewith the Code of Ethics issued by the Institute ofChartered Accountants of India ('ICAI') together with
the ethical requirements that are relevant to our auditof the Financial Statements under the provisions of theAct and the Rules thereunder, and we have fulfilled our
other ethical responsibilities in accordance with theserequirements and the Code of Ethics. We believe thatthe audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient andappropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
4. Key audit matters are those matters that, in ourprofessional judgment, were of most significance in
our audit of the Financial Statements of the currentyear. These matters were addressed in the context ofour audit of the Financial Statements as a whole and informing our opinion thereon, and we do not provide aseparate opinion on these matters. We have determinedthe matters described below to be the key audit matters:
Total NPA as at March 31, 2025: ?6,435.56 croreProvision for NPA as at March 31, 2025: ?4,742.71 crore
(Refer Schedule 9, 18.6 & 18.7 to the Financial Statements)
Key Audit Matter
How our audit addressed the key audit matter
Identification of NPA and measurement of provisionon account of NPA is made based on the assessmentof various criteria stipulated in the Reserve Bank ofIndia ('RBI') guidelines on 'Prudential Norms on Income
Recognition, Asset Classification and Provisioningpertaining to advances' ('IRACP').
The Bank is also required to apply its judgement todetermine the identification and provision required againstNPAs by applying quantitative as well as qualitative factors.The risk of identification of NPAs is affected by factors likestress and liquidity concerns in certain sectors.
The provision against advances is based on criteria suchas past due status, out of order status etc. The provisionin respect of such NPAs are made based on ageing andclassification of NPAs, recovery estimates, value ofsecurity, nature of loan products and other qualitativefactors and is subject to minimum provisioning levelsprescribed by the RBI and approved policy of the bankin this regard. In addition to this, for restructuredaccounts, provision is made for erosion/ diminution in fairvalue of restructured loans, in accordance with the RBIguidelines. Further, NPA classification is made borrowerwise whereby if one facility of the borrower becomesNPA then all facilities of such a borrower will be treatedas NPA.
• Tested the design and operating effectiveness of key controls(including application controls) over approval, recording,monitoring, and recovery of loans, monitoring overdue/stressed accounts, identification of NPA, provision for NPA,and valuation of security including collateral. Testing ofApplication controls includes testing of automated controls,reports and system reconciliations.
• Evaluated the governance process and tested controls overcalculations of provision on non-performing advances, basisof provisioning in accordance with the Board approved policy.
• Selected the borrowers based on quantitative and qualitativerisk factors for their assessment of appropriate classificationas NPA including computation of overdue ageing to assess itscorrect classification and provision amount as per the IRACPnorms and Bank policy.
We have identified 'Identification of NPA and
Performed other substantive procedures including but not
Provisioning on Advances' as a key audit matter in view of
limited to the following:
the significant level of estimation involved, as well as the
• Selected sample of performing loans and assessed them
stringent compliances laid down by the RBI in this regard.
independently as to whether these should be classifiedas NPA;
• For sample selected, examined the security valuation,financial statements and other qualitative information ofthe borrowers;
• Considered the accounts reported by the Bank and otherBanks as Special Mention Accounts ("SMA") in RBI's CentralRepository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC) toidentify stress;
• Performed inquiries with the credit and risk departments toascertain if there were indicators of stress or an occurrence ofan event of default in a particular loan account or any productcategory which needs to be considered as NPA;
• Assessed the appropriateness of asset classification andadequacy of related provisioning by performing proceduressuch as computation of overdue ageing, assessment ofborrower level, NPA identification and verification ofapplicable provision rates as per IRACP norms and Bank'sPolicy on test check basis; and assessed the adequacy ofdisclosures against the relevant accounting standards andRBI requirements relating to NPAs.
• We communicated the observations arising out of ourabove procedures with those charged with governanceand the management. The resultant modifications in ITprocedures to improve financial and operating controls havebeen implemented or expected to be implemented in thenear future. In the meanwhile, the management has madecompensating computations through specific manual orother off system exercises to which we have applied audittests, where necessary.
Information Technology ("IT") Systems and Controls impacting Financial Reporting
The Bank has a complex IT architecture to support its day-
Our procedures with respect to this matter included the
to-day business operations. High volume of transactions are
following:
processed and recorded on single or multiple applications.
In assessing the controls over the IT systems of the Bank, we
The reliability and security of IT systems plays a key role in
involved our technology specialists to obtain an understanding of
the business operations of the Bank. Since large volume of
the IT environment, IT infrastructure and IT systems. We evaluated
transactions are processed daily, the IT controls are required
and tested relevant IT general controls over the "in-scope" IT
to ensure that applications process data as expected and
systems and IT dependencies identified as relevant for our audit
that changes are made in an appropriate manner.
of the financial statements and financial reporting process of the
Appropriate IT general controls and application controls
Bank. On such "in-scope" IT systems, we have tested key IT general
are required to ensure that such IT systems are able to
controls with respect to the following domains:
process the data, as required, completely, accurately and
• Program change management, which includes that program
consistently for reliable financial reporting.
changes are moved to the production environment as perdefined procedures and relevant segregation of environmentis ensured.
• User access management, which includes user accessprovisioning, de-provisioning, access review, passwordmanagement, sensitive access rights and segregation of dutiesto ensure that privilege access to applications, operatingsystems and databases in the production environment weregranted only to authorised personnel.
We have identified 'IT systems and controls' as key audit
• Program development, which includes controls over IT
matter because of the high level automation, significant
application development or implementation and related
number of systems being used by the management and
infrastructure, which are relied upon for financial reporting.
the complexity of the IT architecture and its impact on
In addition, understood where relevant, changes made to the
the financial reporting system.
IT landscape during the audit period.
• IT operations, which includes job scheduling, monitoring andbackup and recovery.
We also evaluated the design and tested the operatingeffectiveness of relevant key IT dependencies within thekey business process, which included testing automatedcontrols, automated calculations/ accounting procedures,interfaces, segregation of duties and system generated reports,as applicable.
We communicated the observations arising out of our aboveprocedures with those charged with governance and themanagement. The resultant modifications in IT Proceduresto improve financial and operating controls have beenimplemented or expected to be implemented in the near future.In the meanwhile, the management has made compensatingcomputations through specific manual or other off systemexercises to which we have applied audit tests, where necessary.
5. The Bank's Board of Directors are responsible for theother information. The other information comprisesthe information included in the annual report butdoes not include the Financial Statements andour auditor's report thereon. The annual report isexpected to be made available to us after the date ofthis auditor's report.
Our opinion on the Financial Statements does notcover the other information and we will not expressany form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the FinancialStatements, our responsibility is to read the otherinformation identified above when it becomes
available and, in doing so, consider whether the otherinformation is materially inconsistent with the FinancialStatements or our knowledge obtained in the audit, orotherwise appears to be materially misstated. Whenwe read the annual report, if we conclude that thereis a material misstatement therein, we are requiredto communicate the matter to those charged withgovernance and take appropriate action as applicableunder the relevant laws and regulations.
6. The Bank's Board of Directors are responsible forthe matters stated in Section 134(5) of the Act,
with respect to the preparation and presentation ofthese Financial Statements that give a true and fairview of the financial position, financial performance
and cash flows of the Bank in accordance with theaccounting principles generally accepted in India,including the Accounting Standards specified underSection 133 of the Act read with the Companies(Accounting Standards) Rules, 2021, and the provisionsof Section 29 of the Banking Regulations Act, 1949and circulars, guidelines and directions issued bythe Reserve Bank of India ("RBI") from time to time.This responsibility also includes maintenance ofadequate accounting records in accordance with theprovisions of the Act for safeguarding of the assetsof the Bank and for preventing and detecting fraudsand other irregularities; selection and application ofappropriate accounting policies; making judgmentsand estimates that are reasonable and prudent;and design, implementation and maintenance ofadequate internal financial controls, that wereoperating effectively for ensuring the accuracy andcompleteness of the accounting records, relevantto the preparation and presentation of the FinancialStatements that give a true and fair view and are freefrom material misstatement, whether due to fraudor error.
In preparing the Financial Statements, the Board ofDirectors are responsible for assessing the Bank'sability to continue as a going concern, disclosing,as applicable, matters related to going concern andusing the going concern basis of accounting unlessmanagement and Board of Director either intends toliquidate the Bank or to cease operations, or has norealistic alternative but to do so.
The Board of Directors are also responsible foroverseeing the Bank's financial reporting process.
8. Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assuranceabout whether the Financial Statements as a wholeare free from material misstatement, whether dueto fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's reportthat includes our opinion. Reasonable assuranceis a high level of assurance but is not a guaranteethat an audit conducted in accordance with SAs willalways detect a material misstatement when it exists.Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and areconsidered material if, individually or in the aggregate,they could reasonably be expected to influence theeconomic decisions of users taken on the basis ofthese Financial Statements.
9. As part of an audit in accordance with SAs, we exerciseprofessional judgment and maintain professionalskepticism throughout the audit. We also:
• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatementof the Financial Statements, whether due to fraudor error, design and perform audit proceduresresponsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidencethat is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basisfor our opinion. The risk of not detecting a materialmisstatement resulting from fraud is higher than forone resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion,forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, orthe override of internal control.
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant tothe audit in order to design audit procedures that areappropriate in the circumstances. Under Section 143(3)(i) of the Act, we are also responsible for expressingour opinion on whether the Bank has internal financialcontrols with reference to the Financial Statements inplace and the operating effectiveness of such controls.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policiesused and the reasonableness of accounting estimatesand related disclosures made by management ofthe Bank.
• Conclude on the appropriateness of management's useof the going concern basis of accounting and, basedon the audit evidence obtained, whether a materialuncertainty exists related to events or conditionsthat may cast significant doubt on the Bank's abilityto continue as a going concern. If we conclude thata material uncertainty exists, we are required todraw attention in our auditor's report to the relateddisclosures in the Financial Statements or, if suchdisclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Ourconclusions are based on the audit evidence obtainedup to the date of our auditor's report. However, futureevents or conditions may cause the Bank to cease tocontinue as a going concern.
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure andcontent of the Financial Statements, including thedisclosures, and whether the Financial Statementsrepresent the underlying transactions and events ina manner that achieves fair presentation.
10. We communicate with those charged with governanceregarding, among other matters, the planned scopeand timing of the audit and significant audit findings,including any significant deficiencies in internal controlthat we identify during our audit.
11. We also provide those charged with governance witha statement that we have complied with relevantethical requirements regarding independence, andto communicate with them all relationships andother matters that may reasonably be thought tobear on our independence, and where applicable,related safeguards.
12. From the matters communicated with those chargedwith governance, we determine those matters thatwere of most significance in the audit of the FinancialStatements of the current year and are therefore thekey audit matters. We describe these matters in ourauditor's report unless law or regulation precludespublic disclosure about the matter or when, inextremely rare circumstances, we determine that amatter should not be communicated in our reportbecause the adverse consequences of doing sowould reasonably be expected to outweigh the publicinterest benefits of such communication.
13. The financial statements of the Bank for the year endedMarch 31, 2024 were jointly audited by Singhi & Co.and M M Nissim & Co. LLP, who vide their audit reportdated May 17, 2024 issued an unmodified opinion
on the audited financial statements. Accordingly,V. Sankar Aiyar & Co., do not express any opinionon the comparable figures reported in the financialstatements for the year ended March 31, 2024.
Our opinion is not modified in respect of the
above matter.
14. In our opinion, the Balance Sheet and the Profit andLoss Account have been drawn up in accordance withthe provisions of Section 29 of the Banking RegulationAct, 1949 and Section 133 of the Act.
15. As required by sub-section (3) of Section 30 of theBanking Regulation Act, 1949, we report that:
(a) we have obtained all the information andexplanations which, to the best of our knowledgeand belief, were necessary for the purpose of ouraudit and have found them to be satisfactory;
(b) the transactions of the Bank, which have cometo our notice, have been within the powers ofthe Bank;
(c) Since the key operations of the Bank areautomated with the key applications integratedto the core banking system, the audit is carriedout centrally at the Bank's Head Office locatedin Kolkata, as all the necessary records anddata required for the purposes of our audit areavailable there. During the course of our audit,we have visited 20 branches and 24 bankingunits to examine the books of account and otherrecords maintained at the branch and performedother relevant audit procedures.
16. As required by Section 143(3) of the Act, we report that:
(a) We have sought and obtained all the informationand explanations which to the best of ourknowledge and belief were necessary for thepurposes of our audit;
(b) In our opinion, proper books of account as
required by law have been kept by the Bank sofar as it appears from our examination of thosebooks, except for the matters stated in paragraph16(h)(vi) below on reporting under Rule 11(g) ofthe Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014(as amended) ("the Rules");
(c) The Balance Sheet, the Profit and Loss Accountand the Cash Flow Statement dealt with bythis report are in agreement with the booksof account;
(d) In our opinion, the aforesaid Financial Statementscomply with the Accounting Standards specifiedunder Section 133 of the Act read with Companies(Accounting Standards) Rules 2021, to the extent
they are not inconsistent with the guidelinesprescribed by RBI;
(e) On the basis of the written representationsreceived from the directors as on March 31, 2025
and taken on record by the Board of Directors,none of the directors is disqualified as on March31, 2025 from being appointed as a director interms of Section 164(2) of the Act;
(f) The modifications relating to the maintenance ofaccounts and other matters connected therewith,reference is made to our remarks in paragraph16(b) above on reporting under Section 143(3)(b) of the act and paragraph 16(h)(vi) below onreporting under Rule 11 (g) of the Rules;
(g) With respect to the adequacy of the internalfinancial controls with reference to FinancialStatements of the Bank and the operatingeffectiveness of such controls, refer to ourseparate report in "Annexure A"; and
(h) With respect to the other matters to be includedin the Auditor's Report in accordance with Rule11 of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules,2014 (as amended), in our opinion and to thebest of our information and according to theexplanations given to us:
i. The Bank has disclosed the impact ofpending litigations on its financial positionin its Financial Statements - Refer Schedule12 & 18.17 to the Financial Statements;
ii. The Bank did not have any long term contractincluding derivative contracts for which
there were material foreseeable losses;
iii. There has been no delay in transferringamounts, required to be transferred, tothe Investor Education and ProtectionFund by the Bank, during the year endedMarch 31, 2025;
iv. (a) The management has represented that,
to the best of its knowledge and belief,other than as disclosed in the Schedule
18.34 to the Financial Statements, nofunds have been advanced or loaned orinvested (either from borrowed fundsor share premium or any other sourcesor kind of funds) by the Bank to or in anyother person(s) or entity(ies), includingforeign entities ("Intermediaries"), withthe understanding, whether recordedin writing or otherwise, that theIntermediary shall, whether, directly orindirectly, lend or invest in other personsor entities identified in any mannerwhatsoever by or on behalf of the Bank("Ultimate Beneficiaries") or provideany guarantee, security or the like onbehalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries;
(b) The management has represented that,to the best of its knowledge and belief,other than as disclosed in the Schedule
18.34 to the Financial Statements,no funds have been received by theBank from any person(s) or entity(ies),including foreign entities ("FundingParties"), with the understanding,whether recorded in writing orotherwise, that the Bank shall, whether,directly or indirectly, lend or invest inother persons or entities identifiedin any manner whatsoever by or onbehalf of the Funding Party ("UltimateBeneficiaries") or provide anyguarantee, security or the like on behalfof the Ultimate Beneficiaries; and
(c) Based on such audit procedures that weconsidered reasonable and appropriatein the circumstances; nothing hascome to our notice that has causedus to believe that the representationsunder sub-clause (a) and (b) contain anymaterial misstatement.
v. (a) The final dividend proposed in the
Previous Year, declared and paid by thebank during the year is in accordancewith the Section 123 of the Act, asapplicable; and
(b) As stated in Schedule 18.3 to the
Financial Statements, the Board ofDirectors of the Bank have proposeddividend for the financial year 2024¬25 which is subject to the approval ofthe members at the ensuing AnnualGeneral Meeting. The amount ofdividend proposed is in accordance withSection 123 of the Act, as applicable,until the date of this report.
vi. Based on our examination, which includedtest checks, the Bank has used variousaccounting software for maintaining itsbooks of account which have a featureof recording audit trail (edit log) facility,which have operated throughout the yearfor all relevant transactions recorded in thesoftware, except;
(a) the audit trail configured at Databaselevel logs record only modified values in
respect of two accounting software(s).
Further, for one of these applications,the changes to capture pre-modifiedvalues was implemented fromMarch 25, 2025.
(b) the audit trail to log any direct datachanges was enabled at database levelin case of one accounting software,from May 25, 2024.
Based on our procedures performed,we did not observe any instance oftampering with the audit trail exceptin respect of periods and systems asmentioned above wherein we areunable to comment upon in absenceof audit trails. Further, the audittrail, to the extent maintained in theprior year, has been preserved bythe Company as per the statutoryrequirements for record retentionexcept in case of two sunset softwarediscontinued during Previous Year andone accounting software wherein audittrail was enabled at database levelfrom February 18, 2024.
7. I n our opinion and to the best of our informationand according to the explanations given to us,the provisions of Section 197 of the Act are notapplicable to the Bank by virtue of Section 35B(2A)of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. Accordingly, thereporting under Section 197(16) of the Act regardingpayment/ provision for managerial remuneration inaccordance with the requisite approvals mandated bythe provisions of Section 197 read with Schedule V tothe Act, is not applicable.
For Singhi & Co. For V. Sankar Aiyar & Co.
Chartered Accountants Chartered Accountants
(Firm Registration No. 302049E) (Firm Registration No. 109208W)
Ravi Kapoor Karthik Srinivasan
Partner Partner
Membership No. 040404 Membership No. 514998
UDIN: 25040404BMLAOP6295 UDIN: 25514998BMLGKR9919
Place: Kolkata Place: Kolkata
Date: April 30, 2025 Date: April 30, 2025