Commenting on the bank's financial performance in the wake of tumbling capital markets, the PNB chairman and managing director told PTI in an interview, "In equity, I am not making money, but in fixed income securities, I will be making money... treasury profit is always speculative profit, we are not gamblers."
"My total treasury profit may be Rs 200-300 crore (Rs 2-3 billion), against my operating profit of Rs 4,500 crore (Rs 45 billion). So, I don't bother for that," he said.
Undeterred by the adverse market conditions and economic slowdown in the wake of a global financial crisis, he exuded confidence of maintaining a good growth in profitability during the current financial year.
"About 20 per cent (of profit growth)... that's what we will be able to maintain (in this financial year)," he said.
Stating that there was no pressure on the bank's profitability at the moment, he said: "I have to always work under pressure, but whatever is our targeted growth, we will be able to maintain."
Chakrabarty asserted that in the present conditions too he was not finding any risk in lending to private lenders like Citibank and ICICI Bank, which he said was "safe".
"As of today, they (ICICI Bank) are a safe bank. I have no fear. That (lending) is my job. I assess the risk. I know nothing is going to happen... we are more afraid of lending to media people," he said.
