Equitas Small Finance Bank, based in India, reported a substantial increase in its fourth-quarter net profit, which surged to ₹213 crore (approximately $26 million USD), compared to ₹42 crore in the same quarter last year. This impressive growth was driven by an expanded business, enhanced asset quality, and lower provisions, with the pre-provision operating profit rising by 30% to ₹403 crore from ₹311 crore. The bank's provisions decreased to ₹124 crore from ₹258 crore a year earlier. Despite the quarterly success, the annual net profit fell by 30% to ₹103 crore, down from ₹147 crore in the previous fiscal year. The bank's net interest margin also improved to 7.29%, reflecting a 57 basis points increase from the preceding quarter. Equitas achieved a 22% year-on-year growth in gross advances, totaling ₹46,165 crore, primarily due to a 21% expansion in its non-microfinance portfolio, which accounted for 88% of the total. The bank's microfinance portfolio also showed growth, reaching ₹5,756 crore. Additionally, the gross non-performing assets (NPA) ratio improved to 2.49%, while the net NPA ratio decreased to 0.68% from 0.88% a year ago. However, the deposit growth was relatively modest at 8%, totaling ₹46,533 crore.