Top Reasons Why India's Corporate Prefer Market Bonds and Not Bank Loans

Indian firms are rewriting their rulebook for raising money as bonds edge past traditional bank credit.

Can a company survive without steady loans from banks? For decades, that was the common route for every Indian corporate. But times are changing. 

According to the Reserve Bank of India’s Financial Stability Report released in June 2025, fresh corporate bond issues touched ₹9.9 trillion in FY25, the highest in history. The total outstanding stock of corporate bonds climbed to ₹53.6 trillion in March 2025. India corporate financing trends 2025 now show a clear shift towards the bond market.

Firms Prefer Bonds Over Bank Loans

The latest numbers confirm the swing. The Economic Times in August 2025 reported that in the first quarter of FY26, bank loans made up only 22 per cent of corporate fundraising. 

This compares with 31.3 per cent in Q1 FY25 and 44.6 per cent in Q1 FY24. Companies are using debt markets more aggressively to manage costs and avoid slow bank lending.

The table below shows the changing share of bank loans in corporate fundraising.
 

The fall in bank lending shows how the shift from bank loans to corporate bonds in India is becoming structural, not seasonal.

What Are Alternative Financing Options For Indian Companies?

Corporate finance experts define alternative financing as every source outside of a traditional bank loan. This includes bonds, commercial papers, equity placements and external borrowings. SEBI reforms have made private placements easier, especially with the use of the electronic book building platform for issues above ₹20 crore.

RBI has also set foreign portfolio investor limits. The corporate bond cap stood at ₹8.22 trillion between April and September 2025. It will rise to ₹8.80 trillion between October 2025 and March 2026, according to RBI’s April 2025 release.

This explains why more firms are choosing short-term bonds to raise funds while waiting for banks to cut lending rates.

The table shows how short-term bonds grew in popularity in 2025.
 

This steady rise shows how alternative financing options for Indian companies are reducing their reliance on banks.

Past Coverage And The Future Of Corporate Bond Market In India

Earlier reports on our desk have covered how firms delayed investment decisions due to slow demand. In April 2024, the Indian Express published a piece on slower corporate loan growth. That report explained why companies were cautious about new projects. The present data completes that picture. Companies not only delayed loans but also turned directly to bonds.

A recent LoansJagat article, “Indian Pension Managers Request to Relax Bond Investment Guidelines”, shows how institutional investors are seeking regulatory easing to widen their access to corporate bonds. 

The NSE-Assocham Corporate Bond Report 2024 forecast that India’s corporate bond market could double by FY30, reaching between ₹100 trillion and ₹120 trillion. RBI data in March 2025 already shows the outstanding stock at ₹53.6 trillion.

The table highlights the growth and projection of the bond market.
 

The future of the corporate bond market in India is thus linked with reforms, investor demand and the slow pace of bank lending.

Government And Bank Reaction In Earlier Years

The government and regulators have long tried to reduce stress on banks by expanding bond markets. In 2010-11, the ratio of private placements of corporate bonds to non-food bank credit was 0.09, according to an RBI paper published by the Bank for International Settlements in 2022. That ratio rose to 0.35 in 2020-21. By FY25, estimates suggest it had reached 0.50.

This long-term rise points to a steady policy move. Corporate debt restructuring through bonds in India has helped shift risk from banks to the wider market. When stressed loans are replaced with new bond issues, investors carry part of the burden that banks once bore.

The table below shows how the ratio of bonds to bank credit has changed over time.
 

The steady rise reflects how regulators are slowly shifting the financial load from bank sheets to capital markets.

Conclusion

India corporate financing trends 2025 show that companies are no longer dependent on banks alone. The shift from bank loans to corporate bonds in India is not temporary. It is becoming a permanent structure of the financial system. Alternative financing options for Indian companies are growing as reforms deepen.

The future of the corporate bond market in India looks large. If projections hold, the market could touch ₹120 trillion by FY30. Corporate debt restructuring through bonds in India will also increase as firms and investors accept bonds as a regular tool.

Banks are slowly losing their monopoly as lenders. The market is now the banker. The next decade will decide how strong this change becomes, but the direction is already clear.