SBI creates ₹10,000 cr Covid-19 loan book for vaccine makers & healthcare sector

The State Bank of India on Friday said that the lender is planning to create a Covid-19 loan book of ₹10,000 crore for the healthcare sector and pharma companies in India. Vaccine makers Bharat Biotech, Biological E and Serum Institute of India have already received credit-lines from India’s largest lender. The announcement came after the Reserve Bank of India earlier announced some liquidity-boosting measures to help the economy battered with second wave of coronavirus pandemic. RBI said that it would make available an on-tap liquidity window of ₹50,000 crore under which banks can provide fresh lending support to a wide range of entities, including vaccine makers, importers of vaccines, Covid-related drugs and priority medical devices, hospitals, pathology labs, manufacturers and suppliers of oxygen and ventilators.