The Indian banking industry's return on assets (RoA) is expected to slip 10-15 basis points to 1.1-1.2% this fiscal from around 1.3% last fiscal, Crisil Ratings said in a report, citing reduced treasury income and pre-emptive provisioning ahead of the expected credit loss (ECL) framework. Despite the moderation, RoA will remain well above the 20-year average of 0.8% and 10-year average of 0.6%, the ratings agency noted. "The banking sector's net interest margin (NIM) is expected to hold steady at 2.9% this fiscal, after declining 20 basis points (bps) last fiscal," said Subha Sri Narayanan, Director, Crisil Ratings. "Outstanding deposit rates fell ~50 bps against a decrease of ~80 bps in lending rates last fiscal, following a cumulative repo rate cut of 125 bps. However, the cost of liabilities has likely bottomed out. As credit growth continues to outpace deposit growth, competition for deposits remains intense. This, coupled with increasing reliance on pricier funding sources such as bulk deposits, would likely push deposit costs up," she added.