New Delhi, May 1 -- State-owned Uco Bank expects its micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) portfolio to remain stable despite global headwinds, managing director and chief executive officer Ashwani Kumar told Mint in an interview on Thursday. The bank is eyeing a retail lending boost and is stepping up investments in technology to drive growth, he said.

While geopolitical tensions and supply-chain disruptions could have some impact, Kumar expressed confidence that policy support would help cushion the sector. Uco Bank expects its MSME loan growth to remain around 20% in the current fiscal year. The share of MSME loans in the bank's total advances is nearly 20%.

The bank's MSME loan book is at around Rs.46,000 crore, with special me...