Banking · 14 Aug 2026 · 3 min read
FD rates at SBI, HDFC, ICICI, PNB and Axis in August 2026 — where regular depositors get the best deal
General (non-senior) FD rates across India's top five banks range from 6.00% to 6.60% in August 2026. Here's a tenure-by-tenure comparison and how to pick the best combination.
With the RBI holding the repo rate at 5.25% at its August meeting, fixed deposit rates at India’s largest banks have stayed broadly flat through the month — but the spread between banks on the same tenure is still wide enough to matter for a regular (non-senior) depositor.
Rates across the top five banks (below ₹3 crore)
| Bank | 1-year | 3-year | 5-year | Highest rate offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBI | 6.25% | 6.30% | 6.05% | 6.45% (444-day Amrit Vrishti) |
| HDFC Bank | 6.25% | 6.45% | 6.40% | 6.50% (3 yr 1 day – <4 yr 7 mo) |
| ICICI Bank | 6.25% | 6.45% | 6.50% | 6.50% (3 yr 1 day – 10 yr) |
| PNB | 6.25% | 6.30% | 6.35% | 6.60% (444-day special) |
| Axis Bank | 6.25% | 6.50% | 6.50% | 6.50% (18 months – 10 yr) |
Rates as of 29 July 2026. Source: Zee Business — FD rates in August 2026.
What stands out
- 1-year rates are nearly identical across all five banks at 6.25%, so short-tenure deposits offer little reason to shop around.
- PNB’s 444-day special deposit at 6.60% is the single highest rate on the table — narrowly ahead of the 6.50% ceiling most private banks cap out at.
- SBI trails on longer tenures, paying only 6.05% for 5-year deposits versus 6.40–6.50% at HDFC, ICICI and Axis for a similar lock-in.
- PSU bank 10-year rates lag private banks by up to 0.50 percentage points — SBI and PNB both sit near 6.00-6.05%, while ICICI and Axis pay 6.50%.
What this means for you
- If you don’t need the funds locked beyond a year, the rate difference between banks is too small to justify switching your primary bank account.
- For 3–5 year deposits, private banks (HDFC, ICICI, Axis) are currently paying 0.20–0.45 percentage points more than SBI on comparable tenures — worth checking before you renew a maturing FD.
- Special-tenure deposits (like PNB’s 444-day option or SBI’s Amrit Vrishti) often beat standard slabs, so always ask for the bank’s current “special” scheme rather than assuming the standard 1/3/5-year rate is the best on offer.
- FD interest is fully taxable at your slab rate, so compare offers on a post-tax basis using the FD calculator before locking in.
Compare live bank FD rates across lenders before you book a deposit.
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