BR Initiatives
The formal banking system is yet to completely penetrate the largely unbanked rural areas of India. We share the RBI’s vision for Financial Inclusion (FI) and
actively participate in the national FI agenda. Through this agenda, we reach out to some of the disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised sections of society.
And empower them with financial solutions like basic savings accounts, Electronic Benefit Transfers (EBT) and Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT).
We have also successfully implemented our three-year Financial Inclusion Plan (FIP) introduced in 2010, and have rolled out our new three-year FIP in 2013
with renewed vigour. (Latest information?)
We are committed to the national Financial Inclusion agenda and continually explore opportunities to bring the formal banking system a step closer to our
rural populace. Our committed and concerted efforts with Amul Dairy and National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) have resulted in the unveiling of
Kotak Samridhi – a first-of-its-kind financial inclusion programme for milk-producing farmers, to be launched on NPCI's RuPay platform.
As part of this initiative, farmers of registered milk unions in the Hooghly and Bardhaman districts of West Bengal receive payments against supply of milk
through the bank, using card products or accounts.
We see rural India as an opportunity, not just a means to fulfill our agriculture and priority-sector lending obligations. In increasing our presence here,
through the addition of four agriculture-specialised branches and 137 branches in tier 2 to 6 towns, we hope to reach and serve our customers better.
We have a strong presence in tractor financing, and our agriculture portfolio also includes agri-processing units, traders in grain and pulses, exporters,
warehouses and cold storage. Our agri-business solutions are designed to capture the complete agricultural value chain end-to-end, and provide multiple
financial options of superior value. We have also been able to successfully leverage our in-depth understanding of these customers’ business practices and
seasonal variations to create customised banking products that work best for them.