State Bank of India (SBI) is gearing up to tap the rising potential in the Bhopal circle.
To widen its reach in potential areas, SBI has embarked upon an expansion programme in the Bhopal circle that covers subscribers in states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. This plan will be completed by next year and will entail increase in headcount, branch expansion, more ATMs and creating alternative channels to offer banking services.
Speaking to Business Standard, Dinesh Kumar Jain, chief general manager, Bhopal circle, said: “We will open 140 more branches to render our customer-friendly services in rural, semi-urban and city areas of both the states. There are newly developed townships, colonies and residential areas in towns like Bhopal, Raipur and Indore, where we do not have a presence but they have good potential in banking.”
The bank is recruiting in a major way and will hire 20,000 personnel this year all over India. “Of those the Bhopal circle will accommodate 2,500-3,000 people in various cadres; clerks, recovery officers and officers.
We have already recruited 900 clerks approximately this fiscal (March 2008) and we are in the process of recruiting more techno-savvy dynamic and energetic younger personnel in clerk, recovery and probationary officers grade. As many as 300 probationary officers and 1,100 recovery officers are likely to join the Bhopal circle,” he added.
In view of the record hits received at some of its ATMs, the bank has planned to set up more ATMs.
Besides, the bank is also planning to launch mobile ATMs in Bhopal and other big cities of the states. “We have plans to establish 350 more ATMs in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh,” Jain added, “the circle will soon start mobile ATMs in bigger cities. The facility is operational in Raipur of Chhattisgarh.”
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The Bhopal circle of the bank has a deposit base of Rs 30,000 crore and advances have touched Rs 20,000 crore. With the opening of the branch the bank is expecting the deposit figure to reach Rs 32000 crore.
(expected to touch Rs 30000 next week) advances to reach Rs 20000 crore vis-à-vis Rs 16000 crore as on March 2008. “Our focus is to migrate people from bank and use an alternate channel to do banking. This will not only arrest the rise in our operational cost but we will be able to render more customer-friendly services,” he added.
The bank has already made tie-up with few departments of the state government and is in talks to offer various services; payment of value added tax, power bills, excise and stamp duty payment and college fee payment.
“Some government department are are already working with us and more are likely to sync with us through computer network to offer e-governance facilities,” Jain said further.