Private sector bank ICICI Bank Ltd on Monday announced the launch of a unique mobile banking app 'Mera iMobile' for rural customers that will allow them to access banking services as well as information on agri services.
The app allows users in rural areas to avail as many as 135 services, some of which are unprecedented in the industry.
It will enable the users to save the time and cost of visiting a branch to avail these services. The list of services include Kisan Credit Card, Gold Loan, Farm Equipment Loan and loans to Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
The app also enables them to undertake an array of frequently used banking services from their smartphone, without using mobile internet services.
Additionally, it is the first banking app to offer agriculture related information like crop-wise mandi prices of nearly 230 crop varieties across 460 mandis. It also displays taluka-wise weather update for close to 3700 talukas across and over 300 districts, aiding farmers to plan their sowing and harvesting activities conveniently and in an informed manner.
"At ICICI Bank, we believe in investing in innovative technology much ahead of its time. In line with this philosophy, ICICI Bank has pioneered many innovative solutions for its customers like internet, mobile, Tab and 'Touch Banking' branches among others," said MD and CEO ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochhar.
"With 'Mera iMobile', we will offer our rural and semi-urban customers a unique and unparalleled experience in their interactions with the bank. 'Mera iMobile' is a result of extensive research and has evolved into the country's first comprehensive offering for rural customers on smartphone with 135 services and in eleven Indian languages," added Kochhar.
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The Mera iMobile app is specially created to be 'light' to enable customers in rural and semi-urban markets to download and run it easily even with low internet speed.
To further aid quick download of the app, the bank will introduce 'WiFi enabled posters' at its rural and semi-urban branches.
The key services of 'Mera iMobile' includes integrated offering of rural banking accounts in the app.
It also enables value- added services of agri-information: Users can avail information on weather and prevailing crop prices from the app. It is the first banking app to offer these additional services. Anyone, including non ICICI Bank customers can download the app to avail the advisory related services. To begin with, this information will be available in agri-dominant districts.
Availability of services without using mobile internet services. It offers 14 frequently used banking services which can be used without using mobile internet services. These SMS based services that can be done from 'Mera iMobile' are a marked improvement over the SMS Banking services available in feature phones.
Available as pre-formatted templates, customers can conveniently complete their frequent transactions by simply adding few details. These services include fund transfer, bill payment, cheque book request, recharges and balance enquiry among others.
The app is available in eleven Indian languages and English. The languages include Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Odia, Assamese and Punjabi.