Empowering Financial Inclusion through technology-driven innovation
by Suman Gupta
Mumbai, August 25, 2023: The State Bank of India, the country’s largest public sector bank, has taken a significant step towards enhancing accessibility and convenience for its customers. In a strategic move aimed at leveraging technology for greater financial inclusion, Chairman Dinesh Khara, unveiled an innovative CSP functionality that enables hassle-free enrolment for social security schemes through Aadhaar.
With this pioneering feature, customers visiting Customer Service Points (CSPs) will need only their Aadhaar to enroll in pivotal social security schemes i.e. Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY). The functionality does not require customers to carry passbooks to the CSP outlet for enrolment. SBI’s advance system simplifies and expedites the enrolment process making it faster and more convenient than ever before.
The driving force behind this innovation is SBI’s commitment to utilizing technology to strengthen its offerings and extend the benefits of crucial schemes to the masses. By adopting this streamlined approach, the bank aims to uplift the financial inclusion ecosystem through unique solutions that directly impact the lives of marginalized and deprived sections of the society.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dinesh Khara, Chairman SBI emphasized, “Our goal is to empower every stratum of the society by removing the barriers that hinder access to financial security. This technology driven enhancement is a testament to SBI’s commitment to improve financial inclusivity and social welfare through digitization.”
This dynamic step is expected to significantly enhance the coverage of social security schemes, ensuring that the advantages of these schemes are leveraged by the ones who need them the most. By reducing paperwork and simplifying processes, SBI aims to champion customer convenience and contributing to the larger goal of a digitally empowered and financially secure India.
About State Bank of India:State Bank of India is the largest commercial bank in terms of assets, deposits, branches, customers, and employees. It is also the largest mortgage lender in the country which has so far fulfilled the home buying dreams of over 30 lakh Indian families. The home loan portfolio of the bank has crossed Rs. 6.53 lakh crore. As of June 2023, the bank has a deposit base of over Rs. 45.31 lakh crore with CASA ratio of 42.88% and advances of more than Rs. 33 lakh crore. SBI commands a market share of 33.4% and 19.5% in home loans and auto loans respectively. SBI has the largest network of 22,405 branches and 65,627 ATMs / ADWMs in India with 78,370 BC outlets. The number of customers using internet banking and mobile banking stand at 117 million and 64 million respectively. With SBI’s digital strategy right on track – the bank witnessed 63% of new savings accounts opened through the integrated digital and lifestyle platform YONO in FY23. SBI observed 23,400 new digital savings bank accounts being opened per day via YONO in the quarter ended June 2023. YONO, which has more than 6.36 crore registered users, witnessed more than 1 crore average daily logins in Q1 FY24. In terms of digital lending, the bank disbursed pre-approved personal loans worth Rs. 5,428 crore through YONO in the same period. SBI also has the highest number of followers on Facebook and Twitter amongst all banks worldwide.
