Fincare crosses Rs 1,000 Crore Deposits in the First Year ~ Announces entry into Mumbai and Partnership with Oxigen

Mr. Rajeev Yadav, MD and CEO, Fincare Small Finance Bank addressing the media - By Sachin Murdeshwar GPN

Mumbai, July 19, 2018 (GPN) : In an event graced by Brand Ambassador Grand Master Viswanathan Anand, Fincare Small Finance Bank celebrated its first anniversary and announced its entry into Mumbai. In the first year of existence, the bank has garnered deposits of over Rs. 1,000 crores and built a gross loan portfolio of over Rs 2,500 crores, taking its financial inclusion agenda to over a million low income, rural and semi-urban households.

As part of its plan to expand its retail banking presence, Fincare SFB will soon be launching its operations in Mumbai. Speaking at the Smart Banking Anniversary event, Mr. Rajeev Yadav, MD and CEO, Fincare Small Finance Bank said, “In the past year, the Bank’s distribution network has grown to 364 banking outlets, spread across 8 states and one Union Territory in West, South and North India. In FY 19, the bank seeks to enter and strengthen presence in metro markets such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and the National Capital Region, taking our network of banking outlets to over 500. The bank’s first branch in Mumbai will be operational this quarter.”

Speaking about the roadmap set forth by the organization, Mr. Yadav said, “In FY19, the bank is targeting a loan book of Rs. 4,000 crores. The launch of affordable housing finance and two-wheeler loans will strengthen our loan offering to our customers. We have opened savings accounts for over a lakh microloans customers, and are in the process of expanding this to our million plus customers during this year, bringing them into the formal banking system.”

Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, Brand Ambassador for Fincare Small Finance Bank, said, “It is great to see digital innovation being used by Fincare to bring financial products and services to the underbanked segments. I am proud to have partnered with Fincare on this journey over the past one year.”

As part of the anniversary celebration, Fincare SFB also announced its strategic partnership with Oxigen. The partnership will further augment the bank’s brick and mortar network by setting up Business Correspondent outlets, as well as expand its product and service offerings. Through Oxigen,Fincare SFB offers bill pay services to its customers through internet and mobile banking, and looks to expand to other payments services such as POS network, micro-ATMs, pre-paid cards, Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), Bharat QR and Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS). Oxigen has a retail network of 100,000 outlets, with 35000 of them, who are currently already conducting the branchless banking business.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sunil Kulkarni, Joint MD, Oxigen Services said, “Oxigen has pioneered a financially viable Branchless Banking model with its MicroATM SuperPoS that does real time branchless banking, merchant payments and services aggregation at a BC Agents’ points of presence. We are very excited to extend the benefits of the model through this strategic partnership of becoming a National BC for Fincare Small Finance Bank. We look forward to setting up their branchless banking points as well as Mobile BC Agents for taking Fincare’s banking solution to the unbanked/underbanked segments.”

The small finance bank commenced operations in July 2017, following the in-principle approval awarded by the RBI to 10 entities in September 2015.ENDS

About Fincare Small Finance Bank

Fincare Small Finance Bank (‘Fincare SFB’) has been formed by the conversion of Disha Microfin Limited (‘Disha Microfin’), an NBFC-MFI. Disha Microfin was one among the 10 recipients of the ‘in-principle’ approval from the Reserve Bank of India (‘RBI’) in September 2015, an approval granted to select NBFCs & microfinance institutions to set up Small Finance Banks with the objective of furthering financial inclusion.

After having successfully executed the Small Finance Bank transformation journey, Disha Microfin received the final license from the RBI in May 2017 under Section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act 1949 to launch banking operations. Fincare Small Finance Bank commenced banking operations on the 21st of July, 2017.

Fincare Small Finance Bank aims to transform banking by making products simple, processes automated and convenient, and decisions and transactions instantaneous for all their customers. Powered by technology, Fincare SFB has set a vision to be the first of its kind ‘Rurban’ Bank which on the one hand is catering to the needs of the base of pyramid, mass retail and micro & small enterprise segments and enabling their financial inclusion and on the other hand, providing modern, innovative and digital banking solutions to the digitally-savvy, metro and urban consumers. Fincare SFB serves ~10 lakh customers in eight states across India. For more information, please visit www.fincarebank.com.

About the Author

Sachin Murdeshwar
Sachin Murdeshwar is a Sr.Journalist and Columnist in several Mainline Newspapers and Portals.He is an ardent traveller and likes to explore destinations to the core.