EP Bureau
HDFC Bank, India’s leading private sector bank, today organised a ‘Gameen Loan Mela’ in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
The rural loan fari was attended by over 8,000 people across eight districts and 40 tehsils from Ayodhya and adjoining districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The mela allowed customers to avail a host of offers on agriculture loans, MSME loans, loans on transportation equipment, healthcare among others.
The beneficiaries included small and marginal farmers and individuals interested in government-sponsored schemes, agri loans, loans against gold, small business owners, FPOs, traders, commission agents, small shopkeepers, transport vehicle owners, tractor owners etc.
Rahul Shyam Shukla, Group Head – Commercial and Rural Banking, HDFC Bank, said the Mela was a significant step towards financial inclusion in the deep rural regions of Uttar Pradesh.
“All through the year, we have been easing credit for rural people by venturing into deeper geographies of the country. This initiative reflects our dedication to empowering the rural population. We are proud to be able to contribute towards nation-building with our efforts,” he added.
In UP, the Bank’s distribution network stands at 777 branches spread across 366 cities, backed up by a business correspondent network of 3,329 units.
According to the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) report, HDFC Bank is the largest MSME bank in UP with a total MSME book size of Rs 27,931 crore as on June 30, 2023, which is a market share of 17 percent.
The Bank extends credit to SMEs in 699 districts across the country and is working towards providing agriculture finance to nearly 250,000 villages across India.
Earlier this year, the HDFC Bank organised similar fairs in Jhansi, UP; Eluru, Andhra Pradesh; Burdwan, West Bengal; and Kalaburagi, Karnataka.
As of June 30, 2023, the Bank’s distribution network throughout the country stood at 7,860 branches and 20,352 ATMs / cash deposit & withdrawal machines across 3,825 cities / towns. Over half its branches are in semi-urban and rural areas.
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In addition, the Bank has 15,194 banking correspondents, primarily manned by common service centers, which take its offerings to the deeper geographies