Page 5 - Banking Finance August 2023

BANK UPDATE

Banking

PNB launches virtual arm theatre across the street, PNB manag- ready has, the total number of bank-
ing director Atul Kumar Goel said. ing outlets is now more than 6,000
in Metaverse
across the country.The bank currently
Punjab National Bank announced the serves more than three crore custom-
J&K Bank launches mobile
launch of a virtual branch, PNB
ers across the country.
Metaverse. branches in remote
"India needs a deeper penetration of
It is a virtual branch of the bank, which Ladakh
banking outlets to ensure that every-
will deliver a unique experience of
Jammu and Kashmir Bank launched one has access to banking. With our
banking to existing and new custom-
two mobile branches in Ladakh to of- rapidly growing branch network and
ers who can now explore the bank's
fer banking services in remote areas of digital offerings, Bandhan Bank re-
products and services such as bank
the Union Territory. mains committed to further enhancing
deposits, retail/MSME loans, digital convenience, security and accessibility
"J&K bank dedicated two mobile
products, women/senior citizens, 'Do for our customers," Chandra Shekhar
branches -- 'J&K Bank on Wheels' -- for
It Yourself' and government flagship Ghosh, MD & CEO, Bandhan Bank
public in Ladakh that will extend bank-
schemes, PNB said in a statement.
ing services to the people of various said.
PNB has developed the Bank's
remote and unbanked areas of the UT,"
Metaverse Branch, where its es-
a spokesman of the bank said. SBI starts outsourcing to
teemed customers will get exclusive
He said Ladakh Lieutenant Governor B
access to its virtual environment from wholly owned SBOSS
D Mishra inaugurated the two mobile
the comfort of their home or office SBI chairman Dinesh Khara said the
branches at the iconic Leh Gate in the
through their mobile phones and bank has started outsourcing opera-
presence of J&K Bank MD and CEO
laptops, it said. tions to its wholly owned subsidiary
Baldev Prakash.
In addition, the bank will offer an State Bank Operations Support Ser-
immersive 3D experience to the cus- vices (SBOSS) during the current finan-
Bandhan Bank triples
tomers while performing traditional cial year.
banking activities through their digital branch network In reply to a query on staff shortages,
avatars, it said. Khara said that SBI had recruited 7,775
Bandhan Bank has tripled its branch
In this new phase of the internet, network in the last eight years to more personnel during FY23 and was
which evolves from a disparate collec- than 1,500 bank branches at present, outsourcing to its wholly owned subsid-
tion of sites and apps into a persistent up from 501 branches when it started iary. "The intention is to render sup-
3D environment, where moving from its journey as a universal bank in Au- port to the staff in the bank branches,"
work to a social platform is as simple gust 2015. With a network of another said Khara, speaking at the bank's an-
as walking from the office to the movie 4,500 banking units that the bank al- nual general meeting.
BANKING FINANCE | AUGUST | 2023 | 5