Speaking to media persons via video-conference facility soon after the adoption of the half-yearly results of the Bank by the Board of Directors in New Delhi on Saturday, Mr Sambamurthy said the recruitment process is in the final stages.

“More than tallying accounts, the Bank is looking at customer empathy and customer service,” he said and added that if the plan succeeds, then more people with 10+2 qualification will be taken next year as well.

Lowest NPAs
To a query on the reason for 27.1 per cent net growth in Q2, Mr Sambamurthy said that improvement in core operation, growth in net interest income and ability of the Bank to contain increase in NPAs was the main reason for the said growth. “The delinquency ratio too had come down from 1.13 per cent to 0.62 per cent,” he said.

The Bank registered Rs 161.38 crore net profit in quarter ending September 2007 as against Rs 127.01 crore registered in the corresponding period last year, thus registering a net profit of 27.1 per cent. The total income registered a 34 per cent growth while the net interest income registered a 17.5 per cent growth in the same period.

Overseas
To another query, Mr Sambamurthy said that there are plans to open branches in overseas. “Details will be disclosed after 6 to 8 weeks,” he said.

Financial inclusion
The Financial Inclusion programme is being implemented through 1,202 villages of 328 branches of the Bank till September-end. A total of 2,68,468 households were surveyed, 1,11,796 no frills accounts are opened and 11,290 General Credit Card accounts are sanctioned amounting to Rs 14.94 crores. The bank achieved 100% financial inclusion in Kodagu and Chikmagalur districts where the Bank has Lead Bank responsibility, Mr Sambamurthy informed.

For expanding coverage under Financial Inclusion, a pilot project on smart card based business transactions through Business Correspondents model has been launched through five identified branches.

To carry forward the benefit of technology to rural people, bio-metric ATMs are being deployedn and so far, six bio-metric ATMs have been installed, he informed.

Bank Executive Director K L Gopalakrishna and General Manager A Mohan Rao among others were present at Delhi while General Manager B R Bhat among others were present in Mangalore.