OREANDA-NEWS. HDFC Bank Ltd today reached an important milestone of 50 branches in Himachal Pradesh. The 50th branch is a 3-member mini-branch located in the unbanked village of Kishan Pura in the Solan district of the state.

The branch in Kishan Pura was inaugurated by Mr xxxxxxxxxxx, in the presence of Ms. Smita Bhagat, Branch Banking Head, HDFC Bank, Mr. Harvinder Atma, Zonal Head, , HDFC Bank and other senior officials of the bank.

With this launch, the Bank now has about 94% of its network in Himachal Pradesh located in semi-urban and rural areas of the state.

The new branch will cater to the local population of just over 1,400 in and around Kishan Pura. And it is located at Baddi-Nalagarh Road, Village Kishan Pura, Post Office Guru Majra, District Solan - 174101. The branch is headed by Mr. Hutash Narula, Branch Manager, HDFC Bank.

Speaking about the milestone, Ms Smita Bahgat, Branch Banking Head, HDFC Bank said: "Our extensive 50-branch network in Himachal Pradesh reiterates our commitment to take formal banking services to every part of the state, particularly the unbanked and under-banked areas. Our objective is to empower more people across the country by offering the full range of banking services, even in rural areas, thus make a difference in their lives. "

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Harvinder Atma, Zonal Head, HDFC Bank said, "The journey to reach the 50th branch milestone in Himachal Pradesh has been extremely fulfilling, right since the launch of our first branch in Sanjauli in 2004. As we expand into deeper geographies, we are happy to serve the local populace and look forward to bringing a whole new world of convenience and flexibility to customers across the state."

A mini branch is one of the new-format branch models introduced by the Bank, to take formal banking services to people in unbanked and underbanked areas. It enhances the Bank's efforts towards achieving its financial inclusion goal. The Bank has a board mandated objective to bring 10 million families (50 million Indians) into the banking fold.

The mini branch is designed to be cost-effective by maximizing efficiency of space, infrastructure, technology and processes. The product range at a mini branch is comparable to that in a traditional branch and the two members are available to provide customers an array of services. The two-person branch works closely with the nearest large branch, operating as hub and spoke to cater to a particular geography and ensure that all products and services are made available to customers.

As of December 31, 2013, the Bank had a distribution network with 3,336 branches and 11,473 ATMs in 2,104 cities/towns. At a national level, the Bank has 53% of its branches in semi-urban and rural areas and is continuously extending its reach in the hinterland in its endeavour to support inclusive growth.

The Bank has made significant headway in its multichannel servicing strategy in Himachal Pradesh, providing customers the use of its complete range of products and services. It offers, under one roof, products ranging from basic services such as Savings Account, Fixed Deposits, Current Account, Two-wheeler loan, Auto loan, Commercial Vehicle Loan, Kisan Gold Card, Agri and Commodities Loans to direct access banking channels such as, PhoneBanking, NetBanking and International Credit and Debit Cards.