Banks in News

As many as 20 public sector banks, including Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda and Union Bank, have failed to achieve the annual farm sector lending target till November 2008. Only seven banks could achieve the stipulated target of disbursing 18 percent of net bank credit to the agriculture sector. (HT190509)

Banks and consumer finance companies will now have a new tool to assess the credit worthiness of individual customers. CIBIL and TransUnion have launched a service to provide personal loan score for individuals based on which lenders can take decision to approve loans. (HT150509)

Bank employees and officers around the country are likely to strike work on 12th June as per call given by United Forum of Bank Unions. This is due to failure to arrive at a settlement over their wage revision negotiations.(BL130509)

SBI has cut deposit rates by 25-50 basis points in some maturities wef 18th May 2009. This is the second time in a fortnight that they have cut deposit rates.(BL140509)

Axis Bank cut its benchmark prime lending rate by 50 basis points from 15.25% to 14.75% with immediate effect. This is likely to benefit corporate and SME loan rates.(BL150509)

IDBI Bank has decided to slash interest rates on term deposits by 50 to 100 basis points across the board wef 21st May 2009. A one year fixed deposit will earn 6.75% and the highest interest would be 8.25% in 5-10 years maturity. ICICI Bank has also cut deposit rates by 25-50 basis points across select maturities wef 11th May 2009.(BL160509)

RBI Governor has said at Hyderabad that banks must pass on the cost benefits from technology based products and services to customers. (BL190509)

Union Bank of India has launched its special housing loan scheme with a combination of fixed and floating rates of interest. During the tenure of the loan 8% fixed rate of interest will be applicable for the first year. The floating rate will become applicable from the second year till loan is fully repaid. The bank will offer loan for a maximum period of 20 years and the maximum amount of loan will be Rs 50 lacs. The scheme is available till 30th September 2009. (BL200509)

BANKS IN NEWS

PNB has proposed to set up a Farmers’ Training Centre in South Orissa’s Ganjam district. The FTC would provide training to the farmers on different aspects linked to their profession. Initially 40 farmers would be given training with free lodging and boarding. The proposed FTC would be the 9th in the country. (BS080509)

Banks are considering partially modifying the repayment terms of education loans to help the borrowers because of the economic slowdown which is impacting the job market. The proposal is to increase the moratorium period from one to two years and the repayment period from 5-7 years to 7-10 years. (BL110509)

Under Corp compassion scheme, Corporation Bank has donated Rs 1 lakh to Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan, a hospital run by Ramakrishna Mission. (BL110509)

Public sector banks have major plans of broadening their ATM network this financial year. With RBI doing away with licensing for opening offsite ATMs, PSBs have geared themselves to expand their reach through ATMs. ATMs help in reducing costs and simultaneously promotes brand building. (BL080509)

Corporation Bank has reduced interest rates on their housing, vehicle, education and personal loans w.e.f.04.05.2009. (BL060509)

Corporation Bank has signed MOU with Karnataka State Organic Farming Mission for promotion of organic farming. Corporation Bank will be nominated as the preferred bank by the Mission for financing farmers and other entities in taking up organic farming. (BL070509)
Updated, 6th May 2009

BANKS IN NEWS

State Bank of Travancore has revised domestic deposit interest rates effective 1st May 2009. The major rates are 7% for 180 days to less than 1 year, 8% for 1 year to less than 2 years, 8% for 2 years to less than 999 days, and 8.50% for periods above 5 years. Senior citizens will get 0.5% additional interest on deposits of Rs 5,000/- and above for periods of 1 year and more (BL020509)

Citi Bank has reduced its prime lending rate by 25 basis points to 14.75% from 1st May 2009. (BL020509)

IDBI Bank has decided to cut interest rates on fixed deposits in seven maturity buckets by 25 basis points and simultaneously hiked the interest rate on long term deposit(over 5 years to 10 years duration) by 50 basis points. The revised rates are effective 4th May 2009. Now a 1 year fixed deposit would fetch 7.25%. The maximum interest rate is 8.75% for 5 to 10 years. (BL010509)

HDFC Bank has signed an agreement with Guruvayoor Devaswom for offering e-collection through HDFC Bank Payment Gateway. The website offers a variety of payment options including direct debit to their account with HDFC Bank or payment by a debit or credit card of any bank. HDFC Bank has designed a special product for religious institutes to make the donation process simple for devotees across the world. (BL010509)

PNB has announced a reduction in its BPLR by 50 basis points to 11% effective 1st May 2009. The bank has also revised the floating interest rate on housing loans by 25 basis points. It would now range from 8.75 to 10% depending on the tenors and amounts. PNB has also reduced interest rates on term deposits. The peak rate now is 7.50% for 3 years to 5 years as against 8% earlier. (BL010509).

BANKS IN NEWS

Canara Bank has launched SME Sulabh a new business model for increasing credit flow to the MSME sector. These centralized processing centres are established initially at seven places in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. The centre will aim at fast processing and quick delivery of credit to MSMEs. (BL050509)

SBI has decided to cut interest rates on fixed deposits by 25 basis points across the board w.e.f 4th May 2009. As per revised rates,1 year FDs will fetch 6.75% and 1,000 days deposit will earn 8%. (BL030509)

Bank of Baroda has pipped Canara Bank in terms of net profit and total business for FY 09 to become the third largest public sector bank after SBI and PNB. (BS040509)

Standard Chartered Bank announced launch of ‘India

Standard Chartered Bank announced launch of ‘India Consortium Project’ to provide preventive eye care to the rural poor. Under the project the bank will open 40 vision centres across 6 states over three years. These are UP, Haryana, Uttaranchal, Tamil Nadu,Delhi and MP. It has already benefited nearly 2 million people in India through curative eye care since 2003.(BL090409)

From 1st April 2010 the balance in savings bank

From 1st April 2010 the balance in savings bank accounts will earn interest on a daily basis following RBI’s decision to implement new interest calculation methods for such accounts. At present banks calculate interest on SB accounts on the minimum balances held during the period from the tenth day to the last day of the month. This change is likely to benefit the average salaried class and pensioners. (BL220409)

RBI has done away with the requirement

RBI has done away with the requirement of prior regulatory approval for setting up offsite ATMs. It is felt that the move would allow banks to expand their ATM networks more easily and thereby their reach of banking. (BL220409)