ICICI BRANCH ON WHEELS

As part of its financial inclusion initiative, ICICI Bank today claimed to have become the first private sector lender to launch a 'branch-on-wheels' drive and will have five more such facilities in three states this year. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan launched the branch-on-wheel in sugar hub of Kolhapur today. "ICICI Bank has always tried to take a holistic approach to provide financial services in rural and remote areas. Accordingly, it has already launched 308 gramin branches to provide basic banking services in unbanked villages and plan to scale it up to 500 this fiscal," ICICI Bank Executive Director Rajiv Sabharwal told. The branch-on-wheels is yet another step to expand the reach to villages devoid of banking facilities, he said, adding the bank will be launching one more such facility in Maharashtra and two each in Odisha and Chhattisgrah this year, after assessing the success of the pilot project.