OREANDA-NEWS. HDFC Bank Ltd today reached an important milestone of 100 branches in Odisha. The 100th branch is an urban branch located at Infocity Bhubaneswar, inside the IT hub and special economic zone of Bhubaneswar.

The branch was inaugurated by Mr, Pradip Kumar Amat. Hon'ble Minister, Finance and Public Enterprises, Odisha, in the presence of guests of honour Mr Sanjeev Marik, IPS, DGP, Odisha and Mr Rajib Shekhar Sahoo, Chartered Accountant. Mr. Madhusudan Hegde, Branch Banking Head, HDFC Bank, Mr. Debashis Senapati, Zonal Head, HDFC Bank and other senior officials of the bank were also present at the launch. The branch is located at Gr. Floor,Plot no E/3,Infocity ,Chandaka Industrial Estate, Patia. With this launch, HDFC Bank covers 27 out of 30 Districts in Odisha with 70% of those branches located in rural and semi urban areas.

The new branch will cater to the local population of just over 50,000 in and around Infocity. Infocity Bhubaneswar is well-known as an IT and education hub, with several IT companies, education institutions and management colleges located in the vicinity. The entire population in Infocity and the surrounding areas will have access to the full range of HDFC Bank's products and services with the launch of the new branch.

HDFC Bank has rapidly expanded its branch network in Odisha in the past five years, on its journey to the 100th branch milestone. This journey began with its very first branch in the state, which was set up at Bhubaneswar in 2001. Since then, it has also leveraged technology to provide banking services through multiple digital channels such as netbanking and mobile banking. HDFC Bank is today reaching out to an increasing number of people across the state.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Madhusudan Hegde, Branch Banking Head, HDFC Bank said: "Our extensive 100-branch network in Odisha reiterates our commitment to take formal banking services to every part of the state. Our objective is to empower more people in Odisha by offering our full range of banking services, even in rural areas, thus making a difference in their lives. We are achieving this through our branch network complemented by our 'Bank aapki Muthti Mein' offering, which gives customers access to a bank branch the size of their palm that is with them round-the-clock, wherever they are through there."

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Debashis Senapati, Zonal-Head, HDFC Bank said, "The journey to reach the 100th branch milestone in Odisha has been extremely fulfilling, right since the launch of our first branch in the state in 2001. We are expanding into deeper geographies with increased intensity, and with 75+ transactions now available on the mobile, we look forward to bringing a whole new world of convenience and flexibility to customers across the state."

At a national level, HDFC Bank has 56% 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.

As of September 30, 2014, the Bank had a distribution network with 3,600 branches and 11,515 ATMs in 2,231 cities/towns.

The Bank has made significant headway in its multichannel servicing strategy in Odisha, 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.