HDFC Bank plans 200-seater BPO in Odisha

The bank has 2,000-seater rural business process outsourcing at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh

Leading private banker HDFC Bank Ltd plans to set up a 200-seater business process outsourcing (BPO) centre in Bhubaneswar, spreading over 100,000 sq ft.

“To start with, HDFC Bank will set up the 200-seater BPO facility on one acre at the Infocity (a dedicated information technology park) in Bhubaneswar. It will have 100,000 sq ft of floor area, for which the construction has already started,” said a HDFC bank official.

HDFC Bank has a 2,000-seater rural BPO at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh where similar services are being provided.

However, the bank declined to disclose the amount of investment on developing the BPO centre.

"We are expecting that it will be functional by mid next year. We will use it for internal services like processing of account opening applications, credit cards for all India operation," added the official.

As of June 30, the bank has a nationwide distribution network of 4,541 branches and 12,013 ATMs in 2,587 cities and towns.

In Odisha, the private bank has a sizeable position with 135 branches. It is the leader in the state in terms of branches, leaving behind its counterparts ICICI Bank and Axis Banks. While ICICI Bank has a branch network of 128, Axis Bank has 130 branches in the state.

“HDFC bank coming up with a BPO facility is a welcome step. It will not only pave way for the other banks to have setups here, mutual fund companies and other companies having back up operations to consider Bhubaneswar as an ideal location for opening of centres here”, said Bijoy Kumar Sahoo, president of the Confederation of Information Technology Enterprises.

With the opening up of the BPO centre here, it will send a good message to the multinational companies. The Odisha government is also encouraging establishment of BPO centres in the state, for which it is coming up with a scheme. It is also a step in achieving the employment target specified in ICT policy of the state government, he added.