SBI Kerala achieves 100% networking

The State Bank of India's Kerala circle has become the first among its circles to log on to 100 percent networking through the core banking solution (CBS).

At a function to mark the occasion, Kerala Governor R L Bhatia formally switched on the networking of all the 247 branches covering the entire state and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.

SBI group chairman A K Purwar, who was present, dedicated the networking to the bank's customers.

With the CBS in place, SBI's customers can now use the facility to operate their account from any branch across the country on the core banking platform. The bank at present boasts of as many as 3,177 branches networked to the core banking solution.

Speaking on the occasion, Purwar said that the branches of all the SBI group banks would come under core banking solution soon.

Lauding the role of the SBI Kerala circle in achieving the networking milestone in a span of just 20 months, he said from now on all customers would be "customers of the bank and not just the customers of their respective branches."

The core banking solution would help customers engaged in domestic as well as international trade to carry out transactions through the 'trade finance package' which has been fully integrated with the core banking software.

SBI Kerala circle chief general manager Radha Unni, who explained the efforts put in to place the bank's activities on on the core banking platform, praised bank's officials in the state for helping it reach such an important milestone.

Mementos were presented to the SBI officials who made the networking possible in a short period of 20 months.