Kotak Mahindra sees 50 Pct Growth in Saving Bank Deposits in FY13


Kotak Mahindra sees 50 Pct Growth in Saving Bank Deposits in FY13

Bangalore: Kotak Mahindra Bank said it expects 50 percent growth in saving bank deposits this fiscal.

The private sector bank has already posted a growth of 68 per cent in saving bank deposits at 5,540 crore as on June 30, 2012 as against deposits of 3,307 crore in corresponding period of last fiscal.

"We expect 50 per cent growth from saving bank deposits in current fiscal," the bank's President (Consumer Banking) KVS Manian told reporters.

The bank offers 6 per cent rate of interest on saving bank balances above 1 lakh and 5.5 per cent for balances up to 1 lakh.

It also offers value added services like cash back on purchases, home banking, doorstop account opening and just in time payment.

Because of offering high rate of interest, bank's saving bank deposits grew from 3,351 crore in 2010-11 to 5,050 crore in 2011-12.

After the deregulation of savings bank interest rate by the Reserve Bank of India in October 2011, Kotak Mahindra Bank was among the first banks to increase rate of interest on Savings Bank account to a record high of 6 per cent, he said.

"The 6 per cent per annum interest offering on saving bank accounts has had a very positive impact as it has enabled customers to match this return with the post-tax yields of term deposits of short to medium tenure.

"Additionally, interest earned on savings account up to 10,000 is now tax free. As a result, a whole lot of customers now have a hassle free option to grow their monies without having to lock it in term deposits," he said.

With car sales in the country slowing down, Kotak Mahindra Bank which is one of the biggest lenders for auto finance said the growth in auto finance might be 15-20 per cent in current fiscal as against 25 per cent in last fiscal.

"Car sales have slowed down a bit but we are still looking at 15-20 per cent growth," he said.

Kotak Mahindra expects 25 per cent growth in total business comprising 42,000 crore of advances and almost equal amount of deposits.

Kotak Bank has also planned to expand in the country by taking total strength of branches from 379 at present to 500 by December, 2013.

Source: PTI