Bandhan Bank to raise `500 cr from investors by March

Newly opened private sector lender Bandhan Bank is looking to raise Rs 500 crore from existing investors by the end of the ongoing fiscal to fund its business expansion plans.

“Rs 500 crore would be coming by the end of this financial year,” Bandhan Bank CEO and Managing Director Chandra Shekhar Ghosh said. Bandhan Bank is the first instance of a micro-finance entity in India transforming into a universal bank. It received an in-principle approval from the RBI 

in April 2014 and the banking regulator’s final nod on June 17, 2015.

The fund would flow in from existing investors that will help <g data-gr-id="29">bank</g> to expand its business and network, he said. The existing investors include IFC, SIDBI and Caladium Investment Pte Ltd, a company managed by GIC Special Investments Pvt Ltd. “Rs 2,700 crore is nearly in my book and other 

Rs 500 crore would be coming. With Rs 3,200 crore capital and capital adequacy ratio of 34 <g data-gr-id="25">per cent</g>, we can sustain growth for 3-4 years,” Ghosh added. The bank, which started operations on August 23, has 523 branches at present. It plans to add 105 more branches in the next 5 months as part of its expansion drive. “We would like to see 628 branches by <g data-gr-id="27">end</g> of March 2016,” he said.

Around 70 <g data-gr-id="21">per cent</g> of the branches are in rural India while 30 <g data-gr-id="22">per cent</g> <g data-gr-id="24">are</g> in unbanked rural pockets with 83 lakh customers. 

State-wise, West Bengal has the maximum number of branches, followed by Bihar and Assam.