Sunday, January 29, 2012

Many facets of ATMs in India

In early seventies, Banks in India had a scheme of manual "Tellers".  These were special counters manned by senior employees, who were delegated powers to pay cheques (self) or withdrawals up to a designated amount from the savings or current accounts of customers.  These Tellers were paid a specified special allowance for the risk and responsibility undertaken in their services unlike clerks or cashiers over the counter.  Tellers were expected to be familiar with all the important customers of the branch and their signatures too besides of course having an idea of the balances maintained in the accounts.

ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) or also referred to as Any Time Money facility by some.  Thanks to evolution of technology, today we have on-site and off-site ATMs numbering over 75,000 all over India and equal in number of total branches of all banks.  These ATMs are located in a variety of off-site centres like Highways, near Petrol Bunks, Hotels, Hospitals, Tourist Centres, Forest routes, Waterways, Hill Stations, etc.  Interestingly, they are some times manned by Security Personnel and sometimes not.  Help line facility and Drop Boxes are available at a majority of ATMs.  We also have Bio-metric ATMs for illiterates.

Only recently, I have read in newspapers that ATMs were attempted to be misused by the candidates fighting elections in some States by carrying cash unauthorisedly so that no suspicion is raised.  I have also read that empty soft-drink bottles can be dropped in ATMs for getting refund of the amount!  Of course, I witnessed such a facility in a University cafetaria in Germany last year.  Unfortunately, I read another news item that by using a simple technology (crooked) of a putting a match stick in the slit, one fraudster has been resorting to draw amounts from ATMs, after the customer leaves the counter in disgust.

And today, in Hindu Business Line, I am reading another innovation for ATMs being run by solar power!

Friday, January 27, 2012

Great feeling indeed

It was a great feeling to be back with so many colleagues of SBI yesterday.  I had a pleasant invitation a few weeks back to be at the customers meet in Udupi when Mr Ashwin Mehra, CGM of Bangalore LHO visited the branches.  He was very informal and friendly with all the guests.  SBI hosted a musical evening with dinner to all its valued customers.  I took the opportunity to greet and appreciate the services of Manipal and Udupi branches. We found that me and CGM were already friends in the social website LinkedIn.

About ten days back, another invitation came from SBI stating that this time Shri Krishna Kumar, MD from CO would be visiting Mangalore/Udupi/Manipal during 26-27-28 Jan 2012.  Naturally, the CGM, GMs, DGMs, AGMs and a host of senior officials of SBI Bangalore/Mangalore were hosting an event to honour achievers at different branches of Karnataka.  I was asked to join them for a dinner on 26th and address a session on Leadership Development on 27th Jan after lunch at Summer Sands Resort, Ullal.  What a strange and wonderful opportunity to be at my alma mater for over 21 years?  I did spend the day on 27th Jan.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

SBI - India's Largest Bank

SBI Branches

One common factor between Sachin Tendulkar and State Bank of India is that both are headquartered in Mumbai with ever increasing numbers in their profiles. I was making an attempt to find out the number of branches of SBI from the internet but came to know an interesting feature.  Please visit the link above.

It has four types of branches by product / service variation : Core banking, Domestic Forex, Internet banking and Real Time Gross Settlement Branches.  And then, the bank boasts of 15 types branches too.  These are: Agricultural Business, Agricultural Development, Commercial, Corporate Accounts Group, Industrial Finance, Main, Mid-Corp Group, NRI, Other, Overseas, Personal Banking, Rehabilitation & Recovery, Service, SSI & SIB Branches, and Branches conducting PPF Business Branches.  I don't think any other bank in India has!

Puttanahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust

Smt Usha Rajagopalan : Another Amazing Indian Woman

Uasha is known to us since May 1999 as a Writer when we met her in Manipal when I joined TAPMI.  In the last three years she moved into social work in Bengaluru.  She appeared on TimesNow TV Channel today morning as another Amazing Indian Woman.   

Mann Deshi Mahila Bank in Satara, Maharashtra

Mann Deshi Mahila Bank, Satara in Maharashtra, India

Enough has been written about Entrepreneurs and Social Entrepreneurs, Rural development and Social Workers or Women Entrepreneurs in India.  Here is an amazing story of a woman banker, Ms Chetana Sinha who shifted from Mumbai to Satara and founded a bank for rural women.  She is really amazing!!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Health Tips

After a long easy life, I have recently been seriously considering to change my life style.  I have just started having juice of bitter gourd, garlic chutney and methi powder in my food.  Here is a link for tips on Bitter Gourd :http://www.juicing-for-health.com/bitter-gourd-benefits.html; Bitter pill advice, but can't help. 

Friday, January 6, 2012

Coffee with CEO-Mr.Suhas Gopinath-Part 1



Unbelievable achievers at age 14.  Ms Sindhuja Rajaraman of Hyderabad and Mr Suhas Gopinath of Bangalore have been named the world's youngest CEOs.  At a time when most of our youngsters even after crossing the age of 18 years and become eligible to exercise their franchise for electing their representatives to the legislative assemblies and parliaments and also to acquire properties in their names, it is surprising that these two individuals have attained the special status being called CEOs at 14 years.  Hats off!

Suhas Gopinath

Suhas Gopinath - World's Youngest CEO CBS News

14 year old Chennai girl becomes world's youngest CEO Video The Time...