Airtel Payments Bank crosses 150,000 savings accounts mark in West Bengal

NEW DELHI: Airtel Payments Bank, India’s first payments bank, today said that it has opened over one and a half lakh (150,000) savings accounts in West Bengal since its launch.

Approximately 70% of these accounts have been opened in rural areas, thereby, contributing to financial inclusion in the State.

Airtel Payments Bank, a fully digital and paperless bank, aims to take basic banking services to the doorstep of every Indian by leveraging Airtel’s vast retail network. In West Bengal, over 21,000 neighbourhood Airtel retail stores also function as banking points, and customers can open savings accounts, deposit and withdraw cash across any of these banking points. Majority of these banking points across the State are in rural areas, helping in extending the reach of services to unbanked regions.

Airtel Payments Bank’s services can be accessed by customers on their feature phones as well through USSD by dialing *400#; or via a simple IVR by dialing 400. Both the USSD & IVR options are available in 12 local languages. Customers can also access services by dialing 88006-88006in addition to visiting any designated Airtel retail outlet to access services (and not just the outlet where they have opened the account).

Shashi Arora, MD & CEO – Airtel Payments Bank said, “We are pleased with the encouraging response our services have received from customers across West Bengal. Given Airtel’s deep distribution reach across the State, we have been able to take our banking services to unbanked regions. We will continue to build on this momentum and contribute to financial inclusion in the State.”