Axis Bank's retail asset portfolio in Odisha rises to Rs 6000 cr

Bhubaneswar: Buoyed by 21 per cent growth in its SME portfolio and retail assets touching Rs 6000 crore in Odisha, Axis Bank today announced plan for major expansion by opening around 20 new branchs in the state in a year.

"Axis Bank has strong presence in Odisha with network of 109 branches and 20 new branches will be opened within a year as we see a strong potential in the state," Sidharth Rath, President - Treasury, Business Banking & Capital Markets) of Axis Bank told reporters here.

Stating that Eastern region is set to emerge as among the leading destinations for SME & Retail Banking in next three years, Rath said the bank's SME portfolio has grown by 24 per cent in East and 21 per cent in Odisha.

Besides 109 branchs, Axis Bank has 2 Asset Service Centers, 431 ATMs and 16 Cash Deposit Machines spread over 30 districts of the state.

Over 69 per cent of these branches are located in under-banked districts, as defined by the RBI, he said adding bank's focus is on rural and semi-urban areas.

The bank has seen significant rise in business across products - Savings Account balance has grown to Rs 35000 crore, Retail Term Deposits to Rs 25000 crore and Retail Assets Outstanding to Rs 6000 crore, as of December 2014, Rath said.