Bandhan Bank gets empanelled as agency bank of RBI

Bandhan Bank said on Monday that it has been empanelled by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to act as an agency bank to facilitate transactions related to government businesses.

The RBI's decision will help Bandhan Bank in contributing to nation-building, its MD and CEO Chandra Sekhar Ghosh said.

The announcement comes months after a RBI guideline that authorised scheduled private sector banks as agency banks of the regulator for the conduct of government business.

With this, Bandhan Bank joins ranks with a few other scheduled private sector banks to be empanelled as agency banks of the RBI, the bank said in a statement.

As an agency bank, Bandhan Bank will be able to handle transactions related to collection of state taxes, and revenue receipts such as GST and VAT, collection of stamp duty, and pension payments on behalf of central and state governments, it added.

The bank's extensive branch network will help it discharge its duties effectively by bringing governments and citizens closer to each other, it said.

"Since its launch six years ago, Bandhan Bank has been dedicated towards bringing millions of Indians into the fold of formal financial services and catalysing the creation of sustainable livelihoods," Ghosh said.

Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters