HDFC BANK and CSC launch chatbot ‘EVA’ on Digital Seva Portal
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Partnership to empower 1.5 lakh Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs)
VLEs to provide financial services at last mile in semi-urban and rural areas
Mumbai, May 10, 2021: HDFC Bank and Common Services Centers (CSCs) today announced the launch of chatbot ‘Eva’ on CSC’s Digital Seva Portal to support Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) in providing banking services for last - mile rural consumers.
Through Eva, VLEs will learn about the products and services offered by HDFC Bank, which in turn will improve services offered to the last mile customers.
The 24x7 service will allow VLEs to access accurate information about various products, processes and resolve queries about HDFC Bank’s services. VLEs would be able to improve their business by learning about account opening, loan lead generation and product details. Through Eva, VLEs will also be able to access training content to become a Business Correspondent (BC) by taking a quiz before getting the certification, as per the regulatory process.
Currently, 1, 27, 348 VLEs are providing HDFC Bank’s products and services in semi-urban and rural India. Of these 15,791 are Business Correspondents who serve customers through banking outlets across 685 districts pan India. These Business Correspondents help citizens avail home loans, car loans, two-wheeler loans, tractor loans, open current and savings accounts and save through recurring and fixed deposits.
“This initiative will help bridge the gap between India and Bharat. Urban India has been quick to learn and adapt to the digital world,” says Ms Smita Bhagat, Group Head – Government and Institutional Business (GIB) and Start-ups, HDFC Bank. “Rural India has faced challenges as it has lower Internet penetration. We are trying to bring about a change by empowering VLEs to learn more banking services and improve their business by helping others.
“Powered by AI and analytics, EVA will vastly reduce the time taken to answer a query,” says Mr Anjani Rathor, Chief Digital Officer, HDFC Bank. “It will help navigate through our range of services and product FAQs which will provide an easy banking experience to VLEs and their customers.”
“Our partnership with HDFC Bank will empower the VLEs through new skills and knowledge of products and services, while expanding the agenda of financial inclusion catering to rural customers,” says Elaborating on the partnership, Dr. Dinesh Tyagi, Managing Director, CSC SPV. “The digital platforms and innovations is allowing VLEs to constantly explore new opportunities for companies, services and citizens.”
About Common Services Centers
Common Services Centers (CSCs) Scheme is one of key enablers of the Digital India program. CSCs are the access points for e-delivery of G2C, education, healthcare, agriculture and financial services to villages in India, thereby contributing to a digitally and financially inclusive society. CSCs are more than just service delivery points in rural India. They are positioned as change agents, promoting rural entrepreneurship and building rural capacities and livelihoods. It is a pan-India network catering to regional, geographic, linguistic and cultural diversity of the country, thus enabling the Government’s mandate of a socially, financially and digitally inclusive society.
About HDFC BANK
For information please log on to: www.hdfcbank.com/csr
For media queries please contact:
Sanjay Ojha
Regional Head - Corporate Communications
HDFC Bank Ltd., Mumbai.
Mobile: 9835314249
Sanjay.Ojha3@hdfcbank.com