HDFC Bank

In 1994, the Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) received 'in principle' approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up a bank in the private sector, as part of the RBI's liberalisation of the Indian Banking Sector. The bank was incorporated in August 1994 in the name of 'HDFC Bank Limited', with its registered office in Mumbai, India. HDFC Bank commenced operations as a Scheduled Commercial Bank in January 1995.

The authorised capital of HDFC Bank is Rs.450 crore (Rs.4.5 billion). The paid-up capital is Rs.311.9 crore (Rs.3.1 billion). The HDFC Group holds 22.1% of the bank's equity and about 19.4% of the equity is held by the ADS Depository (in respect of the bank's American Depository Shares (ADS) Issue). Roughly 31.3% of the equity is held by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) and the bank has about 190,000 shareholders. The shares are listed on the The Stock Exchange, Mumbai and the National Stock Exchange. The bank's American Depository Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol "HDB".

The headquarter of the bank is in Mumbai. The Bank at present has a robust network of over 746 branches spread over 329 cities across India. All branches are linked on an online real-time basis. Customers in over 120 locations are also serviced through Telephone Banking. The Bank's expansion plans take into account the need to have a presence in all major industrial and commercial centers where its corporate customers are located as well as the need to build a strong retail customer base for both deposits and loan products. Being a clearing/settlement bank to various leading stock exchanges, the Bank has branches in the centers where the NSE/BSE has a strong and active member base.

The Bank also has a network of about over 1647 networked ATMs across these cities. Moreover, HDFC Bank's ATM network can be accessed by all domestic and international Visa/MasterCard, Visa Electron/Maestro, Plus/Cirrus and American Express Credit/Charge cardholders.

Product and Services

HDFC Bank India provides the following range of products:

• Savings Account
• HDFC Bank Preferred
• Sweep-In Account
• Super Saver Account
• HDFC Bank Plus
• Demat Account
• HDFC Mutual Fund
• HDFC Standard Life Insurance

Value Services

• HDFC Phone Banking
• HDFC ATM
• HDFC Inter-city/Inter-branch Banking
• HDFC Net Banking
• HDFC International Debit Card
• HDFC Mobile Banking
• HDFC Bill Pay

Personal Loan

• HDFC New Car Loan and Used Car Loan
• HDFC Loan Against Shares
• HDFC Two Wheeler & Consumer Loan
• HDFC Home Loan

Property Related Services

Assists individuals and corporates to locate suitable residential accommodation in certain major cities and towns in India. These facilities are also available to Non-Resident Indians.

Official Website : http://www.hdfc.com/

Head Office
Ramon House, 169, Backbay Reclamation

H T Parekh Marg, Churchgate

MUMBAI - 400 020.

Working Days : Monday to Friday

Working Hours : 9:30 am to 5:15 pm

Contact :

For Housing Loans in Mumbai - Tel: +91 (22) 66636000

For Housing Loans in Other Cities - please Click here

For Deposits - Tel: +91 (22) 66316060

For Others - Tel: +91 (22) 66316000Fax: +91 (22) 22048834

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Indian Investment Centre

• Being a service organization of the Government of India, the Indian Investment Centre was set up to promote foreign private investment in India. It furnishes valuable advises to foreign investors for setting up industrial projects in India by providing information regarding investment opportunities in India, the Government’s industrial policy (including that relating to foreign investment and technology transfer), licensing procedures, taxation laws and facilities and incentives available. Indian investment centers also aids the foreign investors in finding partners in India.

• Indian investment center is also the nodal agency for investment in India by NRIs and OCBs in which NRI holding is not less than 60 per cent. It provides NRIs and OCBs hand holding services.

• It also assist to establish joint ventures and technical collaborations in India and abroad and third country ventures between Indian and foreign entrepreneurs. It also advices and aids the Indian entrepreneurs for locating suitable foreign firms for collaboration.

• The most vital thing that Indian investment center does is to assist both the Indian and the foreign investors to meet the procedural requirements of project approvals and in overcoming bottlenecks, if any, in the process of implementation of the project.

• The center has rich library containing books and reference materials coverings a wide range of subjects like industry, management, taxation, etc. For ready reference, a cross-section of journals, periodicals and magazines is also available.

• The publications of the center provide authentic and the vital information on various aspects of Government policies, procedures and regulations as also facilities, incentives and opportunities available to entrepreneurs in various industrial fields, both in India and abroad. It also publish magazines, journals and books detailing industrial policy, facilities and incentives for Non Resident Indians and technological development.

• The Indian investment center also furnishes information on current economic developments in India through its Monthly News Letter. Through this it provides information on industrial licences and letters of intent issued, and foreign collaborations approved, by the Government of India/Reserve Bank of India.

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Current Status and Size of the Market

• Globally, India is ranked among the top 10 major suppliers of aluminum and steel
• India produces 35 million tonnes of steel annually
• India is the No.1 producer of sponge iron in the world
• Annual domestic consumption of aluminum and copper are over 0.75 million tonnes and 0.4 million tonnes respectively
• Indian metal industry employs about one million people and generates over $13 billion in revenues (2004-05)
  

Structure of Indian Metal Industry

• Large number of integrated players, such as SAIL and Tata Steel in steel and Hindalco and Nalco in aluminum, dominate the industry
• This industry has a significant presence of public sectors:
• Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) has 32% of India’s installed capacity of crude steel
• Nalco has 38% of India’s installed capacity of aluminum
• Among the private players, Tata Steel, Hindalco and Sterlite are the major companies in the industry
  

GOI Policy

100% FDI is allowed under the automatic route for metallurgy and processing of all metals

Potential & Opportunities

• Steel consumption in domestic market is forcast to grow by 8% p.a. To 60 million tonnes by 2010
• Indian metal industry has the potential to become one of the world’s top five suppliers and top five markets for aluminum and stee
• Demand for Aluminum is expected to grow @ 10% p.a. for the next 10 years
• The current low per capita consumption of metals is projected to increase substantially in the recent future
• Large global metal manufacturers including POSCO, Mittal Steel and Dubai
• Aluminum have announced plans for setting up plants in IndiaInvestments of over $15 billion for integrated steel manufacturing and about $5 billion for aluminum manufacturing are needed by 2010

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Oil and Gas Sector of India
Oil and gas is a lifeline of a nation. For they not only fulfill the day to day domestic requirement but also cater to many industries. India no doubt is a vast nation and that too developing. India is developing very fast and lots of industry needs the constant and uninterrupted supply of gas and oil. Hence Government has chalked out various programmes and policies to open this sector for the private participants. Initially it was the government agencies that were solely responsible for oil and gas exploration and its distribution. But post 1991 period saw many reforms and policies that allowed private sector also to play an important and crucial role.

Facts and Figure

• Nearly 35% of India’s energy requirements iss fulfilled by oil and natural gas
• Oil and natural gas are critical for industries like petrochemicals, fertilizers and energy
• Domestic production of crude oil is 33.4 MMT whereas the demand is about 116 MMT. There is a vast mismatch between demand and production.
• During the last three years, Crude oil imports have been increased by 7% p.a.
• There is also mismatch between the demand and the production of natural gas. The demand of natural gas is about 150 MMSCMD (2004) while the domestic supply is only 81 MMSCMD
• In the last few years, many gas fields have been explored.

Major players and presence in value chain

Industry Structure

• Oil exploration and production is carried out by both public sector companies and private sector.
• Public sector companies have the major share. Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL), accounts for 83% of the total domestic oil and gas production
• The role of both domestic and foreign players is increasing every year.
• Private sector/Joint venture companies have made 32 significant hydrocarbon discoveries in the last four years
• Reliance Industries Ltd. has made the world’s largest gas discovery in 2002 (about 5 trillion cubic meters)
• Some of the major foreign players present in India are Hardy Oil & Gas, Niko Resources and Cairn Energy
  

Government Policy

• Government has permitted 100% FDI for the exploration of Crude Oil and Natural Gas through the automatic route
• To facilitate Private sector participation in Oil and Gas exploration
• The New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) has been enacted since 1998
• Under the NELP programme, more than 108 oil blocks have been awarded since 1999 through global competitive bidding
• To explore CBM blocks, new policy, Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Policy has been formulated which provides for attractive fiscal and contract terms
• An Independent Regulator for Oil & Gas will be established after the enactment of Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory
  

Investment Opportunity and Business Potential

• By 2012, it is expected that the demand for crude oil might increase to about 190 MMT
• The global price of crude oil is increasing, therefore government is focusing more on E & P to expand domestic production
• The demand for gas is expected to rise to 330 MMSCMD by 2012
• The growth in this sector is expected in next seven years is 10% p.a
• The demand for gas will increase due to increasing use of its for power generation, petrochemicals, fertilizers and city gas distribution
• There is huge gap between the demand and the supply. This gives enough opportunities to the investors for investment
• Opportunities also lie in exploration and production of Crude Oil, Gas and CBM
• Through the active partnership of the private sector government is actively promoting the creation of Strategic Oil & Gas reserves
• There is still huge potential for exploration. According to estimates nearly 32% of the Indian sedimentary area is still unexplored.
• Private players such as Cairn Energy, Reliance energy, etc have recently discovered huge area of oil and gas fields which indicates that there is huge potential in this sector
• For exploration and production of oil and gas there is still a need of $7-8 billion of investment

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IT Sector of India
India is the most preferred destination for providing IT and IT Enabled Services (ITeS). In 2004-05 the total revenues generated by this sector was $28.2 billion. Out of the total revenue, IT Services and Software constituted 59%, IT Hardware about 21% and ITeS about 20%. Out of the total world market, India accounts for 33% of the market in 2004.Out of the total revenues,69% of the industry revenues are accounted by the Indian companies whereas, International companies account for the rest. About 45% of Fortune 500 corporations source software from India


Industry Structure
Both the domestic private sector and the international players are operating in India. The IT industry in India can be divided into following groups:

Group 1
Under this lie both large and medium Indian IT and ITeS companies. Some of the big companies in this sector are: Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro, and HCL

Group2
Major international MNCs who have set up development centers in India. Some of the
major MNCs are: IBM, Dell, Microsoft, HP, etc.

Group 3
Under this category, large Global corporations like JP Morgan, American Express, GE, Citigroup, HSBC, British Airways, etc. are included which have set up Captive back office operations in India





Government Policy

• Government of India in order to promote Investment in IT sector has allowed 100% FDI is permitted in this sector under the automatic route
• Government has also established SEZs, EOUs and Software Technology Parks to encourage IT industry. Units setting there operations in these areas are also being provided income tax exemptions
• Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 has legalized the acceptance of electronic records and digital signatures which provided a legal backbone to e-commerce
  

Major IT and ITES Companies in India

Investment Opportunity and Business Potential

• Almost every major IT players are present in India. It is estimated that ITES is set to grow five-fold over the next 5 years.
• By 2012, it is expected that the Indian IT and ITeS industry would grow to $148 billion.
• IT sector, would grow over 25% p.a. over the next seven years
• Government of India has aimed to achieve a 50% share in the global off-shored IT and BPO services by 2008
  

Key Drivers of IT sector

• Presence of talented and low cost workforce and world-class companies
• Availability of technically-skilled and English-speaking labor force at lower costs as compared to USA and Europe
• Expertise in project and process management
• Strength of India has been recognized globally
• India is highly capable in higher, value added activities and in the Global Delivery Model
• Identification of custom application development and maintenance as priority areas due to high off-shoreable component by the leading international
• Several regulatory and technological factors, have led to the growth of domestic IT & ITeS market
• Efforts are being taken to stop software piracy
• Lots of efforts are being taken to make PCs available to large section of the population

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Indian Tourism Industry
India is a huge country with lots of scope in investment in tour and travel sector. The total size of tour and travel industry of India is $32 billion that is 5.3% of GDP. Government has launched various programmes and has taken many initiatives to boost this sector. Incredible India is one of the programme which aims to popularize India as a hot destination for tourism.

Facts and Figure

• Total size of the industry- $32 billion
• In 2004, total number of tourist arrival in India- 3.3 million an increase of over 20% from the previous year
• Total domestic tourist in 2004- 270 million
• Domestic market growth in the last 4-5 years- 20% p.a.
• Number of hotels across the country- 1,800 Number of hotel rooms- 100,000 (Five star hotel rooms constitute
• 27%, four-star 7.5% and three-star 22%)
• Rooms occupied in 2004-05- 70%
  
  

Industry Structure

• The hotel industry in India is dominated mainly by large Indian groups like The Taj Group, Oberoi, ITC, Leela and Bharat Hotels.
• Apart from Indian ownership, there are lots of international like Sheraton/Starwood, Inter Continental, Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, Le Meridian, and Carlson. These chains are either represented by management or franchise contracts
• Some other international players like Shangri-La, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton and Mandarin are also in the process to establish their presence in India, primarily through management contracts
• 30,000 rooms are represented by the branded segment that is 30% of the total hotel stock. In the last five years, there was Compounded growth
• Three star hotels grew at about 11% whereas the four star segment grew at about 9%
  
  

Government Policy
Government has permitted 100% FDI in Hotels and Tourism, through the automatic route

Investment Opportunity and Potential

• There is a huge opportunity in this sector. As per estimates, by 2007, foreign tourist arrival may grow to 5 million by 2007 which could double to 10 million by 2010-12
• Over next five years, domestic tourism is also expected to increase by 15% to 20% p.a.
• Average room rate is also expected to grow rapidly until sufficient new supply comes on stream
• In 2005, the average room rates increased by 21% as compared to 2004. The maximum growth was registered in 4-star and 5-star segments
• Rapid growth of population, good demography, and rapid growth of economy ensures uptrend in the domestic demand for hotels – for business and leisure
• Trade activity and investment is increasing in India that would increase International inbound traffic
• India is a home of cultural diversity and natural beauty that will attract the foreign tourists
• Travel will bee further boosted due to the coming of more budget airlines/lower air-fares, open sky policies and expected improvements in travel infrastructure such as roads, airports and railways
• Over 100,000 hotel rooms need to be added over the next five years which presents opportunities in all price and value chain segments
• There is also an opportunity in hotel-asset construction and ownership
• Since the there is low penetration of brands in this sector. Hence there is an opportunities for management contracts and franchising with local hotel owners/ developers
• The sector offers investment opportunity of about $8-10 billion in the next 5 years

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Current Status and Size of the Market

• By revenue, Electronics Hardware in India is a $11 billion industry .India's share of the global market is just 0.6%
• Fast becoming a manufacturing base for consumer electronics and telecom equipment; the sector includes design, manufacture and assembly of products related to:

1. Consumer Electronics (TV, DVD, Audio systems): about $3.9 billion (FY 05)

2. Industrial Electronics: about $2.1 billion (FY 05)

3. Computers (PC, Servers, Laptops): about $1.4 billion (FY 05)

4. Telecom Equipment (Phones and Network Equipment): about $1.6 billion (FY 05)

5. Electronic Components: about $1.6 billion (FY 05)

Structure of Indian Electronics Hardware Industry

• Indian Electronics Hardware industry supplies primarily to the domestic market. Exports are limited to passive components like capacitors, resistors, wound components, CD-ROMs, colour picture tubes, etc.
  
• In the areas of consumer electronics and telecom equipment, India is fast becoming a manufacturing base
  Almost all major global players, such as Siemens, Texas Instruments, Matsushita, Alcatel, LG, Samsung, Sharp and Lenovo have already set up manufacturing operations in India. Many more have R&D centres
  
• Flextronics, Solectron, Jabil Circuit and other international contract manufacturers have already set up base in India
  

GOI Policy

• 100% FDI is allowed under the automatic route with a few exceptions:


• An Industrial license is required in case of aerospace and defense equipment manufacturers


• The National Electronics Hardware Manufacturing Policy is proposed to resolve tariff and duty related issues and set up hardware manufacturing clusters/ parks


• Electronic Hardware Technology Parks set up to encourage investment in the sector in several cities e.g. Bangalore and Cuttack
  

Potential & Opportunities

• Indian Electronics Hardware industry is forecast to grow very fast in the coming years


• Will reach $62 billion by 2010 from about $11 billion in 2005


• Domestic consumption will see 33% CAGR


• Exports will grow faster


• Four countries – China, South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia – account for over one-third of world production
  India’s inherent advantages of availability of adequate engineering talent and low cost structure can be leveraged to advance its position in the global market


• Growing domestic market fueled by increase in penetration


• Domestic market provides opportunities in manufacture of consumer electronic goods and mobile handsets


• New SEZ Act with duty-free imports and income-tax concessions will facilitate creation of large-scale manufacturing units for the world market

Global market opportunities in Electronics Manufacturing Services include:

• Contract Manufacturing: $500 billion outsourcing opportunity by 2010 of which India can tap $11 billion


• Design Services: $7 billion projected by 2010


• Component Exports: $5 billion projected by 2010


• The sector requires large investment of about $17 billion over the next 5 years – Some mega projects have already been announced and there is visibility for about one third of the investment required

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Problem of Account Access by Gmail Users

SEATTLE: "Many users of GMail are having problems in accessing their online e-mail accounts due to a temporary outage in a contacts systems used by Google" said the official. The problem started at about 2100 GMT and a company spokesman said Google is starting to implement a fix for the problem right now.

"We are starting to roll out a fix now and hope to have the problem resolved as quickly as possible," said a Google spokesman. Google said an outage in the contacts system used by Gmail is preventing the e-mail system from loading properly.

The company also said that the new incoming messages are safe even if a user can not access their account. Users across the United States, Canada and India reported problems with Gmail and a Google employee also reported that the company's own corporate e-mail account was down.

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Good Signs for Indian Infrastruture

NEW DELHI: According to government sources, Infrastructure sector output grew 3.4 per cent in June 3.5 per cent. Output rose an annual 5.2 per cent in June 2007, and in the 2007/08 fiscal year it rose 5.6 per cent from a year earlier. The infrastructure sector accounts for 26.68 per cent of India's industrial output.

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I Phone To Hit Indian Market on August 21

Most awiated electronics Gazette, Apple's iPhone, the touch screen handset will be available to Indian mobile users through Bharti Airtel at the stroke of midnight on August 21, giving competitors like Nokia, Samsung and others a run for their money.

According to statement released by Airtel, Millions of Airtel subscribers will be able to purchase the iPhone at Airtel's Relationship Centres from August 22.

Sanjay Kapoor, President, Bharti Airtel mobile services, said"iPhone has been an iconic technological revelation of this year and Airtel has been at the forefront of innovation and customer delight in the Indian telecom sector,"

iPhone is endowed with all 3G features and is twice as fast as the existing mobile phones. The phone also has in-built GPS system, that facilitates as a navigation and positioning tool.

US-based Apple has tied up with Airtel and Vodafone to bring iPhone in the country.

Asked at what price it will be available, Bharti Airtel officials declined to give details.

"Introducing iPhone in India further underscores Bharti's commitment to enrich the communication experience of Airtel users," Kapoor said.

Leading cell phone makers like Nokia, Motorola and Samsung have stepped up their R&D efforts to bring feature rich phones in India to compete iPhones.

Vodafone is also slated to bring Apples's iPhone this year.
10 comments on this story. Read them and post your own.

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Punjab National Bank
Punjab National Bank (PNB) was established by Lala Lajpat Rai in 1895 in Lahore. It is the second largest public sector commercial bank in India with about 4500 branches and offices throughout the country. It serves nearly 3.5 crore customers woth wide array of services .

Services

Some of the services offered by PNB are:

• Corporate banking
• Personal banking
• Industrial finance
• Agricultural finance
• Financing of trade
• International banking

Punjab National Bank has been ranked 38th amongst top 500 companies by The Economic Times. PNB has earned 9th position among top 50 trusted brands in India.Punjab National Bank India maintains relationship with more than 200 leading international banks world wide. PNB India has Rupee Drawing Arrangements with 15 exchange companies in UAE and 1 in Singapore.PNB OnlinePunjab National Bank of India is also a member of SWIFT and more than 150 PNB Branches are connected with terminals in Mumbai. It promotes "Any Time, Any Where Banking".

Internet Banking

The internet banking of Punjab National Bank is very comprehensive. The benefits of Internet basnking is available both for the Corporates and Individuals. It provides 24 hours, 365 days banking from the PC of the user. Online services available are:

• Account Access
• Furnishing all details of transactions and statement of account
• Online information of deposits, loans overdraft account etc.
• Online Payment
• Facility for railway reservation through IRCTC Payment Gateway Project
• Online Utility Bill Payment Services using which the users can pay their telephone, mobile, electricity, insurance and other bills anytime from anywhere from their desktop.

ATMs and Branches

Punjab National Bank Card user can buy goods and enable services from 45,000 merchant outlet in India and can withdraw cash from over 4500 ATMs with its own 450 ATMs.

The braanches of PNB has wide geogrophical reaach. It has branched virtually in whole part of India. Punjab National Bank has its Branches in all the 7 metropolitan and cosmopolitan cities in Inadi namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. It even has its branches in small town in both urban as well as rural areas.

International Branches

The international branches of the bank include:

• Almaty
• Kazakhktan
• Shanghai
• China
• London
• Kabul
  

Punjab National Housing Loan

Any individual can avail Punjab National Bank Housing Loan for any of the following purpose:

• For House construction
• For purchasing house/ flat.
• For purchasing house/ flat from the original allottee, i.e. on first Power of Attorney basis.
• For carrying out repairs/ renovation/ additions/ alterations in the existing house.

Approximately 80% of the cost of project is sanctioned by PNB Housing Finance, subject to a maximum of Rs. 50 lac. In case of carrying out repairs/ renovation/ additions/ alterations in the existing house, the ceiling is Rs. 5 lac. The loan is available for a period of 5 years to 20 years or before the borrowers attain the age of 65.

Interest of Punjab National Bank Home Loan is charged on reducing balance and the amount to be sanctioned depends upon the repaying capability of the borrower.The following securities are required by the cell of PNB Housing Loan:

• Mortgage of property for which finance is being given.
• In case of purchase of house flat from housing board/ society where mortgage cannot be created immediately, a tripartite agreement shall be executed amongst the housing board/society, borrower and the Bank.
• In case of purchase of house/ flat on first power of attorney, additional security by way of mortgage of some other property or pledge of Bank's Fixed Deposit Receipt/ LIC policy/ Govt. securities has to be provided.
• Suitable third party guarantee acceptable to the Bank which may include guarantee from family members/ other relatives. PNB Mutual FundPNB Mutual Fund services are distributed under the scheme of Principal PNB Asset Management Company from its assigned branches.

Mutual Funds

The varieties of Punjab National Bank Mutual Fund are as under:

• Principal Growth Scheme
• Principal balanced Fund
• Principal Income Fund
• Principal Income Fund - Short Term Debt
• Principal Cash management Fund
• Principal Index Fund
• Principal government Securities Fund PNB

Office Addresses

Head Office

Punjab National BankStreet 7, Bhikaji Cama Place New Delhi 110066

India

Tel : 91-11-26102303

For ATM related queries

Punjab National Bank

ATM Card Centre, 5, Sansad Marg New Delhi - 110001

Tel : 91-11 - 23352019

24 hours toll free PNB Call Centre number1600 12 2222

Website : http://www.pnbindia.com/

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Oriental Bank of Commerce
Oriental Bank of commerce was established in Lahore on 19th February 1943 by late Rai Bahadur Lala Sohan Lal, the first Chairman of the Bank.

After four four years of its establishment, the Bank had to face the holocaust of partition. Branches in the newly formed Pakistan had to be closed down and the Registered Office had to be shifted from Lahore to Amritsar. Late lala Karam Chand Thapar, the then Chairman of the Bank, in a unique gesture honoured the commitments made to the depositors from Pakistan and paid every rupee to its departing customers. The foundation of customer service thus laid has ever since remained Oriental Bank's prime philosophy and has been nurtured well as a legacy by all its successors, year after year.

Successful Projects
The Bank has launched yet another people's participation in the planning process at grass root level essentially to tackle the maladies of poverty. The Grameen Projects venture aims to alleviate poverty plus identify the reasons responsible for the failure or success.

OBC is already implementing a GRAMEEN PROJECT in Dehradun District (UP) and Hanumangarh District (Raiasthan). Formulated on the pattern of the Bangladesh Grameen Bank, the Scheme has a unique feature of disbursing small loans ranging from Rs. 75 (US $2) onwards. The beneficiaries of the Grameen Project are mostly women.The Bank is engaged in providing training to rural folk in using locally available raw material to produce pickles, jams etc. This has provided self-employment and augmented income levels thus reforming lives of rural folk and encouraging cottage industries in rural areas.

Services
Deposit
Saving Accounts, Current Accounts,Term Deposit,Tax Saving Term Deposit,Flexi Fixed Deposit, Variable Progressive Deposit

Loans
Housing Loan, Car/ Vehicle Loan, Personal Loan, Education Loan, Advances to Minority Communities

NRI Services

Premium Services

• Internet Banking
• Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS
• NATIONAL ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER(NEFT)
• Online Tax Accounting System(OLTAS)
• BANCASSURANCE
  

Other Services

• DeMAT SERVICES
• Foreign Remittances
• CASH MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Web Address: www.obcindia.co.in

Head Office
HarshaBhawan,E-Block,ConnaughtPlace,NewDelhi-110001

Telephone Nos.: 91-11-23417121, 23416691, 23415508

C.M.D. Sectt.. : 91-11-23413444, 23416841

E.D.Sectt.91-11-2341870791-11-23318423(DepartmentofIT)

91-11-23415567(GMsSectt.)

91-11-23546155(Inspection&ControlDeptt.)

91-11-23415591 (Planning & Development Deptt.)

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Central Bank of India

The central bank was established in 1911 and was the first Indian commercial bank which was wholly owned and managed by Indians. It was founded by Sir Sorabji Pochkhanawala. Sir Pherozesha Mehta was the first Chairman of a truly 'Swadeshi Bank'. In fact, such was the extent of pride felt by Sir Sorabji Pochkhanawala that he described Central Bank as the 'property of the nation and the country's asset'. He also added that 'Central Bank lives on people's faith and regards itself as the people's own bank'.

A number of innovative and unique banking activities have been launched by Central Bank of India and a brief mention of some of its pioneering services are as under:

Introduction to the Home Savings Safe Deposit Scheme to build saving/thrift habits in all sections of the society

• An Exclusive Ladies Department to cater to the Bank's women clientele.
• Safe Deposit Locker facility and Rupee Travellers' Cheques.
• Setting up of the Executor and Trustee Department.
• Deposit Insurance Benefit Scheme.
• Recurring Deposit Scheme.
  

Subsequently, even after the nationalization of the Bank in the year 1969, Central Bank continued to introduce a number of innovative banking services as under:

• The Merchant Banking Cell was established.
• Centralcard, the credit card of the Bank was introduced.
• 'Plantinum Jubilee Money Back Deposit Scheme' was launched.
• The housing subsidiary Cent Bank Home Finance Ltd. was started with its headquarters at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.
• Quick Cheque Collection Service (QCC) & Express Service was set up to enable speedy collection of outstation cheques.

As per the guidelines of Reserve Bank of India and the Government of India, Central Bank has been playing an increasingly active role in promoting the key thrust areas of agriculture, small scale industries as also medium and large industries. The Bank also introduced a number of Self Employment Schemes to promote employment among the educated youth.

Among the Public Sector Banks, Central Bank of India can be truly described as an All India Bank, due to distribution of its large network in 27 out of 28 States as also in 4 out of 7 Union Territories in India. Central Bank of India holds a very prominent place among the Public Sector Banks on account of its network of 3194 branches and 267 extension counters at various centres throughout the length and breadth of the country

In view of its large network of branches as also number of savings and other innovative services offered, the total customer base of the Bank at over 25 million account holders is one of the largest in the banking industry.

Customers' confidence in Central Bank of India's wide ranging services can very well be judged from the list of major corporate clients such as ICICI, IDBI, UTI, LIC, HDFC as also almost all major corporate houses in the country.
Web Address: http://www.centralbankofindia.co.in/
Contact Address
Corporate Office
Central Bank of India
Chander Mukhi, Narman Point
Mumbai – 400 021Tel.: 022 – 6638 7777

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Retail Sector of India

India is second most populated country of the world. It is the third largest economy of the world. The presence of healthy middle class population ensures huge prospect in the growth of retail sector. This sector is opened recently by the government of India for the foreign players. Keeping the size of India in mind, the retail sector is not very developed and there are huge prospects for its growth and development. India is one of the ten largest retail markets in the world. In 2004, the total retail sales were $206 billion. Out of these $206 billion, organized Retail was just 3% of total retail sales that is $6.4 billion p.a. Organized retail is however picking up very fast and it is growing with an average growth rate of over 20% p.a. in the last 5 years

Structure
The retail sector of India is not well organized. There are over 12 million retail outlets with an average outlet size of less than 500 sq.ft. Retail Chains of India are of mid size. Some of the important retail chains of India are Pantaloon, Shoppers’ Stop, Food world (RPG Group) and Westside (Tata Group). These retail chains mainly deal with apparel and the grocery items. Apart from the Indian retail chains foreign retail chains are also present in India. Some which are Dairy Farm, Metro, Shop rite and Marks & Spencer. However these international brands have a marginal presence through either franchisee or wholesale formats
Top Players in Retail Industry





Government Policy for the Retail Sector

• 100% FDI is permitted in Cash and Carry Wholesale formats
• Franchisee arrangements are allowed For single brand product, FDI upto 51% is permitted

Investment and Business Potential

• It is expected that by 2015 the retail sector market would grow to the size of $660 billion
• In the next ten years, India would be among the top 5 retail markets in the world
• By 2015, the organized retail is expected to grow to $100 billion and would constitute 12-15% of total retail sales.
• The domestic retail sector will grow due to increase of high income population, increasing urbanization, Increasing use of credit cards by the consumers, rising Population especially between the 20 to 49 years age band
  

There are huge opportunities in the following sector:

1. Food and Grocery
2. Home Improvement
3. Consumer Durables
4. Apparel and Eating Out

• The sector also provides opportunity to the investors to invest in a supply chain infrastructure. India is also emerging as one of the important sourcing base for a wide variety of goods for international retail companies. Some of the international brands like Wal-Mart, GAP, JC Penney etc. are already procuring from India

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Investment in Banking Sector of India
Banking and Financial sector is one of the fast3est growing sectors in India. Lots of foreign banks and financial institution have shown interest in Investing in this sector in India. It is estimated that the sector provides investment opportunity of $25billion in the next five years.

Facts and Figure

• The banking sector and the Financial Services sector based on sound fundamentals is growing very fast in India.
• In the year 2004, the total banking assets was $450 billion in 2004. Since 1991 this has shown the robust growth of 15% p.a.
• Market capitalization of the Indian bank is over $450 billion. Turnover of the banks have grown to $1,170 billion in 2003-04 from $285 billion in 2002-03
• Since 1993, the Mutual Funds assets have shown the strong growth of 13% p.a . Total mutual fund asset in 2004 was $45 billion.
• More than 40 Venture Capital and Private Equity Funds operate in India
  

Structure
Large part (75%) of the market is held by the public sector banks. However private Indian banks and the foreign banks are growing very fast .The three topmost foreign banks operating in India are Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank and HSBC which accounts for more than 65% of the total assets of foreign banks. There are many global players of banking & financial services are operating in India. Some of them are - Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank, UBS, ABN Amro, Barclays, Calyon etc. Apart from banking sector there are also many companies that are doing very well in mutual fund sector. Some of these companies are as - UTI Mutual Fund, Prudential ICICI, HDFC, Franklin Templeton, Birla and Tata

Government Policy

• RBI, Reserve Bank of India is the sole regulator for the Banking and Financial Services industry.
• RBI has issued guidelines to adopt Basel II by December 2006. All the foreign investment in this sector requires prior approval of RBI.
• Foreign banks are allowed to operate in India either by setting up branches or through a wholly owned subsidiary, after approval by RBI.
• Foreign share in the Indian banks can be upto 74% with a 5% cap on ownership by any one entity
  

Business Potential and Opportunities

1. Banking and the financial sector contain huge potential of investments and returns on those investments. By 2010, it is expected that banking sector would grow $915 billion with an average growth rate of 15%.
2. According to estimates nearly $70 billion additional equity is needed for growth plus Basel II compliance. Moreover the market of mutual fund is also expected to grow by 15% till 2010. The growth in retail finance is also expected to grow at an annual rate of 18%, from $27.6 billion in 2003-04 to $64.2 billion by 2008-09.
3. The retail off take is high because majority (54%) of the population is in the 15-35 years age group. The economic growth of 12% and the increasing capital expenditure by the Government and private industry too would give a boost to this sector.
4. Small scale enterprise account for 40% of the industrial output and 35% of direct exports. SME lending which is still an untapped market presents a lucrative opportunity to the foreign and the domestic investors. Moreover the improved asset management practices - Gross NPAs to Advances ratio reduced from 24-25% in 1993 to 7-8% in 2004, too indicates the health of the banking sector and hence the investment and the growth opportunity.
   

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Real Estate in India
The rising population, rapid economic growth and the continuous demand of improved infrastructure have made real estate and the construction sector, the most lucrative sector. The growth of urban population has led to the building of many residential houses. New commercial centers, shopping malls and entertainment houses are mushrooming in India at a rapid pace. Lots of foreign investments have been made. It is expected that in the next five years nearly $50 billion investment would be made in this sector. The industry is expected to grow with an average growth rate of 30% p.a.

Facts and Figure

According to study, Real Estate and Construction is a $12 billion (by revenue) industry in India
In the past few years, real estate and the construction industry have taken strides

Structure of Real Estate and the Construction Industry

The construction industry and real estate sector has few organized players, many of whom have only a local or regional presence

Big corporate houses are very less in this sector
This is the most profitable venture in India, because as compared to developed countries, the profit of margin is very high here. The profit of margin in India is more than 20% whereas in the developed nation, the profit of margin is 5% to 6%.

Institutional finance in Real Estate has stared recently and is in the formative stage.
Government has allowed the Real estate venture funds. Some of the Indian banks like ICICI Bank, SBI and HDFC have promoted real estate venture funds
There are many foreign Real Estate and Finance companies like GE Commercial Finance, Tishman Speyer, Ascendas and Farallon Capital have entered the Indian market

Major Players of Real Estate and Construction Industry

Government Policy
· Government has permitted 100% FDI in real estate development. However this investment is subject to minimum scale norms which are:

• Either 25 acres in case of serviced plots or integrated townships; or
• 50,000 sq. mtrs. of built-up area for construction development projects
  

Potential

There are many reasons that would help the investors to reap maximum benefits.

1. Population is growing and so is the demand for more houses. The demand of housing is increasing because of the availability of easy loans at a very low rate of interest. Moreover there are many tax incentives that are provided by the government to those who takes housing loans.

2. The rapid growth of Retail, IT/ ITeS and Hospitality sectors have led to the demand for commercial and office space. Recently government has announced Urban Infrastructure Renewal Mission. This is expected to further boost and strengthen this sector.

3. Nearly $11.5 billion has been earmarked over the next five years for 60 cities

4. For every segment of the business, there is an investment opportunity: For example in the next five years, about 20 million new units expected to be built. The growth of IT sector necessitates more office space. The growth of retail sector also requires much Commercial space. By 2010 it is expected that the retail sector may require 200 million sq. ft. Hospital and the Hotel industry is also expanding very fast to meet the requirement of the people.

5. Real estate and the construction industry present the investment opportunity of over $50 billion in the next five years.

6. Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, AIG, Blackstone and Calpers are some of the foreign institutional investors who have shown interest in investing in Indian real estate and the construction industry sector.

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Insurance Sector of India

Insurance is one of the most important and the fastest growing service sector in India. Initially Government was the major player in this industry but now in the post reform period, many private players both foreign and domestic have entered this sector. Insurance sector provides the investment opportunity of $4-5 billion in he next five years.

Facts an Figure

• The total size of insurance industry in India is about $10 billion (premiums). As compared to 2003-04 the insurance sector grew by 25% in 2004-05.
  
• The total premium collected in the life Life insurance was $5.8 billion in the year 2004-05. This amount was created from for 26.2 million policies. The registered growth was of 36% over 2003-04
  
• The other important segment of Insurance are Motor, marine, fire and health insurance. The premium collected from these segments in the year 2004-05 was $4.2 billion
  
  

Major Players In Insurance Sector


Structure of Insurance Sector
● Initially insurance industry was controlled by the government sector however, in 1999-2000 the insurance market was opened to private & foreign investment
● There are many foreign players who are doing business in this sector. Some of the major foreign players are: AIG, Aviva, MetLife, New York Life, Prudential, Allianz, Sun Life, Standard Life and Lombard. These foreign players are present with small stakes in joint ventures with Indian companies for both Life and Non-life segments
● The major market share in the field of Life Insurance is still dominated by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). Life insurance corporation holds 78% share of the market
● In the case of non life insurance field, private sector companies both independently as well as joint ventures with foreign insurers account for 20% of the market and have grown at 60% p.a.

Major Players In Insurance Sector



Government Policy
● Government has permitted FDI up to 26% under the automatic route. The FDI is however subjected to to obtaining a license from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA)
● As decided by the government this participation would be increased upto 49% in the near future
● Insurance sector is regulated by the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA)

Business Potential and Opportunity

• Insurance market in India is lucrative market that is expected to grow with the average annual rate of 20%. The market is growing fast and the by 2010, the total market of the Insurance sector would be around $25 billion
• India has a huge population. World's 17% of the population resides here yet it is still 0.6% of the global insurance market. Nearly 80% of Indians still require Life, Health and Non-life insurance. The penetration of insurance is low. It is just 2.9% as compared to the world average of over 8%. Whereas, the penetration of Non-life insurance is even lower which is less than 1% in 2003.
• In 2004, the Per capita life insurance premium was $16 which is quite low as compared to the average world per capita life insurance premium which is around $292
  The robust economic growth and the increasing awareness of the risk factor have also contribute in the growth of this sector.

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