Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 21 (/PNN): Fino Payments Bank ("Fino Bank", "The Bank") is actively pursuing to capitalize on the opportunities arising out of increasing digitalization of India's economy. The profitable payments bank and the only listed entity in its space, is focusing on digital-led growth as part of its Fino2.0 journey.
For Fino Bank fully digital means engaging with a new set of digitally savvy and aspirational customers, the young millennials. Towards this objective, the Bank strengthened its direct-to-customer (D2C) channel, mobile banking app "FinoPay", with improved user interface and new service offerings. The most significant initiative being the digital savings account service launched in December 2022, which is getting encouraging response.
Terming creation of a digital ecosystem as critical for the bank's growth Tejas Mar, Chief Digital Officer, Fino Payments Bank said, "Our D2C strategy aims to acquire tech-savvy young customers, provide personalized services and cross sell to make Fino Bank a part of their everyday banking. Having a digital savings account is the first step in this journey and we have already opened over 30,000 accounts through FinoPay since launch of the service. To scale up and reach out to a larger customer base, we will continuously strengthen our own digital as well as fintech partner offerings that enhance experience, generate revenue and create value."
Fino Bank's digital savings account customers are in the age group of 20 to 30 years from across geographies. It is an indication that customers are willing to adopt digital system as long as it is simple and useful.
In addition to the digital savings account, the new improved FinoPay app offers over 60 features including money transfer, bill payments, partner offerings such as insurance, digital gold, loans and sweep account facility.
New age economy is making inroads in Bharat, thanks to digitalization of economy and improved connectivity in terms of highways, internet and smartphone usage. The over 600 million and growing smartphone user base along with the infra-led connected economy opens new avenues of growth and profitability for Fino Bank.
Having said that, digital has already started making an impact on Fino Bank's predominantly rural focused business. As of end December 2022 (Q3FY23), the Bank's CASA base stood at over 67 lakhs with 36 per cent of the customers' active on digital payments. In 9M FY23, digital transactions contributed 18 per cent to the overall throughput of over Rs 1.87 lakh crore, up from 10 per cent in FY22. Digital foray is expected to improve this contribution further.
During the first three-quarters of FY23, the Bank registered a PAT of Rs 43 crore, highest ever in nine months and bettering Rs 42.7 cr PAT of FY22!
Fino Payments Bank is a subsidiary of Fino Paytech Limited, which is backed by marquee investors like Bharat Petroleum, ICICI group, Blackstone, IFC, Intel and LIC among others. Frugal innovation is the key that has given the fintech a leadership position at the middle of the pyramid which primarily constitutes emerging India customers. The Mumbai-based Bank operates on an asset light business model that principally relies on fee and commission-based income generated from merchant network and strategic commercial relationships.
The Bank's platform had facilitated more than 67 crore transactions with a gross transaction value of over Rs 1.87 lakh crore in financial year 2021-22. The Bank turned profitable in the fourth quarter of 2019-20 and has been profitable in subsequent quarterly periods. It registered a profit of Rs 42.74 crore in 2021-22.
In Q3FY23, the Bank facilitated transactions worth Rs 65,926 crore of which approx. Rs 52,500 crore were processed by its physical network alone and the rest amounting to 20 per cent by digital. During this period, the Bank registered a PAT of Rs 19.1 crore.
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