PNB donates Rs. 40 lacs to PM Cares Fund under "DIGITAL APNAYEN"campaign

Place: New DelhiDate: 01.10.2020

New Delhi, October 1, 2020: The nation’s leading public sector bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB), had launched an innovative digital campaign, named as "DIGITAL APNAYEN," on the 74th Independence Day, which is in line with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, GOI guidelines encouraging digital banking under the coveted Digital India Initiative. This campaign is being organised from 15^thAugust 2020 to 31^stMarch 2021 and complements the government’s vision of on boardingabout one crore customers on digital payment modes under the auspices of the 'Digital Apnayen' campaign. The government’s initiative is aimed at ensuring seamless & secure digital Banking services for all, auguring a new era of digitisation & revolutionary change in the banking norms.

Punjab National Bank committed to contribute ₹5.00 towards the PM CARES Fund on behalf of each customer on boarding on Digital Platform. To honour its commitment, PNB donated Rs. Forty Lakhs Fourteen Thousand and Forty to PM CARES FUND on 1^st October 2020 and handed over the cheque to Shri Debashish Panda, Secretary and Shri Pankaj Jain, Additional Secretary, Both Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. As of now more than 8lac customers have contributed under the 6 parameters of ‘Digital Apnayen’ campaign of PNB. The campaign envisages encouraging customers to use digital Channels and participate in the noble cause of donating to PM CARES FUNDS for COVID-19, by PNB.

Upon receiving the donation, Debashish Panda, Secretary, Department Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of Indiasaid “The Ministry of Finance is very appreciative of this initiative of PNB, educating and encouraging a wide range of demographics of the customers to use digital banking channels, which support the government’s Digital India initiative. We thank PNB for the wholehearted contribution that it has made to the PM Cares Fund during this difficult phase of pandemic in the country. This is a very important initiative of the government and the support of PNB in laying the foundations of a digitally empowered society is worth felicitation.”

On the occasion, Shri S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao, MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank, said, “The ‘Digital Apnayen’ campaign aims to ensure that government services and benefits are made available to citizens electronically and make India digitally empowered. We have seen a rapid increase in our customer base across nation and have successfully added more than 8lac new customers. With the evolving force of customer expectations PNB has been continuously taking formative steps towards enhancing our digital channels and making it seamless and user friendly.

He further added, PNB is fully committed and will continue to play an integral and indispensable part in the country’s journey towards digital economic progress. It is our honour to contribute to PM Cares Fund with the contribution of our valued customers and a step towards transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.”

Punjab National Bank committed to contribute ₹5.00 towards the PM CARES Fund on behalf of each customer on boarding on Digital Platform and conducting transaction, basis 6 parameters i.e.

1. First financial transaction to activate their RuPay Debit card on PoS

2. First financial transaction on E-commerce platform

3. Activation of AePS account through fund transfer

4. Activation of AePS account through BHIM Aadhaar Merchants payment

5. Activation of UPI service

6. Download and Registration for UPI facility

This campaign is in line with the initiative ‘Digital Adoption’ by the Mission Office, Dept. of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India. According to the finance ministry the Public sector bank (PSBs) have on-boarded about one crore customers on digital payment modes in just one month of the launch of the campaign.

The campaign, aimed at encouraging customers to use digital banking channels, was launched on August 15 under the aegis of the government's Digital India initiative. Under the campaign, banks were asked to on-board a minimum 100 new customers including merchants and financial inclusion account holders by each branch on digital payment mode.

Out of 10917 branches of PNB, almost 5000 branches have been instrumental in enrolling more than 100 customers on digital platforms and these branches includes metro, urban, semi-urban and rural competence.