Media Release

Mumbai, Sep 7: Private sector lender Karnataka Bank hosted the second edition of KBL – FinOne, ‘A Fintech Growth Programme’ on the sidelines of Global Fintech Fest 2023 being held from September 5 to 7 at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. The leadership session on the topic ‘Evolving Digital Ecosystem @ MSME and Possibilities’ was organized in association with ‘The fintech meet-up’.

Speaking at the session, Srikrishnan H, managing director & CEO of Karnataka Bank, said, “At Karnataka Bank, we wish to actively participate in the digital ecosystem that includes specific open collaborations with Fintechs to provide inclusive finance for MSMEs and consumers. As we celebrate the bank’s centenary year, we are positioning and re-inventing ourselves to be a Start-Up @ 100, with an outlook of metamorphosing from being ‘Karnataka’s Karnataka Bank to India’s Karnataka Bank’. The prime focus of the bank now is in building the asset book through collaborations with NBFCs and Fintechs. Another key focus for the bank is on the distribution products such as digital credit cards, UPI on credit, insurance & investments, personal finance etc., that the bank will be happy to partner. Karnataka Bank will also pursue active participation in the B2B segment to serve the underserved.”

Sekhar Rao, executive director of Karnataka Bank, in his address said, “We are focusing on building our digital lending ecosystem with an eye on three broad parameters, first - by focusing in areas which we understand or our strengths are namely MSMEs and Agri sector, second - developing a commercially viable model, and third without doubt through the collaboration route with fintechs.”

Senior executives representing various verticals of Karnataka Bank also participated in the event.