Support to HDFC Bank in rural and agri-banking outreach

MSC partnered with HDFC Bank to broaden and deepen its large and growing portfolio of rural and agri-business loans. In addition, the bank sought greater outreach to the bottom-of-the-pyramid markets.

MSC supported the bank through a range of interventions. These started with the design, development, and implementation of a below-the-line (BTL) communication and marketing strategies for rural and agri-banking. The MSC team then designed BTL marketing collaterals that covered visual aids, signage, and point-of-sale material for HDFC agency points to communicate key messages tailored to the target segments. We also developed a mobile-van campaign for rural coverage. MSC and HDFC Bank teams and agents jointly executed marketing campaigns in select districts of Uttar Pradesh in India.

By 2018, 53% of the branch and agent network of HDFC Bank was semi-urban or rural. HDFC Bank had introduced several products for the rural segments, such as agri-loans, cattle loans, tractor loans, Kisan (farmer) credit cards, small working capital loans, and small savings and micro-insurance products. These were exhibiting rapid year-on-year growth, while 83% of the retail customer transactions occurred through Internet or mobile banking and only 8% through branches.