- Rationale behind introducing a credit card for SME businesses
- Communication from #RBI regarding #Paytm's nodal account and more
Watch #HDFCBank's Parag Rao in conversation with Pragatti Oberoi.
- Communication from #RBI regarding #Paytm's nodal account and more
Watch #HDFCBank's Parag Rao in conversation with Pragatti Oberoi.
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TVTranscript
00:00 We're here in Mumbai where HDFC Bank has launched a new range of credit cards specifically for
00:04 business.
00:05 Joining us for the conversation is Mr. Parag Rao.
00:07 Sir, thank you so much for taking out the time and talking to us.
00:10 Thank you.
00:11 So a new range of credit cards specifically for SMAs.
00:14 So I want to first start by understanding the rationale behind this launch.
00:17 Were you seeing a new set of demand coming up?
00:20 Okay.
00:21 So we actually launched our initial version one of the business card range, only two variants
00:27 about two to one half years back.
00:30 That point of time we said two things.
00:32 Let us give an offering to a generic offering to the business community.
00:38 We deal with the business community or the SME segment if you may call.
00:41 So through two means all our asset businesses deal with them and of course our merchant
00:45 acceptance business.
00:47 And we said let's launch it.
00:48 They don't have a payment product.
00:50 Can we launch a payment product and learn from this space?
00:52 So we built up a portfolio of approximately 3.7 million cards and frankly speaking I think
00:59 the results are very encouraging in terms of the engagement expense.
01:03 But then one of the outcomes of this experience was to realize that the SME segment cannot
01:08 be treated as one.
01:10 There are multiple segments really coming out.
01:13 The needs of them are differing and diverse and so we said there is a time now to evolve
01:18 our product.
01:19 Try to create more segments and can we have a customized offering so that we can address
01:25 their needs even better.
01:27 And hence the birth of the new range of products.
01:30 These are steeped in a lot of learnings over the last two to one half years on our existing
01:35 portfolio and we realized that like I said a self-employed professional has a different
01:40 need from say a trader to a person who is in the services business or one who has a
01:45 small manufacturing setup.
01:46 And hence the objective of this range is to really further deepen our relationship
01:50 with them and give them very specific benefits tailored to their needs.
01:55 Thanks so much for the clarity.
01:56 Sir, the payments ecosystem or the FinTech ecosystem is a little wobbly at this point
02:01 with the recent thing that has happened with Paytm Payments Bank and 197 Communications.
02:08 So you already have a co-branded credit card with Paytm.
02:12 What happens to that?
02:14 As of now nothing happens to that.
02:16 That continues.
02:17 But we are watching the situation as it evolves.
02:21 Fair enough.
02:22 Sir, has also there been any communication from the RBI about Paytm's nodal account
02:27 with your bank?
02:28 Really would not like to comment on that at this point and say it would be inappropriate.
02:34 If in general if you have to look at the whole payments business and the cards business also
02:39 with the recent thing that has happened with Paytm and do you see this as an opportunity
02:45 for other banks and FinTechs to grow or would there be a surge in demand in certain products
02:51 where banks and FinTechs would start capitalizing on that move?
02:56 Generally speaking in any industry if you see that maybe one or two players either change
03:04 their strategy or you know sort of reduce their business.
03:08 I mean customers are smart today they move to other service providers.
03:11 I see some of that happening already.
03:13 Some of the newspaper reports also say that.
03:16 But that's only natural.
03:19 And NCMC, do you think that as a product will start getting more traction for banks going
03:25 forward?
03:26 Well NCMC is the NPCI protocol specifically designed for tolls, transit, smart cities
03:34 etc. etc.
03:36 It's already available in many of the metro projects as we speak, the large ones.
03:42 And as automation and digitization sort of spreads across the country and you know that
03:47 there are practically every city now has a metro project either up and coming or planned.
03:54 I see the need for NCMC cards in the hands of customers growing as significantly as more
04:00 and more people use these public utilities.
04:04 Okay so you see that growing going forward.
04:07 And one last bit on this part.
04:10 Because there's general consensus because the reputation and trust factor is a little
04:15 wobbly now on after what has happened with Paytm and now merchants are also a little
04:19 worried.
04:20 That's a general sense that we are picking up from the market.
04:22 Are you seeing an increased demand or a switch happening from the merchant side?
04:26 Are they coming more to HDFC for perhaps the soundbox or any other product?
04:32 Well like I said earlier when something happens to one player for whatever reason etc. customers
04:39 are smart they sort of move to other service providers.
04:41 We've seen a little bit of uptake in the last one week of merchants coming to us.
04:47 On which particular platform?
04:49 On the Byapaar platform, our digital merchant acceptance platform.
04:54 Thank you so much for talking to us.
04:55 It was a pleasure having you.
04:57 [Music]