Bhubaneswar: Bandhan Bank, the universal bank with inclusive banking at its core, today announced that it has roped in Sourav Ganguly as its Brand Ambassador. Fondly called Dada and The Maharaja of Indian Cricket, Sourav Ganguly will help amplify the brand message of the Bank and endorse the products and services of the Bank.
The two brands share common values. Ganguly led the transformation of the Indian cricket team in the early 2000s, just like Bandhan led the transformation of not-so-privileged households in rural and semi-urban India. Both are iconic brands that have origins in Eastern India. Yet, over the years, they have established themselves well in much larger geographies and are no more regional icons. While Ganguly is a global icon, thanks to his cricketing achievements, first as a player, then as a captain, and now as an administrator, Bandhan Bank is a pan India bank that provides banking services to all, big or small, through its 5,644 banking outlets spread across 34 of the 36 states and union territories in the country.
Commenting on the development, Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, MD and CEO, Bandhan Bank, said, “Sourav has been one of the most successful captains of the Indian cricket team due to his foresight, dedication and commitment to the game. There is a lot of congruence in the values that Sourav and Bandhan Bank embody. He is also a global icon and commands respect from all quarters. We are confident that this partnership will help us garner more attention, leading to greater awareness of the brand, and thus propelling us further in our growth story. This association is another step towards connecting strongly with consumers across the spectrum and reinforcing our ongoing mission of inclusive banking.”
Speaking about the association, Sourav Ganguly said, “I have seen the rise of brand Bandhan from close quarters, and I am proud of the progress it has made in such a short time span. What I admire most about the bank is that it is a purpose-led brand and is committed to creating sustainable impact at the ground level. This resonates well with me as sustainable impact is what I have myself always aimed at, first as a captain and now as an administrator. I am privileged to have the responsibility to get Bandhan Bank more recognition across the nation.”
In its earlier announcements, Bandhan Bank had mentioned that the key focus areas in the next few years would be diversification of the asset portfolio; strengthening people capabilities, including hiring fresh talent; the development of in-house technology, analytics and digital capabilities; and the consolidation of CASA (current account savings account) by developing deeper customer engagement. The Bank also plans to open 551 branches this fiscal.
