Bank of Baroda Organises 7th Edition of the ‘Baroda Kisan Pakhwada’ in Punjab with a focus on Tech-Enabled Banking to Empower Indian Farmers

Chandigarh/Amloh, December 2, 2024: Bank of Baroda (Bank), one of India’s leading public sector banks, today announced that the Bank’s Ludhiana Zone organised a Mega Kisan Mela in Amloh, Punjab as a part of the 7th edition of the ‘Baroda Kisan Pakhwada’, the Bank’s flagship annual Programme aimed at engaging with farmers and rural communities across the country. The focus of Baroda Kisan Pakhwada 2024 is on leveraging the use of technology in Banking and Agriculture to empower Indian farmers.

 
The Mega Kisan Mela in Amloh district was inaugurated by Hardeep Singh, General Manager & Zonal Head Ludhiana Zone, Bank of Baroda, Shri Govind Prasad Verma, Dy.General Manager, Bank of Baroda and Shri Taranjeet Singh, Asst. General Manager & Regional Head, Ludhiana Region, Bank of Baroda. During the course of Baroda Kisan Pakhwada 2024 in Punjab, the Bank connected with over 1 Lakh farmers through Kisan Rath and other outreach events and disbursed/sanctioned agricultural loans worth approximately ₹3.00 Crore. The Ludhiana Zone covers 23 districts of Punjab, 06 districts of Jammu & Kashmir, and one of Ladakh.
 

As part of this year’s Baroda Kisan Pakhwada, the Bank popularised its key digital offerings for the farmers. Bank of Baroda has integrated its Baroda Kisan Credit Card (BKCC) with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) to fetch digital land records & farm-related information and grant BKCC. This is an end-to-end digital process from customer onboarding to disbursement. BKCC is live in 17 states and is proposed to be expanded shortly to other states as well. Further, through Digital Gold Loan, customers can apply for a Gold Loan at their convenience, using the Bank’s Digital lending Platform.

 
Speaking on the occasion, Hardeep Singh, General Manager & Zonal Head Ludhiana Zone, Bank of Baroda said, “The Baroda Kisan Pakhwada, which is now in its 7th year, reflects Bank of Baroda’s commitment in supporting the farmers of the country with innovative banking solutions. This year, we are focusing on expanding our digital offerings, including the Digital Gold Loan, to make banking more easily accessible for the agri community. In Ludhiana Zone, we have organised a number of programmes such as farmer meets, choupals and Kisan melas, which has helped us deepen the relationship with our customers and meet their financial requirements.”
 

Bank of Baroda has 187 branches in Ludhiana Zone, of which 103 are semi-urban/rural branches. Kisan Credit Cards, Gold Loans, Tractor Loans and Lending to Self Help Groups (SHG) are the top growth sectors within agriculture for the Bank’s Ludhiana Zone. As of September 30, 2024, the Bank’s agri loan portfolio in Ludhiana zone has recorded a year-on-year growth of 10.9 %.
 

Baroda Kisan Pakhwada is designed to help the Bank boost its engagement with the Indian farming community, create awareness about the Bank’s various Agri offerings & initiatives, and promote Government of India's schemes for the agricultural sector.