ICICI Bank - Icici Bank Co In

ICICI Bank is an Indian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Vadodara, Gujarat, India. As of 2014 it is the second largest bank in India in terms of assets and market capitalization. It offers a wide range of banking products and financial services for corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and specialized subsidiaries in the areas of investment banking, life, non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management. The Bank has a network of 4,050 branches and 12,642 ATMs in India, and has a presence in 17 countries including India.

ICICI Bank is one of the Big Four banks of India, along with State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda. The bank has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom and Canada; branches in United States, Singapore, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Dubai International Finance Centre and China; and representative offices in United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia. The company's UK subsidiary has also established branches in Belgium and Germany.

In March 2013, Operation Red Spider showed high-ranking officials and some employees of ICICI Bank involved in money laundering. After a government inquiry, ICICI Bank suspended 18 employees and faced penalties from the Reserve Bank of India in relation to the activity.

History

ICICI Bank was established by the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI), an Indian financial institution, as a wholly owned subsidiary in 1994. The parent company was formed in 1955 as a joint-venture of the World Bank, India's public-sector banks and public-sector insurance companies to provide project financing to Indian industry. The bank was initially known as the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Bank, before it changed its name to the abbreviated ICICI Bank. The parent company was later merged with the bank.

ICICI Bank launched internet banking operations in 1998.

ICICI's shareholding in ICICI Bank was reduced to 46 percent, through a public offering of shares in India in 1998, followed by an equity offering in the form of American Depositary Receipts on the NYSE in 2000. ICICI Bank acquired the Bank of Madura Limited in an all-stock deal in 2001 and sold additional stakes to institutional investors during 2001-02.

In the 1990s, ICICI transformed its business from a development financial institution offering only project finance to a diversified financial services group, offering a wide variety of products and services, both directly and through a number of subsidiaries and affiliates like ICICI Bank. In 1999, ICICI become the first Indian company and the first bank or financial institution from non-Japan Asia to be listed on the NYSE.

In 2000, ICICI Bank became the first Indian bank to list on the New York Stock Exchange with its five million American depository shares issue generating a demand book 13 times the offer size.

In October 2001, the Boards of Directors of ICICI and ICICI Bank approved the merger of ICICI and two of its wholly owned retail finance subsidiaries, ICICI Personal Financial Services Limited and ICICI Capital Services Limited, with ICICI Bank. The merger was approved by shareholders of ICICI and ICICI Bank in January 2002, by the High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad in March 2002 and by the High Court of Judicature at Mumbai and the Reserve Bank of India in April 2002.

In 2008, following the 2008 financial crisis, customers rushed to ICICI ATMs and branches in some locations due to rumours of adverse financial position of ICICI Bank. The Reserve Bank of India issued a clarification on the financial strength of ICICI Bank to dispel the rumours.

Acquisitions

• 1996: SCICI Ltd. A diversified financial institution with headquarters in Mumbai
• 1997: ITC Classic Finance. Incorporated in 1986, ITC Classic was a non-bank financial firm that engaged in hire, purchase, and leasing operations. At the time of being acquired, ITC Classic had eight offices, 26 outlets, and 700 brokers.
• 1998: Anagram(ENAGRAM) Finance. Anagram had built up a network of some 50 branches in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra that were primarily engaged in retail financing of cars and trucks. It also had some 250,000 depositors.
• 2001: Bank of Madurai
• 2002: The Darjeeling and Shimla branches of Grindlays Bank
• 2005: Investitsionno-Kreditny Bank (IKB), a Russian bank
• 2007: Sangli Bank. Sangli Bank was a private sector unlisted bank, founded in 1916, and 30% owned by the Bahte family. Its headquarters were in Sangli in Maharashtra, and it had 198 branches. It had 158 in Maharashtra and 31 in Karnataka, and others in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Delhi. Its branches were relatively evenly split between metropolitan areas and rural or semi-urban areas.
• 2010: The Bank of Rajasthan (BOR) was acquired by the ICICI Bank in 2010 for INR 30 billion. RBI was critical of BOR's promoters not reducing their holdings in the company. BOR has since been merged with ICICI Bank.

Role in Indian financial infrastructure

The bank has contributed to the set-up of a number of Indian institutions to establish financial infrastructure in the country over the years:

• National Stock Exchange - The National Stock Exchange was promoted by India's leading financial institutions (including ICICI Ltd.) in 1992 on behalf of the Government of India with the objective of establishing a nationwide trading facility for equities, debt instruments and hybrids, by ensuring equal access to investors all over the country through an appropriate communication network.
• Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL) - In 1987, ICICI Ltd along with UTI set up CRISIL as India's first professional credit rating agency. CRISIL offers a comprehensive range of integrated products and service offerings which include credit ratings, capital market information, industry analysis and detailed reports.
• National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange Limited - NCDEX is an online multi-commodity exchange, set up in 2003, by ICICI Bank Ltd, LIC, NABARD, NSE, Canara Bank, CRISIL, Goldman Sachs, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) and Punjab National Bank.
• Financial Innovation Network and Operations Pvt Ltd. - ICICI Bank has facilitated setting up of "FINO Cross Link to Case Link Study" in 2006, as a company that would provide technology solutions and services to reach the underserved and underbanked population of the country. Using technologies like smart cards, biometrics and a basket of support services, FINO enables financial institutions to conceptualise, develop and operationalise projects to support sector initiatives in microfinance and livelihoods.
• Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India - Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), an autonomous body and not-for-profit society, was set up in 1983, by the erstwhile apex financial institutions like IDBI, ICICI, IFCI and SBI with the support of the Government of Gujarat as a national resource organisation committed to entrepreneurship development, education, training and research.
• North Eastern Development Finance Corporation - North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFI) was promoted by national level financial institutions like ICICI Ltd in 1995 at Guwahati, Assam for the development of industries, infrastructure, animal husbandry, agri-horticulture plantation, medicinal plants, sericulture, aquaculture, poultry and dairy in the North Eastern states of India. NEDFI is the premier financial and development institution for the North East region.
• Asset Reconstruction Company India Limited - Following the enactment of the Securitisation Act in 2002, ICICI Bank, together with other institutions, set up Asset Reconstruction Company India Limited (ARCIL) in 2003, to create a facilitative environment for the resolution of distressed debt in India. ARCIL was established to acquire non-performing assets (NPAs) from financial institutions and banks with a view to enhance the management of these assets and help in the maximisation of recovery. This would relieve institutions and banks from the burden of pursuing NPAs, and allow them to focus on core banking activities.
• Credit Information Bureau of India Limited - ICICI Bank has also helped in setting up Credit Information Bureau of India Limited (CIBIL), India's first national credit bureau in 2000. CIBIL provides a repository of information (which contains the credit history of commercial and consumer borrowers) to its members in the form of credit information reports. The members of CIBIL include banks, financial institutions, state financial corporations, non-banking financial companies, housing finance companies and credit card companies.
• Institutional Investor Advisory Services India Limited (IiAS) - ICICI Bank has indirectly invested in Institutional Investor Advisory Services, through ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, in IiAS. IiAS is a voting advisory firm aka proxy firm, dedicated to providing participants in the Indian market with data, research and commentary. It provides recommendations on resolutions placed before shareholders of over 300 companies.

Products

ICICI Bank Unifare Bangalore Metro Card

ICICI Bank and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on April 2015, announced the launch of the 'ICICI Bank Unifare Bangalore Metro Card'. This card offers the commuters dual benefits of an ICICI Bank credit or debit card and BMRCL's smart card, called Namma Metro Smart Card. This is a cobranded card in association with MasterCard.

'Touch n Remit' facility for NRIs in Kingdom of Bahrain

In March 2015, ICICI Bank tied up with SADAD Electronic Payments WLL to offer remittance service for NRIs based in Bahrain, enabling them to transfer monies instantly to India from the latter's kiosks spread across the Kingdom of Bahrain. This facility has been named as 'Touch n Remit'.

ICICI Bank Ltd launches 'Video Banking' for NRI

In February 2015, ICICI Bank announced the launch of 'Video Banking' for all its NRI (Non Resident Indian) customers. Using this service, the customers can now connect with a customer care representative over a video call, round-the-clock, on all days from anywhere using their smart phone.

Pockets by ICICI Bank

In February 2015, ICICI Bank Re-Launched POCKETS, now working as a "Digital wallet" for everyone (Android OS users only). The Wallet be can be opened by anyone and can conduct transactions like recharge, shopping, transfer money using the virtual visa card which is issued when signing up for the wallet.

ICICIBankPay on Twitter

ICICI Bank on January, 2015 launched banking services on Twitter, christened as 'ICICIBankPay'. This service in India enables ICICI Bank customers to transfer money to anyone in the country who has a Twitter account, check account balance, view last three transactions and recharge prepaid mobile in a completely secure manner.

Contactless Credit and Debit Cards

ICICI Bank on January, 2015 announced the launch of the country's first 'Contactless' debit and credit cards, enabling its customers to make electronic payments by just waving the cards near the merchant terminal in lieu of dipping or swiping them. These cards are based on the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which provides customers the improved convenience of speed as these cards require significantly less time than traditional cards to complete a transaction along with enhanced security as they remain in control of the customer.

MySavings Rewards

ICICI Bank has rolled-out the programme 'MySavings Rewards' from 1 September 2012, where reward points are offered to individual domestic customers for a variety of transactions done through the savings bank account. Reward points are offered automatically to customers for activating Internet banking, shopping online/ paying utility bills with Internet banking and auto-debit from savings account towards equated monthly installments for home/ auto/ personal loan/ recurring deposit. Customers are required to maintain a monthly average balance of INR 15,000 or more. th Indian bank will recuire 5.5% interest on short term loans and long term bonds and mortgages loans up to $2 million up to 20years to pay back annuall interest of 5.5% short term loans from 3 months up to 3years at 5.5% .credit interest is reduced to 10% annully .

iWish- the flexible recurring deposit

iWish is a flexible recurring deposit product launched by ICICI Bank for its savings account customers. Unlike a traditional recurring deposit, iWish allows customers to save varying amounts of money at any time of their choice. Customers can create several goals and track their progress on an online interface.

ICICI Bank has developed this product in collaboration with Social Money. ICICI Bank has also launched an app for Android and Apple smartwatches. The app will provide the facility of online banking transaction from smartwatch.

Go Green Initiative

The Go Green Initiative is an organisation wide initiative that moves beyond moving people, processes and customers to cost effective automated channels to build awareness and consciousness of our environment, our nation and our society.

Objective

ICICI Bank's Green initiative is to make healthy environment in the organisation i.e.; to create intrapersonal skills amongs the customer and understanding between employees of the organisation.

Broad objectives of the ICICI are:

1. to assist in the creation, expansion and modernisation of private concerns;
2. to encourage the participation of internal and external capital in the private concerns;
3. to encourage private ownership of industrial investment.

Green products and services

It is the platform that brings together all alternate channels under one umbrella and gives customers the option of banking through Internet banking, i-Mobile banking, IVR Banking. On 22 September 2014 ICICI Bank launched Four New Next Generation Mobile Banking Apps.

Auto loans offer 50% waiver on processing fee on car models which uses alternate mode of energy. The models identified for the purpose are, Maruti's LPG version of Maruti 800, Omni and Versa, Hyundai's Santro Eco, Civic Hybrid of Honda, Reva electric cars, Tata Indica CNG and Mahindra Logan CNG versions.

Carbon Footprint Calculator

Inputs include region, user input of the distance traveled in a particular medium of transport daily, electricity consumed per month and LPG cylinder/piped natural gas used per month. It calculates the net carbon footprint to create awareness and sensitize people about the environment. It also shows the world's and India's average carbon footprint.

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Subsidiaries

Domestic

• ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited
• ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited
• ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited
• ICICI Prudential Trust Limited
• ICICI Securities Limited
• ICICI Securities Primary Dealership Limited
• ICICI Venture Funds Management Company Limited
• ICICI Home Finance Company Limited
• ICICI Investment Management Company Limited
• ICICI Trusteeship Services Limited
• ICICI Prudential Pension Funds Management Company Limited

International

• ICICI Bank USA
• ICICI Bank UK PLC
• ICICI Bank Canada
• ICICI Bank Eurasia Limited Liability Company
• ICICI Securities Holdings Inc.
• ICICI Securities Inc.
• ICICI International LImited

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Awards and Achievements

2003

• "The Asian Banker Excellence in Retail Financial Services Program" by The Asian Banker

2004

• Best Bank in India Award presented by Euromoney Magazine

2006

• Bank of the Year 2006 India by the Banker

2007

• ICICI Bank has been conferred the Euromoney Award 2007 for the Best Bank in the Asia-Pacific Region
• ICICI Bank wins the Excellence in Remittance Business award by The Asian Banker
• ICICI Bank was got the awards for 'Best Transaction Bank' in India, 'Best Domestic Bank' in India, 'Best follow-on offering'(US$4.94 billion), 'Best Investment Grade Bond'(US$2 billion, three-tranche bonds), Best Syndicated Loan Managers by Asset.

2009

• ICICI Bank bags the "Best bank in SME financing (Private Sector)" at the Dun & Bradstreet Banking awards
• ICICI Bank won the Best Banking Security Systems Project Award and Best E-Banking Project Implementation Award by The Asian Banker.

2010

• ICICI Bank won the Best Banking Security System by The Asian Banker.

2011

• ICICI Bank is the only Indian brand to figure in the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands Report, second year in a row
• ICICI Bank won the 'Best CRM Project' and 'Best Banking Security Systems' by The Asian Banker.

2012

• Airtel, ICICI among 'top 100 global brands'
• ICICI Bank received the Golden Peacock Innovative Product / Service Award.
• ICICI Bank received the Dataquest Technology Innovation Awards 2012 for Data center migration by Dataquest.
• ICICI Bank was conferred the Best Performance Award for Self Help Group (SHG) Bank Linkage Programme in NABARD's State Level Awards announced by their Maharashtra Regional Office. The Bank received the first prize for the year 2010-11 in the Private Sector Bank category and 2nd runner up for the year 2011-12 in the Commercial Bank category.

2013

• ICICI Bank has been adjudged winner at the Express IT Innovation Award under the Large Enterprise category
• ICICI Bank won the RMAI received the "Gram Samvad",Service for Low cost/Small budget marketing initiative Award by Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI).
• ICICI bank won the 'Next Generation Banking solution' award by Celent.
• ICICI bank won the Best Domestic Trade Finance Bank and Best Financial Supply Chain Project Award in India by The Asian Banker
• ICICI Bank won the honours of the Medici Innovation Hall of Fame Award, instituted by The Medici Institute in collaboration with the Medici Group, USA.

2014

• According to the Brand Trust Report 2014, ICICI Bank was ranked 28th among India's most trusted brands, a research conducted by Trust Research Advisory.
• ICICI Bank was ranked second at the 'National Energy Conservation Award 2014' under the office buildings (less than 10 lakh kWh/year consumption) category.
• ICICI Bank was fifth in the world and second in India on the 'Top Companies for Leaders' in a study conducted by Aon Hewitt.
• ICICI bank won the Best Private Sector Bank - Global Business Development by Polaris Financial Technology Banking Awards 2014.
• IDBRT awarded ICICI for 'Best Bank Award for Business Intelligence Initiatives among Large Banks' and 'Best Bank Award for Social Media and Mobile Banking Among Large Banks'.
• ICICI bank was awarded the Certificate of Recognition as one of the Top 5 Companies in Corporate Governance in the 14th The Institute of Company Secretaries of India National Awards for Corporate Governance.They were honoured by Arun Jaitley.
• ICICI Bank has been honoured as The Best Service Provider - Risk Management, India at The Asset Triple A Transaction Banking, Treasury, Trade and Risk Management Awards 2014.
• ICICI Bank was awarded the 'Best Retail Bank in India', 'Best Microfinance Business' and 'Best Retail Banking Branch Innovation' under the 'Excellence in Retail Financial Services awards 2014' and Technology Implementation Award for Lending Platform Implementation by The Asian Banker.

2015

• ICICI Bank won an award in the BFSI Leadership Summit & Awards in the 'Best Phone Banking for End-users' category
• ICICI Bank won in six categories and was the first runner-up in one category among Private Sector Banks at IBA Banking Technology Awards, 2015. The bank was declared winner in the six categories of Best Technology Bank of the Year, Best use of Data, Best Risk Management Initiatives, Best use of Technology in Training, Human Resources and e-Learning initiatives, Best Financial Inclusion Initiative and Best use of Digital and Channels Technology. ICICI Bank was the first runner-up in Best use of Technology to Enhance Customer Experience
• ICICI Bank has been declared as the first runner up at Outlook Money Awards 2015 in the category of 'Best Bank'
• ICICI Bank has been adjudged the 'Best Retail Bank in India' by The Asian Banker. It has also emerged winners in the categories of 'Best Internet Banking Initiative' and 'Best Customer Risk Management Initiative' awards given by The Asian Banker.

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Social responsibility programmes for elementary Education

• Read to Lead Phase I: Read to Lead is an initiative of ICICI Bank to facilitate access to elementary education for underprivileged children in the age group of 3-14 years including girls and tribal children from the remote rural areas. The Read to Lead initiative supports partner NGOs to design and implement programmes that mobilise parent and community involvement in education, strengthen schools and enable children to enter and complete formal elementary education. Read to Lead has reached out to 100,000 children across 14 states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
• Read to Lead Phase II: In Phase II of the Read to Lead programme, ICICI Bank has supported the establishment of 63 libraries that will reach out to approximately 7,200 children in the rural areas of Jagdalpur block of Bastar district in Chhattisgarh. The programme includes building libraries, sourcing books and conducting various interactive activities to make the library a dynamic centre for learning.

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Controversies

Inhumane debt recovery methods

A few years after its rise to prominence in the banking sector, ICICI bank faced allegations on the recovery methods it used against loan payment defaulters. A number of cases were filed against the bank and its employees for using "brutal measures" to recover the money. Most of the allegations were that the bank was using goons to recover the credit card payments and that these "recovery agents" exhibited inappropriate and in some cases, inhuman behavior. Incidents were reported wherein the defaulters were put to "public shame" by the recovery agents.

The bank also faced allegations of inappropriate behavior in recovering its loans. These allegations started initially when the "recovery agents" and bank employees started threatening the defaulters. In some cases, notes written by the bank's employees asking the defaulters to "sell everything in the house including family members", were found. Such charges faced by the bank rose to a peak when suicide cases were reported wherein the suicide notes spoke of the Bank's recovery methods as the cause of the suicide. This led to a lot of legal battles and the bank paying huge compensations.

Money laundering allegations

ICICI Bank was one of the leading Indian banks accused of blatant money laundering through violation of RBI guidelines in the famous CobraPost sting operation which shook up Indian banking industry during April-May 2013.

On 14 March 2013 the online magazine Cobrapost released video footage from Operation Red Spider showing high-ranking officials and some employees of ICICI Bank agreeing to convert black money into white, an act in violation of Money Laundering Control Act. The Government of India and Reserve Bank of India ordered an inquiry following the exposé. On 15 March 2013, ICICI Bank suspended 18 employees, pending inquiry. On 11 April 2013 Deputy Governor of RBI, H R Khan reportedly told that the central bank is initiating action against ICICI Bank in connexion with allegations of money laundering.

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Credit rating

The credit ratings agency Moody has lowered the ratings for ICICI Bank to Baa3/P-3 from Baa2/P-2 in April 2015.

See also

• Indian banking
• List of companies of India
• List of banks in India
• ICICI Lombard
• ICICI Manipal Academy of Banking and Insurance
• ICICI Prudential
• ICICI Bank on Wikinvest
• MySavings Rewards

References

External links

• Official website
• PO Recruitment 2015

ICICI bank has tied up with a leading UAE-based bank, Emirates NBD, to provide an instant remitting service to Indians residing in the Gulf nation. This tie up will enable the customers to transfer funds to account holders of ICICI bank in India within a minute via the DirectRemit service.

Interesting Informations

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