News Release
Mumbai, July 17, 2001
ICICI Bank Launches "Sparsh", the touch-screen Kiosk
ICICI Bank has launched "Sparsh" - an interactive touch-screen
kiosk which will be installed at its ATM centres and branches. Sparsh
will allow customers free access to online services provided by ICICI
Group. These services include Infinity - online banking facility from
ICICI Bank, ICICIdirect - online share trading, ICICIconnect- linking
all retail services of the ICICI Group under one umbrella and Bill Junction.com
- paying bills online.
Mr. K.V. Kamath, Managing Director & CEO, ICICI, inaugurated
the first kiosk at the Bandra Kurla Complex Extension Counter of ICICI
Bank. Three more kiosks were simultaneously launched at ICICI Bank ATM
Centre at Nariman Bhavan, ICICI Bank branch at Andheri and ICICI Bank
ATM Centre at Powai, all situated in Mumbai.
These multimedia based interactive kiosks are computer
systems with a host of accessories that dispense information and allow
e-transactions through simple touch screens. "These compact yet powerful
kiosks are a convenient way for consumers to get information and perform
financial transactions even on the move and without the necessity of owning
a computer and an Internet connection. All they will have to do is walk
into an ICICI Bank ATM having the kiosk," said Ms. Chanda Kochhar, Executive
Director, ICICI Bank.
"This medium also offers customers another option to
view and access most of their relationships with the ICICI Group in a
seamless way," Ms. Kochhar added. These kiosks enable customers to do
on-line banking through Infinity - the Internet banking facility of the
Bank. A customer can now check up the latest balance in his accounts,
print the account statement, request a 'stop payment' of cheque etc. A
customer can also get on-line information on his demat account and buy
or sell shares through the ICICI Direct access provided on the kiosk.
If he has to pay his utility bills, he could pay the same either through
Infinity or through Bill Junction.com, access to which is provided by
the kiosk.
Apart from facilitating transactions as mentioned above,
'Sparsh' will also provide information on ICICI and its group companies
and will be capable of running promotional campaigns for various ICICI
Group products and services.
These video screens can also support corporate and other
advertisement campaigns. Presently, the Kiosks are running a video campaign
on eye donation featuring Mr. Amitabh Bachchan and Ms. Jaya Bachchan,
under the umbrella initiative sponsored by the Eye-Bank Association of
India.
These kiosks are similar in size to most ATMs and can
be placed at ATM centres, convenience stores and other public locations,
where they can be used as an alternative service delivery channel.
The advanced computing and networking technologies in
the kiosks are designed to allow consumers to perform secure financial
transactions, or to get the latest online product information using full-motion
video and high-quality sound.
Except for the historical information contained herein,
statements in this News Release which contain words or phrases such as
'will', 'would', "expect", "plan", "target" and similar expressions or
variations of such expressions may constitute 'forward-looking statements'.
These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties
and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to our and ICICI Group's ability
to obtain statutory and regulatory approvals and to successfully implement
our strategy, the installation and technology of Internet Kiosks, as well
as other risks detailed in the reports filed by ICICI Bank with the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission. ICICI Bank undertakes no obligation
to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances
after the date thereof.
For further press queries
please contact:
ICICI: Mr Charudatta Deshpande
Head Corporate Communications,
Tel: 022-26538208
Fax: 022 26531116
email: charudatta.deshpande@icicibank.com