INTRODUCTION

This is a voluntary Code, which sets minimum standards of banking practices for banks to follow when they are dealing with individual customers. It provides protection to you and explains how banks are expected to deal with you for your day-to-day operations.

The Code does not replace or supersede regulatory or supervisory instructions of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and we will comply with such instructions/directions issued by RBI from time to time. Provisions of the Code may set higher standards than what is indicated in the regulatory instructions and such higher standards will prevail as the Code represents best practices voluntarily agreed to by us as our commitment to you.

In the Code, ‘you’ denotes the customer and ‘we’, the bank the customer deals with.

1.1 Objectives of the Code

The Code has been developed to:

a. promote good and fair banking practices by setting minimum standards in dealing with you

b. increase transparency so that you can have a better understanding of what you can reasonably expect of the services

c. encourage market forces, through competition, to achieve higher operating standards

d. promote a fair and cordial relationship between you and your bank

e foster confidence in the banking system.

The standards of the Code are covered by the key commitments in Section 2

1.2 Application of the Code

This Code applies to all the products and services listed below, whether they are provided by branches or subsidiaries, agents acting on our behalf, across the counter, over the phone, by post, through interactive electronic devices, on the internet or by any other method. However, all products discussed here may or may not be offered by us.

a. Current accounts, savings accounts, term deposits, recurring deposits, PPF accounts and all other deposit accounts

b. Payment services such as pension, payment orders, remittances by way of Demand Drafts, wire transfers and all electronic transactions e.g. RTGS, EFT, NEFT

c. Banking services related to Government transactions

d. Demat accounts, equity, Government bonds

e. Indian currency notes exchange facility

f. Collection of cheques, safe custody services, safe deposit locker facility

g. Loans,overdrafts and guarantees

h. Foreign exchange services including money changing

i. Third party insurance and investment products sold through our branches

j. Card products including credit cards, debits cards, ATM cards, smart cards and services (including credit cards offered by our subsidiaries/companies promoted by us)

The meanings of (key)words in bold black have been given in the Glossary.

2. KEY COMMITMENTS

2.1 Our Key Commitments To You

2.1.1 To Act Fairly And Reasonably In All Our Dealings With You By:

a. Providing minimum banking facilities of receipt and payment of cash/cheques at the bank’s counter

b. Meeting the commitments and standards in this Code, for the products and services we offer, and in the procedures and practices we follow

c. Making sure our products and services meet relevant laws and regulations in letter and spirit

d. Ensuring that our dealings with you rest on ethical principles of integrity and transparency

e. Operating secure and reliable banking and payment systems.

2.1.2 To Help You To Understand How Our Financial Products And

Services Work By:

a. Giving you information about them in any one or more of the following languages – Hindi, English or the appropriate local language.

b. Ensuring that our advertising and promotional literature is clear and not misleading

c. Ensuring that you are given clear information about our products and services, the terms and conditions and the interest rates/service charges, which apply to them

d. Giving you information on what are the benefits to you, how you can avail of the benefits, what are their financial implications and whom you can contact for addressing your queries and how

2.1.3 To Help You Use Your Account Or Service By:

a. Providing you regular appropriate updates

b. Keeping you informed about changes in the interest rates, charges or terms and conditions

c. Displaying in our branches, for your information

i. Services we provide

ii. Minimum balance requirement for Savings Bank accounts and No Frills accounts and charges for non-maintenance thereof

iii. Name of the official at the branch whom you may approach if you have a grievance

iv. Name and address of the Zonal/ Regional Manager whom you can approach if your grievance is not redressed at the branch

v. Name and contact details of the Banking Ombudsman under whose jurisdiction the branch falls

vi. Information available in booklet form.

d. Displaying on our website our policies on

i. Cheque collection

ii. Grievance Redressal

iii. Compensation

iv. Collection of Dues and Security Repossession.

2.1.4 To Deal Quickly And Sympathetically With Things That Go

Wrong By:

a. Correcting mistakes promptly and cancelling any bank charges that we apply due to our mistake

b. Handling your complaints promptly

c. Telling you how to take your complaint forward if you are still not satisfied (see para No. 7)

d. Providing suitable alternative avenues to alleviate problems arising out of technological failures.

2.1.5 To Treat All Your Personal Information As Private And Confidential We will treat all your personal information as private and confidential subject to matters mentioned in para No. 5 below.

2.1.6 To Publicise The Code We Will:

a. provide you with a copy of the Code, on request, over the counter or by electronic communication or mail

b. provide you ( new customer) with a copy of the Code when you open your account

c. make available this Code at every branch and on our website

d. ensure that our staff are trained to provide relevant information about the Code and to put the Code into practice.

2.1.7 To Adopt And Practice A Non - Discrimination Policy

We will not discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender, marital status, religion or disability.

3. INFORMATION – TRANSPARENCY

You can get information on interest rates, common fees and charges through any one or more of the following:

a. Looking at the Notice Board in our branches

b. Phoning our branches or help-lines

c. Looking on our website

d. Asking our designated staff/help desk

e. Referring to the service guide/Tariff Schedule

3.1 General

We will:

a. give you clear information explaining the key features of the services and products you tell us you are interested in, including applicable interest rates, fees and charges.

b. give you information on any type of products and services which we offer and that may suit your needs

c. tell you if we offer products and services in more than one way [for example, through ATMs, on the Internet, over the phone, in branches and so on] and tell you how to find out more about them

d. tell you what information we need from you to prove your identity and address, for us to comply with legal, regulatory and internal policy requirements

e. give you information on your rights and responsibilities especially regarding availing of nomination facility offered on all deposit accounts, articles in safe custody and safe deposit vaults.

3.2 ‘Do Not Call’ Service

When you become our customer we will automatically register your name under our ‘Do Not Call ‘Service. We will not inform/extend to you through telephone calls/SMS/e-mails any new product /service unless and until you inform us in writing that you consent to avail of this information/ service.

3.3 Interest Rates

We will give you information on:

a. (i) the interest rates which apply to your deposit and loan accounts

(ii) in case of loans at fixed rate of interest, details of interest reset clause, if any, in the loan agreement and the effective date thereof

(iii) in case of loans at floating rate of interest, the reference rate to which your floating rate will be linked and the premium or discount applied to the reference rate for determining the rate of interest on your loan. This reference rate will remain uniform for customers contracting the loan at different points of time

(iv) whether the loan agreement will contain a minimum rate of interest clause

(v) whether we give you the option for conversion of your loan from fixed rate to floating rate and vice versa and, if so, the charges therefor

b. when we will pay interest on your deposits or charge interest on your loan accounts

c. how we apply interest to your deposit and loan accounts and how we calculate interest thereon.

3.3.1 Changes in interest rates

We will inform you of changes in interest rates and changes in the reference rate to which the floating rate of interest is linked through any one or more of the following means:

i. Notice at the branches

ii. Annexure to the statement of account

iii. Letters

iv. e-mail

v. SMS

vi. Website

vii. Newspaper

3.4 Tariff Schedule

3.4.1 Fees & Charges

a. We will display in our branches a notice about the Tariff Schedule and that you can ask to see this free of cost.

b. We will give you details in our Tariff Schedule of any charges applicable to the products and services chosen by you.

c. We will also provide you information about the penalties leviable in case of non-observance/violation of any of the terms and conditions governing the product/ services chosen by you.

3.4.2 Changes in Fees & Charges

If we increase any of these charges or introduce a new charge, it will be notified one month prior to the revised charges being levied / becoming effective

3.5 Terms and Conditions

a. We will advise you the relevant terms and conditions for the service you have asked us to provide.

b. All terms and conditions will be fair and will set out respective rights especially with regard to nomination facility and liabilities and obligations clearly and as far as possible in plain and simple language.

3.5.1 Changes to Terms and Conditions

a. We will tell you of changes to terms and conditions through any one or more of the following channels:

i. Account statements/ Pass book

ii. ATMs

iii. Notice Board at each branch

iv. Internet, including e-mail and website

v. Newspaper

vi. SMS.

b. Normally, changes will be made with prospective effect giving notice of one month.

c. If we have made any change without notice, we will notify the change within 30 days. If such change is to your disadvantage, you may within 60 days and without notice, close your account or switch it without having to pay any extra charges or interest.

d. We will immediately update on our website, any changes in the terms and conditions. We will give you, on request, a copy of the new terms and conditions or a summary of the changes.

4. ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND SALES

a. We will make sure that all advertising and promotional material is clear, and not misleading.

b. In any advertising in any media and promotional literature that draws attention to a banking service or product and includes a reference to an interest rate, we will also indicate whether other fees and charges will apply and that full details of the relevant terms and conditions are available on request.

c. If we avail of the services of third parties for providing support services, we will require that such third parties handle your personal information (if available to such third parties) with the same degree of confidentiality and security as we would.

d. We may, from time to time, communicate to you various features of our products availed by you. Information about our other products or promotional offers in respect of our products/services, will be conveyed to you only if you have given your consent to receive such information/ service either by mail or by registering for the same on our website or on our phone banking/customer service number.

e. We have prescribed a code of conduct for our Direct Selling Agencies (DSAs) whose services we may avail to market our products/ services which amongst other matters requires them to identify themselves when they approach you for selling our products personally or through phone. We will ensure that any third party or agent acting on our behalf or selling our product complies with the Code in respect of all products and services covered by the Code.

f. In the event of receipt of any complaint from you that our representative/courier or agent has engaged in any improper conduct or acted in violation of this Code, we shall take appropriate steps to investigate and to handle the complaint and to make good the loss as per our compensation policy.

5. PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

We will treat all your personal information as private and confidential [even when you are no longer a customer], and shall be guided by the following principles and policies. We will not reveal information or data relating to your accounts, whether provided by you or otherwise, to anyone, including other companies / entities in our group, other than in the following exceptional cases:

a. If we have to give the information by law

b. If there is a duty towards the public to reveal the information

c. If our interests require us to give the information (for example, to prevent fraud) but we will not use this as a reason for giving information about you or your accounts [including your name and address] to anyone else, including other companies in our group, for marketing purposes

d. If you ask us to reveal the information, or if we have your permission, in writing

e. If we are asked to give a banker’s reference about you, we will need your written permission before we give it

We, will explain to you the extent of your rights under the existing legal framework for accessing the personal records that we hold about you.We will not use your personal information for marketing purposes by anyone including ourselves unless you specifically authorize us to do so.

5.1 Credit Reference Agencies

a. We will explain to you the role of Credit Reference Agencies (CRA) as also the checks we may make with them and the effect the information they provide can have on your ability to get credit.

b. Information about credit availed from us is reported by us to the CRA on a monthly basis.

c. Information reported to CRA will also include personal debts you owe us even when

i. You have fallen behind with your payments

ii. The amount owed is in dispute

iii. You have made proposals which we are not satisfied with.

d. If your loan account has been in default, and thereafter regularised, we will take steps to update this information with the CRA in the next monthly report.

e. When you apply for credit facility from us, we will on request, and on