DCOE drives, ACoE navigates

Karnataka Bank has migrated 93.17% of customer transactions to digital means. KBL Xpress cash adoption is 100%, KBL Xpress car loan is 79%, KBL Xpress home loans is 76%, KBL Xpress MSME loans is 75% and KBL Xpress SB account is 59%:

Karnataka Bank was among the first to deploy a Core Banking System in the year 2000. To ensure that its customers have the best, the bank has deployed the state-of-art technology from the best players in the industry like Infosys, Sun and Wipro. Mahabaleshwara M.S., MD & CEO at Karnataka Bank, provides insightful updates on the digital initiatives and IT transformation.

After successful completion of his first term of 3 years, RBI re-appointed Mahabaleshwara M.S. as MD & CEO for a further period of 3 years with effect from 15 April 2020. He has over 37 years of banking experience both at operational and administrative levels. He has done his M.Sc. with specialization in agronomy. He is also a CAIIB and Honorary Fellow Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF) and holds Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM).

Mehul Dani: What are the changes made in the digital strategy for Karnataka Bank's customers in this FY? How has your bank benefited? 

Mahabaleshwara M.S.: Under wave 2.0 of 'KBL VIKAAS', a holistic transformation journey has taken place and put digital banking on fast forward mode. 'KBL NXT' concept was launched in the year 2021, with an objective to eventually emerge as the 'Digital Bank of Future'. As part of KBL NxT journey, the bank has implemented latest technologies for enabling digitization under various verticals viz. customer experience, operations, human resources, technology, cyber security, digital marketing, partnerships, etc. Cost optimization, better analytics, risk mitigation, reach, ease & experience are the key KPIs envisaged out of the product journey re-imagination, and the underlying infrastructure of digitization was aimed at enhancing the speed to market our future products and to position ourselves as 'Digital Bank of Future.