Calcutta, Jan 31 :     State Bank of India plans to launch internet banking in July. To begin with, the facility will be restricted to branches which handle non-resident Indian (NRI) and corporate accounts. The country's largest commercial bank, which hopes to report a net profit of Rs 1400 crore this year, will soon appoint an international consultant to draw up a 10-year perspective plan for technological upgradation. The bank has decided to spend Rs 500-750 crore over the next two years to overhaul its systems. 'We have already shortlisted three international consultants from among the seven that submitted bids. We will take a final decision in the next two weeks,' SBI chairman G.G. Vaidya said here today. He said the technology roadmap should be ready in six months and it would be fully implemented in 18 months' time. Vaidya, who was in the city to inaugurate the bank's new local headquarters - Samriddhi Bhavan - on Strand Road, said the bank hoped to reduce its non-performing assets (NPAs) below 6.5 per cent by March 2000. At present, the bank is saddled with NPAs amounting of about Rs 699 crore, which works out to 6.7 per cent of its total advances. Total net worth of the bank is expected to jump to Rs 11,500 crore by March from Rs 10,450 crore in December last year. The SBI chief also inaugurated its third personal banking branch in the city at Salt Lake during the day. The SBI chairman ruled out any reduction in its prime lending rate. 'The recent rate cut in public provident fund (PPF) and other postal savings has no bearing on bank rate cuts,' he said. The bank has decided to open 1,000 automated teller machines (ATMs) by March 2002. The SBI gold deposit scheme has received encouraging response. 'We have been able to mop up 1.5 tonnes of gold from about 1,000 depositors. We are yet to launch the scheme in Chennai and Bangalore where we hope to garner sizable deposits of gold. Our target is to mobilise 100 tonnes of gold,' Vaidya said. The bank was planning to introduce several new products this year and was weighing the merits of co-branding for its credit cards business, he added. At the inauguration ceremony, Vaidya said the customer should be the focal point and the employees should change their attitude while dealing with them. Meanwhile, P.K. Sarkar, chief general of the Bengal circle, has been promoted as deputy managing director of the bank.