Bhubaneswar, March 19: Women who always wanted to start a home catering service, a beauty parlour or any business will now find the task simple and easy.
For those women who have skills and vision for entrepreneurship, the 18th branch of the Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) in the country that was launched here, promises high interests on deposits and also unique products to encourage their business plans.
The chairman and managing director of BMB, Usha Ananthasubramaniam, inaugurated the bank at Saheed Nagar. Usha said that the bank was designed to cater to the needs of women of all regions and all walks of life.
“There is a misconception that the BMB would have only women staff and only women could open accounts here. But that is not true. We have male employees and men too can open accounts here,” she said adding that it was however a women-centric bank and hence there were more benefits for women.
From women in self-help groups to those in lower middle class to high net-worth individuals — all can avail benefits of the BMB products. The schemes include concessional rate of interest for various loan products, special loan for setting up day-care centres keeping in mind working women so that they may continue their jobs, educational loan, finance to set up beauty parlour, catering units and so on, said Usha.
The bank will also conduct programmes on financial literacy, skill development and training for women of all segments of the society so that women in turn generate more income, more jobs, growth opportunities and hence contribute significantly to the economic growth of India.
“Economical independence is very important in the growth of women. The bank is an instrument to empower women in this field,” Usha said. Though this is the first BMB in the state, next year there would be more branches opening in other cities said an official.
Poet Pratibha Satpathy and dancer and environmentalist Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi were present on the occasion. “Until women manage their own money, it will continue to be difficult for them to stand for their rights,” said Satpathy. Hejmadi recollected women she has come across and shared how being financially independent has helped women to live better lives.
