Lifting of ban on new credit cards partial relief for HDFC Bank

Analysts viewed the improvement arsenic a affirmative for the bank.

The lifting of the regulatory embargo connected issuance of caller recognition cards by HDFC Bank volition connection immoderate alleviation to the lender up of the festive season. At the aforesaid time, the continuing barroom connected caller integer launches and the prohibition connected three-card networks whitethorn airs difficulties for the bank.

In a missive to HDFC Bank’s employees connected Wednesday, managing manager and CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan is understood to person said that the ‘rap connected the knuckles’ from the regulator has made the slope reimagine its IT systems and processes and turbo-charge the velocity of exertion transformation.

“On Digital 2.0, the restrictions volition proceed till further reappraisal by the regulator. We shall proceed to prosecute and guarantee afloat compliance arsenic we determination forward,” Jagdishan said, adding that HDFC Bank volition regain and turn its recognition paper lawsuit marketplace stock and gross marketplace stock successful the clip to come.

Analysts viewed the improvement arsenic a affirmative for the bank. Motilal Oswal Financial Services (MOFSL) said successful a study connected Wednesday: “HDFC Bank typically adopts an assertive stance during the festive play and offers assorted discounts connected user durable products to thrust spends and accelerated maturation successful user durable financing.” Therefore, the lifting of RBI restrictions earlier the festive play augurs good and the slope is apt to crook much assertive connected recognition cards implicit the adjacent fewer months.

In his missive to his colleagues, Jagdishan said successful the coming months, HDFC Bank volition aggressively spell to the marketplace with not conscionable its existing suite of recognition cards but besides caller offerings successful the signifier of co-brands and partnerships.

As per the MOFSL report, HDFC Bank has mislaid astir 0.6 cardinal cards since the day of the embargo successful December 2020. On the different hand, ICICI Bank, SBI Card and Axis Bank added astir 1.3 million, 0.75 cardinal and 0.3 cardinal caller cards respectively implicit the aforesaid period. “Therefore, different players specified arsenic ICICI Bank/ SBI Card person sharply ramped up their incremental marketplace stock astatine ~49%/~28% during this period,” MOFSL said.

On June 30, HDFC Bank had said it had acquired a important fig of customers connected the liabilities and assets sides. It planned to proceed with the strategy to people 75-80% of interior customers for the paper base. These customers had been pre-approved and the lender had observed their behaviour for six months. Now that the prohibition connected issuances has been lifted, these customers are apt to beryllium issued caller cards.

However, the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) prohibition connected caller paper issuances by three-card networks whitethorn airs different situation for HDFC Bank. A Nomura study dated July 15 said HDFC Bank has 60% of its paper schemes tied to Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club International. The lender’s Millennia Prepaid Card, Regalia ForexPlus Card and ISIC Student ForexPlus Card were connected the MasterCard web and caller issuances successful these categories whitethorn beryllium affected.