Milestone year; Setting new benchmarks

Posted on by City Today News (City today.media)

*Best ever performance across all parameters with PAT at ₹310 crore/₹1,100 crore for Q4/ FY23
*Disbursed ₹6,001 crore /₹20,037 crore for Q4/ FY23; Gross loan book up 33% Y-o-Y/ 10% Q-o-Q
*Collections/ asset quality at industry best; PAR at 3.8%; GNPA/NNPA at 2.6%/0.04%
*Deposits up 40% Y-o-Y/ 10% Q-o-Q; Retail TDs^ up 69% Y-o-Y/ 10% Q-o-Q

12 May, 2023: Ujjivan Small Finance Bank ltd. [BSE: 542904; NSE: UJJIVANSFB], today announced its financial performance for the year and quarter ended March 31, 2023

Summary of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Business Performance – Q4FY23 and FY23
Assets
Disbursements were at ₹6,001 crore/ ₹20,037 crore for Q4FY23/ FY23; crossing major milestones
All-round growth with Housing and FIG crossing milestone of ₹400 crore/ ₹300 crore quarterly disbursement, disbursing ₹439 crore/ ₹318 crore respectively – highest ever for both the segments
Gross loan book at ₹24,085* crore up 33%/10% Y-o-Y/Q-o-Q
Collection and Asset Quality
Continued traction on Collections with ~100% efficiency in Mar’23; NDA collection consistently at ~100%
Portfolio at risk at 3.8% as of Mar’23* vs 4.9% as on Dec’22
GNPA/ NNPA declined to 2.6% / 0.04%#* as of Mar’23 against 3.4% / 0.05%#* as of Dec’22
Total of ₹ 67 crore written-off in Q4FY23; Provision coverage ratio as on Mar’23 is 98.4%#
Restructured book falls below 1%; constitutes only 0.9% of gross loan book* with provision cover of ~100% and collection efficiency of 111% in Mar’23
Deposits
Deposits at ₹25,538 crore as of Mar’23 up by 40%/10% Y-o-Y/Q-o-Q
Retail TD grew 69%/10% Q-o-Q/Y-o-Y
CASA grew 35%/11% Q-o-Q/Y-o-Y taking CASA ratio at 26.4% as on Mar’23
Healthy retail liability customer acquisition.
Financials
Q4/ FY23 NII of ₹738 / ₹2,698 crores up 36%/ 52% Y-o-Y; NIM at 9.1%* for Q4FY23, 9.5% for FY23
Cost to Income ratio at 55.2% in Q4FY23 vs 64.0% Y-o-Y; 54.8% for FY23 down from 70.1% Y-o-Y
Q4 PPoP at ₹411 crore up 70% Y-o-Y; PAT of ₹310 crore up 145% Y-o-Y; FY23 PPoP at ₹1,485 crore up 133% Y-o-Y; PAT of ₹1,100 crore vs ₹(415) crore in FY22
Capital and Liquidity
Capital adequacy ratio at 25.8% with Tier-1 capital at 22.7%
Provisional LCR at 180% as of Mar’23

Given the strong performance for the fiscal, the Board has recommended a final dividend of 5% in addition to the 7.5% dividend already paid.

Mr. Ittira Davis, MD & CEO, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank said, “FY23 started on a high note and ended on even higher note as Q4FY23 marked several milestones in the Bank’s history, set benchmarks and achieved success on multiple fronts. We delivered an all-round performance and met all our guidances. On one hand, we made new benchmarks for growth with all-time high disbursements and on the other hand asset quality continued to show sequential and sustained improvement. Our deposits continued to outpace asset growth crossing ₹25,000 crore mark. We had a negligible credit cost for the year on the back of sustained collections – reduced slippages and strong recoveries. While, slippages have normalised towards the year-end, recoveries may continue for a while. Our continued strong collections will ensure a sub-100 bps credit cost in FY24 as well. We picked-up our branch expansion during the quarter with 31 new branches and will continue it in the new fiscal with around 100 branches. Among various other achievements on digital side, most remarkable one is the launch of our vvv* based mobile banking app – “Hello Ujjivan” targeting non-tech savvy customers. The app has already received several industry accolades including Aegis Graham Bell Awards 2022 for Innovation in Consumer Tech and has seen 1.3+ lakh downloads. We would continue to leverage our digital capabilities in addition to brick and mortar.
On the merger with our promoter, we have filed our application with Honourable NCLT, Bengaluru and are awaiting observations/ communication. We will keep the stakeholders informed on the same.
In FY24, we would be building on the base of FY23. The contribution of secured products in growth would see improvement as our strategy/ execution for respective verticals take clearer shape. Overall, we remain confident of the business growth (>25% gross loan book growth) and profitability (~22% RoE). We remain committed to our journey towards becoming a leading mass-market bank and contributing towards digital inclusion in India.”

City Today News 9341997936

Mastercard and Getout System collaborate to enhance management of business travel for Indian enterprises

Posted on by City Today News (City today.media)

Launch Spends Ecosystem, the first SaaS-based platform with an integrated marketplace to address challenges of cost, compliance, transparency, data control and regulatory constraints

Mumbai, May11, 2023: Mastercard today announced its collaboration with travel and spend management firm Getout System to launch its proprietary Spends Ecosystem, the first SaaS-based platform with an integrated marketplace to service all stakeholders in the business travel space. By addressing challenges of cost, compliance, transparency, data control and regulatory constraints, the platform will enable enterprises of all sizes to maximize the value of their spend and improve their financial health and workflows.

 

The Spends Ecosystem will allow enterprises to make payments which are automatically reconciled with a variety of controls aimed at ensuring risk free and frictionless transactions. It will act as a one-stop-shop for travel bookings, payments, and compliances, with in-built digital workflows, budgetary and policy adherences, and simplified accounting and expense management. 

 

Traditionally, business travel solutions have been disparate, time-consuming, and costly, with issues around policy compliance and transparency. However, the Spends Ecosystem, with end-to-end automation of business travel, will automate travel supplier and service provider payments, thereby increasing cashflow and reducing fraud risk for enterprises.

 

“The collaboration between Getout System and Mastercard will facilitate seamless physical and virtual credit card generation for online and offline payments according to customers’ business needs. The platform will assist its users with spend and budget management, providing them more flexibility and controls in terms of accounting. Further, its integration with an online travel marketplace will ensure a hassle-free experience for enterprises,” said Sanjeev Malhotra, Founder Director & CEO, Getout System.

 

“Mastercard’s collaboration with Getout System reiterates its larger commitment to promoting innovation and strengthening the Indian startup ecosystem. With a unique marketplace model and exciting offers for all stakeholders, such as banks, intermediaries, travel service providers, and cardholders, the Spends platform will act as a complete travel solution for Indian businesses of all sizes. It will also strengthen Mastercard’s position in the business travel space,” said Mukul Sukhani, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Mastercard.

City Today News 9341997936

Disaster Risk Financing to take centre stage at Second G20 DRRWG Meeting

Posted on by City Today News (City today.media)

23 – 25 May 2023, Mumbai

National/ Mumbai: The second meeting of the Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group (DRRWG) is set to take place in Mumbai from 23-25 May 2023. The gathering will bring together government officials, industry experts, private sector and stakeholders from more than 20 countries to explore innovative ways of managing disaster risk and financing for sustainable development. The meeting will enable G20 countries to identify opportunities and explore innovative financing mechanisms to reduce the impact of disasters on vulnerable communities.
As the G20 nations face an increasing number of natural disasters and climate change-related risks – with a combined estimated Annual Average Loss of $218 billion or 9% of average annual investment in infrastructure, the second DRRWG meeting with high-level dialogue on financing for development is an opportunity to call-for-action on finance for DRR. It will cover public and private financing, social protection, knowledge sharing, and international financing mechanisms for disaster response, recovery and reconstruction.
The DRRWG will also host side events on infrastructure risk assessment tools and data platforms, and the importance of adopting a ‘build back better’ approach that incorporates ecosystem-based approaches and engages local communities. The various other agendas including the establishment of a national framework, incentivizing private investments, and supporting disaster preparedness, will pave the way towards a more resilient future.
In addition to the G20 member countries, the invited countries and international organizations like Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, important Indian key stakeholders like Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, National Disaster Management Authority, National Institute of Disaster Management, National Disaster Response Force are expected to participate at the second DRRWG meeting.

City Today News 9341997936

SEVILLA FC LAUNCHES THE DOCUMENTARY SERIES ‘NEVER SURRENDER’ IN INDIA

Posted on by City Today News (City today.media)

In collaboration with FC Bengaluru United and Valvoline, its main allies in the Asian country, the series will tell several powerful stories of Indian sport based on the spirit of overcoming challenges that embodies the Sevilla FC motto

The ‘Never surrender’ that sums up the Sevilla FC mentality transcends borders. So much so that it is no longer a simple motto that the club carries locally, but one that it tries to spread around the world, both on and off the field. The International Strategic Plan that the club is carrying out has India as one of its strong points. There, Sevilla FC is working with two top-level partners, FC Bengaluru United and Valvoline, with whom it is developing several projects. With the help of both, it is now launching the series ‘Never Surrender’ (‘Nunca te rindas’, in Spanish). Several documentary chapters that tell several powerful stories of Indian sport, all of them based on the spirit of overcoming challenges that embodies the Sevillista motto.

The series will consist of five chapters, launches on Monday 8th May, and can be viewed on Sevilla FC’s official YouTube channel. “We are a club with a great history of struggle, effort, overcoming and success, which never gives up in the face of adversity and always has the ambition to aim higher. It is a source of pride to see how in different parts of the world our way of being and facing challenges serves as an inspiration for people. Not only on a sporting level, but in any aspect of life”, stated José Castro, Sevilla FC Club President.

The first episode tells the story of a football team made up of blind people in Kochi, in the region of Kerala, who have managed to overcome all the adversities they encounter in a country like India to finish 14th in the world. Another story features Hadiya, a self-taught girl from Kozhikode who managed to join the Indian ‘freestyler’ team, traditionally a 100% male 1

sport. A special mention for the third of the chapters, which features Vamshi Origanti, a Sevilla FC fan from Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) who is an active member of the Sevilla FC fan club in India and who fell in love with the history and spirit of the club from the most rural part of the country and watching its matches on television.

The fourth episode takes us into the idiosyncrasies of FC Bengaluru United, a strategic partner of Sevilla FC, who share basic principles such as a commitment to technology, youth football and the ambition to be at the top of Indian football. “The spirit of Sevilla FC’s ‘Never Surrender’ aligns with our principles of being ambitious, fighting and doing it together as a team. Our objectives are to transcend beyond the field of play, to contribute to our community in different areas,” explains Gaurav Manchanda, CEO of FC Bengaluru United.

The last episode will focus on cricketer Dinesh Karthik, who is currently playing in the play-off season with his team, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and tells the story of how he overcame various challenges to reach the sport’s elite. Ipshita Chawdhury, Valvoline’s Marketing Director in India, explains that “partnering with a cricket star like Dinesh Karthik helps us create effective and quality content to connect with our audience.

City Today News 9341997936

MakeMyTrip collaborates with Microsoft to reshape the travel booking landscape with generative AI

Posted on by City Today News (City today.media)

Lays the groundwork to make the platform inclusive and accessible for all of Bharat

Bangalore, May 9, 2023: In a landmark move, MakeMyTrip has collaborated with Microsoft to make travel planning more inclusive and accessible by introducing voice assisted booking in Indian languages. The new, in-platform tech stack powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and Azure Cognitive Services, will converse with the user to offer personalized travel recommendations based on their preferences; curate holiday packages based on variable inputs like occasion, budget, activity preferences, time of travel, etc., and even help book these holiday packages. It opens the online travel ecosystem for every strata and demographic across the country. Currently, the beta version of this integration has been introduced in English and Hindi for flights and holidays customers.

The next stage of voice assisted booking flow will cover other transport offerings. The feature has been embedded into the landing page of the platform and can be activated with a single click.

“We have pioneered offerings at the intersection of e-commerce, travel, and technology, and are proud to introduce a feature that breaks down the barriers of language, literacy, inability to navigate complex app environments, physical impairments, etc,” said, Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip. “This Generative AI integration through our collaboration with Microsoft involves simple visual cues and voice commands in native Indian languages that will alter the landscape of travel bookings hereon forth.”

MakeMyTrip’s latest offering uses the power of AI and Machine Learning to make travel-related solutions all pervasive, no matter the use case or scenario. Microsoft’s large language models and Indic language speech models, coupled with MakeMyTrip’s natural language understanding capability and travel domain content creates the base for users to interact with the platform in any Indian language.

Sanjay Mohan, Group Chief Technology Officer, MakeMyTrip said, “We are delighted to introduce revolutionary changes to our platform that align with our philosophy of leveraging tech to solve real consumer problems. The new update will elevate the user experience and make our platform more inclusive, accessible, and easy to navigate. The beta phase will offer us learnings to further fine-tune all use cases before rolling it out to users at scale. As such, we’ll do a very controlled roll-out of this feature with a subset of our customers.”

Sangeeta Bavi, Executive Director, Digital Natives, Microsoft India, said, “MakeMyTrip is a pioneer in the travel industry, and we are honored to work together to define the next frontiers of AI driven innovation and customer engagement in the online travel industry. Bringing together MakeMyTrip’s expertise with Microsoft’s AI capabilities, including Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, our collaboration will help make travel more inclusive and accessible for travelers across India, with trust and security at the core.”

The intuitive interface powered by Azure OpenAI Service’s GPT technology, will analyse specific user requirements and sift through thousands of options, to recommend, customize and book holiday packages, transforming what has been a time-consuming process into a quick and hassle-free experience. It will also summarize hotel reviews, extracting unique traveller impressions, that is cohort specific – whether a solo traveller, business traveller, couple, family, etc. This will elevate the hotel booking experience by offering personalized and relevant information to the user without having to scroll through multiple reviews.

City Today News 9341997936