ICICI Bank Ltd.

(NSE: ICICIBANK, BSE: 532174, NYSE: IBN) is an Indian diversified financial services company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is the second largest bank in India by assets and third largest by market capitalization. It offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and through its specialized subsidiaries in the areas of investment banking, life and non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management. The Bank has a network of 2,533 branches and 6,800 ATM's in India, and has a presence in 19 countries, including India.[2] The bank has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Russia, and Canada; branches in United States, Singapore, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Qatar and Dubai International Finance Centre; and representative offices in United Arab Emirates, China, South Africa, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The company's UK subsidiary has established branches in Belgium and Germany.[3] ICICI Bank is one of the Big Four banks of India, along with State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and HDFC Bankits main competitors.[4]

Contents
[hide]

1 Corporate history 2 Corporate governance

2.1 Group Anti Money Laundering Policy 2.2 Code of Conduct

3 Creation of market infrastructure in India 4 Corporate Social Responsibility programmes for Elementary Education

4.1 Read to Lead Phase I 4.2 Read to Lead Phase II 5.1 Objective 5.2 Green products and services 5.3 Carbon Footprint Calculator 6.1 Domestic 6.2 International

5 Go Green Initiative

6 Subsidiaries

7 Acquisitions 8 Awards 9 Controversy over debt recovery methods 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

[edit] Corporate history

ICICI Bank - Leeds Branch ICICI Bank was established in 1994 by the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India, an Indian financial institution, as a wholly owned subsidiary. The parent company was formed in 1955 as a joint-venture of the World Bank, India's public-sector banks and publicsector insurance companies to provide project financing to Indian industry.[5][6] The bank was initially known as the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Bank, before it changed its name to the abbreviated ICICI Bank. The parent company was later merged into ICICI Bank. ICICI Bank launched internet banking operations in 1998.[7] ICICI's shareholding in ICICI Bank was reduced to 46 percent, through a public offering of shares in India in 1998, followed by an equity offering in the form of American Depositary Receipts on the NYSE in 2000. ICICI Bank acquired the Bank of Madura Limited in an all-stock deal in 2001, and sold additional stakes to institutional investors during 2001-02. In the 1990s, ICICI transformed its business from a development financial institution offering only project finance to a diversified financial services group, offering a wide variety of products and services, both directly and through a number of subsidiaries and affiliates like ICICI Bank. In 1999, ICICI become the first Indian company and the first bank or financial institution from non-Japan Asia to be listed on the NYSE.[8] In 2000, ICICI Bank became the first Indian bank to list on the New York Stock Exchange with its five million American depository shares issue generating a demand book 13 times the offer size. In October 2001, the Boards of Directors of ICICI and ICICI Bank approved the merger of ICICI and two of its wholly owned retail finance subsidiaries, ICICI Personal Financial Services Limited and ICICI Capital Services Limited, with ICICI Bank. The merger was approved by shareholders of ICICI and ICICI Bank in January 2002, by the High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad in March 2002, and by the High Court of Judicature at Mumbai and the Reserve Bank of India in April 2002.[9]

In 2008, following the 2008 financial crisis, customers rushed to ATM's and branches in some locations due to rumors of adverse financial position of ICICI Bank. The Reserve Bank of India issued a clarification on the financial strength of ICICI Bank to dispel the rumors.[10]

[edit] Corporate governance

[edit] Group Anti Money Laundering Policy
The ICICI Group AML Policy establishes the standards of AML compliance and is applicable to all activities.[11]

[edit] Code of Conduct

ICICI Bank has formulated a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for its directors and employees.[12] ICICI merge the bank of rajasthan in 2010.

[edit] Creation of market infrastructure in India

ICICI Bank has contributed to set up different institutions which include the following: National Stock Exchange The National Stock Exchange was promoted by Indias leading financial institutions (including ICICI Ltd.) in 1992 on behalf of the Government of India with the objective of establishing a nationwide trading facility for equities, debt instruments and hybrids, by ensuring equal access to investors all over the country through an appropriate communication network.[13] Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited In 1987, ICICI Ltd. along with UTI set up CRISIL as India's first professional credit rating agency. CRISIL offers a comprehensive range of integrated products and service offerings which include credit ratings, capital market information, industry analysis and detailed reports.[14] National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange Limited NCDEX is a professionally managed online multi-commodity exchange, set up in 2003, by ICICI Bank Ltd, LIC, NABARD, NSE, Canara Bank, CRISIL, Goldman Sachs, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) and Punjab National Bank.[15] Financial Innovation Network and Operations Pvt Ltd. ICICI Bank has facilitated setting up of "FINO Cross Link to Case Link Study" in 2006, as a company that would provide technology solutions and services to reach the underserved and underbanked population of the country. Using cutting edge technologies like smart cards, biometrics and a basket of support services, FINO enables financial institutions to conceptualise, develop and operationalise projects to support sector initiatives in microfinance and livelihoods.
[16]

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), an autonomous body and not-for-profit society, was set up in 1983, by the erstwhile apex financial institutions like IDBI, ICICI, IFCI and SBI with the support of the Govt. of Gujarat as a national resource organisation committed to entrepreneurship development, education, training and research.[17] North Eastern Development Finance Corporation North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFI) was promoted by national level financial institutions like ICICI Ltd in 1995 at Guwahati, Assam for the development of

industries, infrastructure, animal husbandry, agri-horticulture plantation, medicinal plants, sericulture, aquaculture, poultry and dairy in the North Eastern states of India. NEDFI is the premier financial and development institution for the North East region.[18] Asset Reconstruction Company India Limited Following the enactment of the Securitisation Act in 2002, ICICI Bank together with other institutions, set up Asset Reconstruction Company India Limited (ARCIL) in 2003, to create a facilitative environment for the resolution of distressed debt in India. ARCIL was established to acquire non performing assets (NPAs) from financial institutions and banks with a view to enhance the management of these assets and help in the maximisation of recovery. This would relieve institutions and banks from the burden of pursuing NPAs, and allow them to focus on core banking activities.[19][20] Credit Information Bureau of India Limited ICICI Bank has also helped in setting up Credit Information Bureau of India Limited (CIBIL), Indias first national credit bureau in 2000. CIBIL provides a repository of information (which contains the credit history of commercial and consumer borrowers) to its members in the form of credit information reports. The members of CIBIL include banks, financial institutions, state financial corporations, non-banking financial companies, housing finance companies and credit card companies.[21]

[edit] Corporate Social Responsibility programmes for Elementary Education

[edit] Read to Lead Phase I
Read to Lead is an initiative of ICICI Bank to facilitate access to elementary education for underprivileged children in the age group of 314 years including girls and tribal children from the remote rural areas. The Read to Lead initiative supports partner NGOs to design and implement programs that mobilise parent and community involvement in education, strengthen schools and enable children to enter and complete formal elementary education. Read to Lead has reached out to 100,000 children across 14 states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.[22] Read to Lead Phase I is focused on Bridge courses to support dropout children to re-enrol in formal education Remedial coaching to potential dropout children to ensure their continuation in formal schooling Educational kits that include uniforms, books, stationery, woollen clothes etc. Inclusive and special education for children with special needs, such as mentally challenged and physically disabled children Health and nutritional support for children Community initiatives for sensitisation on importance of education, including parent groups, school enrolment drives, workshops and seminars, and publications Holistic development of children through instruction in arts and crafts, street plays, and life skills education

[edit] Read to Lead Phase II

In Phase II of the Read to Lead programme, ICICI Bank has supported the establishment of 63 libraries that will reach out to approximately 7,200 children in the rural areas of Jagdalpur block of Bastar district in Chhattisgarh. The programme includes building libraries, sourcing books and conducting various interactive activities to make the library a dynamic centre for learning.[citation
needed]

[edit] Go Green Initiative

The Go Green Initiative is an organisation wide initiative that moves beyond moving people, processes and customers to cost effective automated channels to build awareness and consciousness of our environment,our nation and our society.[23]

[edit] Objective
ICICI Banks Green initiatives range from Green offerings/incentives, Green engagement to Green communication with their customers.[24]

[edit] Green products and services

Instabanking It is the platform that brings together all alternate channels under one umbrella and gives customers the option of banking through Internet banking, i-Mobile banking, IVR Banking. This reduces the carbon footprint of the customers by ensuring they do not have to resort to physical statements or travel to their branches.[23] But you will be charged Rs 110 if you discontinue paper statements and go to branch to get a paper statement for loan etc. http://www.icicibank.com/service-charges/common-service-charges.html Vehicle Finance As an initiative towards more environment friendly way of life, Auto loans offer 50% waiver on processing fee on car models which uses alternate mode of energy. The models identified for the purpose are, Maruti's LPG version of Maruti 800, Omni and Versa, Hyundai's Santro Eco, Civic Hybrid of Honda, Reva electric cars, Tata Indica CNG and Mahindra Logan CNG versions.[23]

[edit] Carbon Footprint Calculator

Inputs include region, user input of the distance traveled in a particular medium of transport daily, electricity consumed per month and LPG cylinder/piped natural gas used per month. It calculates the net carbon footprint to create awareness and sensitize people about the environment.It also shows the world's and India's average carbon footprint.[25][26]

[edit] Subsidiaries
[edit] Domestic
ICICI Lombard ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited ICICI Securities Limited ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited ICICI Venture ICICI Home Finance

ICICI direct.com ICICI Foundation ICICI Bank UK PLC ICICI Bank Canada ICICI Bank Eurasia LLC 2005: Investitsionno-Kreditny Bank (IKB), a Russian bank 2007: Sangli Bank 2010: Bank of Rajasthan 2004: Best Bank in India Award presented by Euromoney Magazine[27] 2007: ICICI Bank has been conferred the Euromoney Award 2007 for the Best Bank in the Asia-Pacific Region[28] 2007: ICICI Bank wins the Excellence in Remittance Business award by The Asian Banker[29] 2009: ICICI Bank bags the "Best bank in SME financing (Private Sector)" at the Dun & Bradstreet Banking awards[30] 2011: ICICI Bank is the only Indian brand to figure in the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands Report, second year in a row[31] 2011: ICICI Bank ranked 5th in the list of "57 Indian Companies", and 288 th in World Rankings in Forbes Global 2000 list.[32] 2011: ICICI Bank has won the "Banking Technology Awards 2010" at The Indian Banks Association in the following categories[33] 2011: ICICI Bank was recognized for its Special Citation of the Fully Electronic Branch Service Channel, first set up at Hiranandani Estate, Thane, at the Financial Insights Innovation Awards held in conjunction with Asian Financial Services Congress[34] 2011: For the second year in a row, ICICI Bank was ranked 70th in the Brandirectory league tables of the worlds most valuable brands by, The BrandFinance Banking 500[35] 2011: ICICI Bank was ranked 1st in the Banking and Finance category and 9th in the "2010 Best Companies To Work For" by Business Today[36] 2011: ICICI Bank UK, HiSAVE product range has been awarded the Consumer Moneyfacts Awards 2011 for the 'Best Online Savings Provider'[37] 2011: For the second consecutive year, ICICI Bank was ranked second in the "India's 50 Biggest Financial Companies" , in The BW REAL 500 by Business World[38] 2011: ICICI Bank was one of the winners in the Global Awards for Enterprise & IT Architecture Excellence. ICICI Bank bagged the award in the Business Intelligence and Analytics' category.[39]

[edit] International

[edit] Acquisitions

[edit] Awards

2011: The Brand Trust Report ranks ICICI among the top 4 most trusted financial institutions.[40] 2011: ICICI Bank awarded "House Of The Year (India)", by Asia Risk magazine, for eighth time in a row since 2004[41] 2011: ICICI Bank awarded the most Tech-friendly Bank award by Business World[42] 2011: ICICI Bank received the Best Trade Finance Bank in India by The Asset Triple A Award, Hong Kong[43] 2011: ICICI Bank is the first and the only Indian brand to be ranked as the 45th most valuable global brand by BrandZ Top 100 Global Brands Report[44]

[edit] Controversy over debt recovery methods

In 2010, then Finance Minister of India, Pranab Mukherjee, said that private sector lenders including ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank have reportedly violated RBI guidelines on engagement of agents to recover loans.[45] ICICI Bank has been in focus in recent years because of alleged harassment of customers by its recovery agents.

ICICI Bank was fined Rs. 55 lakh for hiring goons (known coloquially as "goondas") to recover a loan. Recovery agents had ,allegedly, forcibly dragged out a youth (who was not even the borrower) from the car, beaten him up with iron rods and left him bleeding as they drove away with the vehicle. "We hold ICICI Bank guilty of the grossest kind of deficiency in service and unfair trade practice for breach of terms of contract of hirepurchase/loan agreement by seizing the vehicle illegally,""No civilised society governed by the rule of law can brook such kind of conduct" said Justice Kaleem, who was born in Laddhawala, Muzaffarnagar is the president of the consumer commission[46][47][48][49][50][51]
[52]

Four ICICI loan employees arrested on theft charges in Punjab[53] ICICI Bank told to pay Rs. 1 lakh as compensation for using unlawful recovery methods.
[54]

RBI warns ICICI Bank for coercive methods to recover loans[55] ICICI Bank drives customer to suicide - Four men including an employee of ICICI Bank booked under sections 452, 306, 506 (II) and 34 of IPC for abetting suicide.[56] According to the suicide note they advised him, "If you cannot repay the bank loan, sell off your wife, your kids, yourself, sell everything at your home. Even then if you cannot not pay back the due amount, then it's better if you commit suicide."[57] India biggest private bank has compensated the life by money[58] ICICI Bank on huge car recovery scam in Goa - ICICI Bank invest in car-jackers to recover loans in Goa. A half an hour investigative report on CNN-IBN's 30 Minutes. The under cover report was executed by CNN-IBN's Special Investigations Team from Mumbai, led by Ruksh Chatterji[59] Family of Y. Yadaiah alleged that he was beaten to death by ICICI Banks recovery agents, for failing to pay the dues. Four persons were arrested in this case.[60] A father while talking to Times of India, alleged that "ICICI Bank recovery agents visited his house and threatened his family. And his son Nikhil consumed poison because of the tension".[61]

Oppressed by ICICI Bank's loan recovery agents, Shakuntala Joshi (38), committed suicide by hanging. The suicide note stated that she was upset with the ill-treatment meted out by ICICI Bank's recovery agents and had thus decided to end her life.[62] In another case of a suicide it is alleged that goondas sent by ICICI Bank abused Himanshu and his wife in front of the entire residential colony before taking away his vehicle. Feeling frustrated and insulted, he reportedly committed suicide.[63] C.L.N Murthy, a scientist with the Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, was allegedly tortured by recovery agents of ICICI Bank after he defaulted on his loan.They humiliated me no end. They ripped my shirt, shaved my moustache, cut my hair and gave electric shocks on my chest and even spat on my face" adds Murthy.[64] A dozen recovery agents of ICICI Bank, riding on bikes, allegedly forced a prominent lawyer, Someshwari Prasad, to stop his car. They held Prasad at gunpoint and also slapped him to force him. A manager of the ICICI Bank branch, Rakesh Mehta, along with four other employees were arrested.[65] In a landmark case, Allahabad High Court had ordered registration of an FIR against ICICI Bank's branch manager, President, Chairman and Managing Director on a complaint of 75-year-old widow Prakash Kaur. She had complained that goondas were sent by the bank to harass her and forcibly took away her truck.[66] When the Supreme Court wanted to know about the procedure adopted by the Bank, ICICI Bank counsel said notice would be sent to a defaulter asking him either to pay the instalments or hand over the vehicle purchased on loan, failing which the agents would be asked to seize it. When the Bench pointed out that recovery or seizure could be done only legally, ICICI Bank counsel said, "If we have to go through the legal process it would be difficult to recover the instalments as there are millions of defaulters".[67] Taking strong exception to ICICI Bank's use of 'goondas' against a defaulter, the president of Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum said, "The fact leaves us aghast at the manner of functioning and goondaism in which the bank is involved for a petty amount of Rs 1,889... such attitude is deplorable and sends chills down the spine....The bank had the option to recover dues through legal means. They have no legal right to snatch the vehicle in such a manner which amounts to robbery,". In this case recovery agents pointed a pistol at a defaulter when he tried to resist. ICICI bank argued that they had taken peaceful possession of the vehicle "after due intimation to the complainant as he was irregular in remitting the monthly instalments". But the court found out that the records proved otherwise.[68] Two senior ICICI Bank officials were booked for abducting one Vikas Porwal from his house and keeping him hostage in the Bank's premises.[69] A Consumer Commission has asked ICICI Bank MD K V Kamath to appear before it in respect a complaint. A borrower on protesting against the forceful dispossession of his car, as seen in the post-incident photographs, was roughed up and sustained injuries.