Journey of Punjab National Bank (PNB)

Punjab National Bank supplies banking and financial services. It originated as on May 19, 1894, in Lahore (now in Pakistan) by Lala Lajpat Rai, Lala Harkishan Lal, and Dyal Singh Majithia. The bank was established with the aim of promoting financial services and economic development in the region. PNB shifted its headquarters to New Delhi after the partition of India in 1947. It went public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 1961. In 2020, the United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) were amalgamated into Punjab National Bank. As a consideration to the shareholder of OBC, 1150 equity shares of ₹2/- each of Punjab National Bank for every 1000 equity shares of ₹10/- each of Oriental Bank of Commerce. In addition, 121 equity shares of ₹2/- each of Punjab National Bank for every 1000 equity shares of ₹10/-each of United Bank of India were given to the shareholders. The Bank has a total of 48,015 delivery channels with a network of 10,080 domestic branches, 2 International branches, 12,820 ATMs and 25,115 Business Correspondents as of June 2023. The bank has been awarded the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) National Championship and Annual Target Achievement Award by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority in Q1 FY 2024. The bank won the third prize at the “National MSME Awards 2022”, organised under the Entrepreneur-India programme by the Union Ministry of MSME in New Delhi.

Punjab National Bank Business Segments

PNB earns revenue in the form of interest income generated from loans, investments and others:

• Resource Mobilisation:Under this segment, the bank deals with domestic deposits, and it is core priorityed on growing the segment with the help of digital initiatives and new schemes.
• Credit Deployment and Delivery:The bank advances loans under this segment to corporate customers. During FY 2023, fresh corporate sanctions with external ratings 'A' and above formed a major part of the sanctions under this segment. The bank's corporate loan book has exposure to multiple industries, including NBFC, infrastructure, energy, textile, etc.
• Retail Credit:The bank offers loans to retail customers in this business space. PNB is bringing forth one of the best-in-class interest rates in various retail segments like home loans, vehicle loans, education loans and personal loans. Overall improvements in economic conditions are fuelling confidence in customers to spend more.
• Priority Sector:This segment covers the responsibility of social banking. During 2023, the bank has surpassed all the priority sector goals. The priority sector includes the agriculture sector and sub-sectors.
• Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME):PNB helps MSMEs with financing requirements, and the bank's disbursement has increased in FY 2023 for this segment.
• PNB Gilts Limited: PNB Gilts Ltd is involved in trading in government securities, treasury bills and Non-SLR Investments. PNB has a 74.07% stake in the organization.
• PNB Investment Services Limited: It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PNB. The enterprise activities of the organization revolve around merchant banking.
• PNB Cards and Services Limited (PNBCSL): The enterprise activities of the 100% subsidiary include non-financial support services related to the credit card enterprise of PNB.
• PNB International Limited (PNBIL):It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PNB. This came into existence as in the UK on April 13, 2006, and is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to conduct banking enterprise in the UK.
• Druk PNB Bank Limited (DPNBL):PNB holds a 51% stake in Druk PNB Bank Ltd. The banking organization started its operation on January 27, 2010, with a component of both FDI and joint venture in the Banking Sector.

Punjab National Bank Team Management

• Atul Kumar Goel, Managing Director and CEO

Atul Kumar Goel, born on December 26, 1964, began serving as MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank on February 1, 2022. He was the managing director and CEO of UCO Bank before this. He was Executive Director at Union Bank of India from September 15, 2016, to November 1, 2018, before his promotion to MD & CEO of UCO Bank.

PNB Corporate Action

• PNB underwent a merger with the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and the United Bank of India in 2020. This merger created the second-largest public sector bank in India by branch network and enterprise after the State Bank of India (SBI).

Punjab National Bank Management Outlook

• The Indian economy is on the verge of sequential growth, and the banking sector will likely play a critical role in the economic growth. Embracing digital banking can help PNB expand its customer base and improve service delivery. This includes bringing forth online banking, mobile apps, and digital payment solutions.
• The bank is core priorityed on facilitating ease of service and enhanced customer experience by launching digital home and vehicle loans, loans against securities (e-LAS), loans against bond/debenture/shares/mutual funds/sovereign gold bond and digital education loans in the retail segment.
• The bank plans to introduce e-GST Express and PM e-SVANidhi for the MSME segment, e-NWR (e-godown), agri gold loans, and agriculture value chain financing (FPO) for the agriculture segment.
• PNB has a strong presence in rural and semi-urban areas. Expanding its reach and services in these regions, especially in agriculture and agri-enterprise financing, can be a lucrative opportunity given India's agricultural sector's significance.
• PNB is likely to be core priorityed on expanding its international presence by establishing branches or partnerships in key global financial centres, catering to the needs of Indian enterprises and individuals abroad.
• Offering wealth management services can help PNB attract high-net-worth individuals and provide them with investment, estate planning, and wealth preservation solutions.
• In addition, collaboration with fintech companies can help PNB stay competitive and offer innovative financial products and services, such as digital lending, robo-advisory services, and peer-to-peer lending.