State Bank of Patiala, an associate bank of State Bank of India is on an expansion spree in the northern part of the country. The bank has decided to open 30 branches in the north.

Chief general manager of the bank, T Lokeshaiah said that the bank has plans to set up more than 100 branches in the country in this financial year. The total branch network of the bank will thus reach 1000.

Among them, 40 branches are to be opened in Punjab, 20 in Haryana, 10 in HP, 10 in Rajasthan and remaining branches will be spread across Chandigarh, J&K, Delhi, UP, Uttrakhand, Maharashtra and four southern states.

20 branches among these will be set up using the brick and mortar model of financial inclusion whereby branches would be set up in the unbanked areas having population of more than 2000.