Private sector lender Karnataka Bank has set up ambitious plans of opening as many as 20 financial inclusion branches in the country by March 2013.

Three branches of these 20 would be opened by the bank by this month.

According to CEO and MD of the bank, Mr P. Jayarama Bhat, the first financial inclusion branch of the bank has been opened at Kairangala village in Dakshina Kannada district last Wednesday.

He added that the bank's aim is to set up 20 financial inclusion branches in brick-and-mortar model by March 2013 of which majority of the branches would be focused in Karnataka.