Public sector lender Central Bank of India is harboring ambitious plans of increasing its presence in the offshore mainland. The major focus of the bank would be on the African region. Speaking on the issue, CMD of the bank, Mr S Sridhar said that the bank aims to start operations in countries like Mozambique, Bhutan, Hong Kong, Dubai and Sri Lanka. Owing to huge penetration opportunities in Africa, the bank primarily plans to start operating in Mozambique. In this regard, the bank has already signed up a joint venture with a local business giant in Africa. The shareholding would be such that the company would have 76% stake while the remaining 24% stake would be held by Central Bank of India. In terms of domestic operations, the bank has said that financial inclusion is its priority this fiscal. It aims to open a branch each in 627 districts in the country.
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