Hughes Communications India, Ltd (HCIL) has announced that it has been chosen by C-Edge to provide over 3,000 branches of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) across the country with a broadband satellite network and managed services. The contract is worth Rs. 33 crores (approximately USD 6 million) for a period of five years.
C-Edge, a joint venture between TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) and the State Bank of India (SBI), selected Hughes and its HN System for a turnkey networking solution and services to connect various District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) and State Apex banks in the country. The branches are being integrated onto a central Core Banking Solution, with the first phase covering the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
“We are delighted and privileged that C-Edge has chosen HCIL for this significant banking sector project,” said Partho Banerjee, President and Managing Director of HCIL. “Our managed services solution is unique in providing high availability connectivity at all sites by employing broadband satellite as the primary technology and backup over other wireless technologies. Satellite is one of the fastest growing broadband technologies in India and is playing a significant role in facilitating the expansion of the banking sector in India, reaching ever more citizens through its continent-wide reach.”
Approximately 140 banks have expressed their willingness to participate in the project and signed the necessary Memoranda of Agreement with NABARD. This strategy involves a major transformation of the current information technologies and a significant re-engineering of the bank’s business processes.
