HDFC Bank Ltd.

HDFC Bank, the country's second largest private sector lender opened its first branch in Leh, one of the highest locations in the world. The bank plans to add about 600 branches across the country during the current fiscal. HDFC bank will be the first new generation private sector lender to open a branch in this Himalayan region with the opening of this branch.

The bank expects to take branch network to 2,700 branches by the end of fiscal 2012. As of June 2011, the bank had 2,111 branches and 5,998 ATMs spread across 1,111 cities in the country. In Jammu and Kashmir alone, the bank intends to add another 32 branches including one in Kargil, and 50 new ATMs as part of strategy to take banking to unbanked. Last fiscal, the bank opened 261 branches taking the branch count to 1,986 across the country.

Recently, HDFC Bank launched a service whereby its 115 lakh debit card holders can pay income tax through the bank's ATMs. The customers will have to register themselves and the ATM payment option will be activated immediately for availing the services.