ICICI Bank deals with Dish TV for product information

Vipin Bajaj - Televisionpoint.com Correspondent | Mumbai
With ICICI Bank and Dish TV coming together to launch ICICIActive, direct-to-home customers of Dish TV will be able to access information on ICICI Bank products and services on their television screens using the remote.

The range of information will include product features, EMI amount on various loans, eligibility criteria, documentation, time required for processing a request, bank's ATM and branch locators, which will enable them to take relevant financial decisions.

Information related to these products and services will be shown on the television screen along with the toll free customer service number, which will allow the viewers to call and apply or seek further information on a product, of their choice.

"We are always innovating and exploring new opportunities to bring banking to larger number of people and the association with Dish TV will enable us to further extend our reach," said Maninder Juneja, head, retail liabilities, ICICI Bank, while launching the service in Mumbai.

While the service offered through the new initiative is purely information now, Juneja is hopeful that in the course of time technology will enable to transform this passive banking service to more active services where transactions could be carried out.

"Over a period of time we will have technology where people will be able to transact using their television. Such technologies are being developed in the world. Whatever is convenient to customers, we have seen over a period of time, the technology develops to meet that requirement," said Juneja.

According to Salil Kapoor, COO, Dish TV, the service will reach to its 3.94 million subscribers. "With such innovative service, we are taking television viewing to a whole new level of viewer engagement. We will add many more such value added services (VAS) in the future." said Kapoor.

Is VAS the way ahead for Dish TV? "The content still remains the major component for us. However, VAS becomes the differentiator. It adds value, but in terms of revenue, channels will still remain as the significant component," said Kapoor.