Utkarsh Small Finance Bank Limited was incorporated on April 30, 2016 at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh as a Public Limited Company and was granted a Certificate of Incorporation by the Registrar of Companies. The Bank is subsidiary of Utkarsh Core Invest Limited. The Promoter, Utkarsh Core Invest Limited, started operations as a NBFC in year 2010 and was focused on providing microfinance to unserved and underserved segments in the States of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Later on, it converted to a NBFC- MFI. The Bank is engaged in providing banking and financial services and governed by Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
On October 7, 2015, the Promoter received the RBI In-Principle Approval to establish an SFB, following which it incorporated Utkarsh Small Finance Bank Limited as a wholly-owned subsidiary on April 30, 2016. Subsequently, the Bank received final approval of the RBI to carry on the business as an SFB on November 25, 2016. Accordingly, Utkarsh CoreInvest Limited transferred its business of providing microfinance, as a going concern to the Bank and consequently commenced its operations from January 23, 2017. The Bank was included in second schedule to the RBI Act as a Scheduled Commercial Bank pursuant to a notification dated October 4, 2017 issued by the RBI and published in the Gazette of India on November 7, 2017.
Following the commencement of SFB operations, the Bank further engaged with borrowers by focusing on microfinance and diversifying product offerings to include savings accounts, deposit products and other loan products. The Banking Operations are spread across India and are present in 26 States and 4 Union Territories with 888 Banking Outlets as of March 31, 2024. As of March 31, 2024, the Bank had also set-up 619 micro-ATMs.
The Bank asset products include micro banking loans that include joint liability group loans, and individual loans; retail loans including, unsecured loans, such as business loans and personal loans, and secured loans, such as loans against property (LAP); wholesale lending that includes short term and long term loan facilities to SMEs, mid and large corporate and institutional clients; housing loans with a focus on affordable housing; commercial vehicle / construction equipment loans; and Utkarsh Gold Loan' product that was launched in 2022. On the liabilities side, it offer savings accounts, current accounts and a variety of term and recurring deposit accounts. In addition, it provide non-credit offerings comprising ATM-cum-debit cards, bill payment system and distribute mutual funds and insurance products.
The Bank launched an Initial Public Offer of 200,000,000 Equity Shares of face value of Rs 10 to raise funds of Rs 500 Crore through Fresh Issue in July, 2023.
In 2023, Bank launched Micro LAP Product. It opened 287 new ATMs and 546 Micro ATMs.
Vendor Management System launched in 2024. The Bank launched Capital Market Business as an approved Bank towards Collateral Deposits with Exchange Members and further launched AD II Business towards Cross Border Outward Remittances under Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS).