SBI inaugurates floating ATM at Srinagar's Dal Lake; machine 'fulfills a long-standing need', says company

The State Bank of India (SBI) has unveiled an ATM on a houseboat at the Dal Lake in Srinagar. SBI Chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara inaugurated the floating ATM on 16 August.

SBI opened an ATM on a Houseboat at #DalLake, Srinagar for the convenience of locals & tourists. It was inaugurated by the Chairman, SBI, on 16th August. The #FloatingATM in the popular Dal Lake fulfills a long-standing need & will be an added attraction to the charm of Srinagar. pic.twitter.com/nz3iddHIdp

— State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) August 19, 2021

Posting pictures of the official event, SBI said that the Dal Lake-based machine “fulfills a long-standing need and will be an added attraction to the charm of Srinagar”. The new ATM will facilitate cash withdrawal facilities for both tourists and locals in the region. The pictures were generally appreciated on social media, with many applauding the SBI for its idea. However, some also pressed the bank to improve its existing services. The SBI is one of the largest networks in the country with 22,224 branches. It has over 63,906 ATMs in India. It is the largest commercial bank in India in terms of customers, deposits, assets, employees, branches, and customers. Over 91 million customers use the Internet banking facilities of SBI, with another 20 million using the mobile banking services of the bank. The bank is also the largest mortgage lender in India, having fulfilled the dreams of over 30 lakh Indian families who wanted to own a home. The SBI also boasts a huge following on social media, with over 4.2 million followers on Twitter alone. The houseboat in Kashmir is not the first time SBI has made an attempt at a floating ATM. In 2004, the bank had launched its first floating ATM in Kerala. The ATM has been installed on the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation’s Jhankar yacht (KSINC). The yacht operated between the regions of Ernakulam and Vapeyan.