Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD & CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank, participated as a special invitee in the Christmas celebration organised by the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in Delhi. During the event, Shri. K. Paul Thomas presented the Honourable PM with a special Christmas hamper, curated by CEDAR Retail as a gesture of goodwill.

Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank, proudly represented the Bank at the GABV Annual General Meeting 2023 held in New York on 8th May 2023. As a value-driven bank, it is an honour for ESAF to be part of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values.
The meeting was a reminder of the recurring social and environmental challenges that our world faces. As a responsible member of the banking community, ESAF Small Finance Bank understands that every step it takes towards a more sustainable future is critical. The Bank's participation in the meeting was a testimony to its commitment to responsible banking practices.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the speech given by Smt. Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation, who emphasised the need to have the boldness to create an impact. In today's world, it is not enough to merely exist as a financial institution; one must take a proactive approach with boldness to create a meaningful positive impact.
In his speech, Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF SFB, shared his admiration of the customer-centricity exhibited by community banks in New York. He observed that the people of New York have immense trust and comfort in community banking. Customer-centricity is at the heart of ESAF Small Finance Bank's operations. He emphasised the need for a high level of customer obsession in order to be more impactful as a social bank.

Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank honoured Shri. Pashupati Kumar Paras, Union Minister for Ministry of Food Processing Industries. During their cordial and warm conversation, Shri. K. Paul Thomas explained the role being played by ESAF Small Finance Bank in financial inclusion and the Bank's vision and mission.

ESAF Small Finance Bank reached one lakh agricultural customer base within a short span of one year. Kisan Jyothi, a recently launched product, has gotten wide acceptance among customers. The Bank targeted individual farmers and joint borrowers engaged in agriculture and allied activities like dairy farming, agricultural infrastructure, agri processing units, etc. for its agri lending portfolio. Term Loan, Kisan Credit Card, Dairy Development Loan, Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) Finance, Kisan Jyoti Loan, Farmers Interest Group Loan, etc. are the other agri products designed to meet the financial needs of agricultural customers. The bank has deployed exclusive Agri Relationship Officers, FFOs and Business Correspondents to build relationships with customers and source leads for the products.

ESAF Small Finance Bank launched the first banking outlet in Sholayur, Palakkad, on 29th March 2023. The multipurpose Customer Service Centre Outlet was inaugurated by Shri. A. Gowthaman, DGM, FIDD-Reserve Bank of India. Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank, delivered the presidential address. Shri. Christudas K. V., CEO, ESAF Co-operative, Shri. Shaju G., Member, Sholayur Block Panchayat, Smt. Latha Kumari, Member, Sholayur Gram Panchayat, and Shri. Sreenath R. P., Lead District Manager, Palakkad, delivered felicitation speeches. The Bank has also launched new branches in Kalkandy and Anaikatty. Smt. D. Dharmalashri, Sub-Collector, Ottapalam, inaugurated the Anaikatty Branch and Smt. Ambika Lakshmanan, President, Agali Gram Panchayat, inaugurated the Kalkandy Branch.

Shri. P. S. Suresh, ACP, Ollur, inaugurating the Thaneer Panthal in the presence of Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank and Shri. George Thomas, EVP, ESAF Small Finance Bank.

As part of the newly launched #Water2Earth campaign, ESAF Small Finance Bank set up a Thaneer Panthal (water booth) in front of ESAF Bhavan, Mannuthy. Shri. P. S. Suresh, ACP, Ollur, inaugurated the Thaneer Panthal on 22nd March 2023, World Water Day, in the presence of Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank. The initiative aims to provide free drinking water and buttermilk to the public during the summer.

Adv. K. Rajan, Revenue Minister, inaugurating the 31st anniversary celebration

Thrissur: Renowned social development organisation ESAF commemorated its 31st Foundation Day. Shaji K. V., Chairman, NABARD, inaugurated the event. “Similar to NABARD, ESAF has contributed much to enhance the creditworthiness of the people in backward areas. The achievements of ESAF have been truly remarkable,” he said. K. Paul Thomas, Founder, MD & CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank, delivered the Foundation Day message.

Shaji K. V. was also honoured at the ceremony for being the first Keralite to take over as the Chairman of NABARD.

Adv. K. Rajan, Revenue Minister, Kerala, P. Balachandran, MLA, Thrissur, Mereena Paul, Executive Director, ESAF Foundation, and R. Billy, Vice President, ESAF Foundation, also spoke on the occasion.

Awards for the Best Co-operative Societies were also distributed during the event. Valakavu Ksheera Vyavasaya Co-operative Society and Kulumai Milk Producer Company won the Best Co-operative Societies Award. Jai Sardar Krishi Vikas Farmer Producer Company of Maharashtra also received a special jury mention at the event. The handing over ceremony of houses built by ESAF Co-operative and the felicitation of employees who completed 10 years of service in ESAF also took place during the event.

ESAF Small Finance Bank celebrated its 6th Foundation Day on 10th March 2023, with a grand event held at its headquarters in Mannuthy, Thrissur. The welcome speech, delivered by Shri. Hari Velloor, EVP, ESAF SFB, set the tone for the occasion. The chief guest, Shri. Vijay Kumar Nayak, Chief General Manager, the Reserve Bank of India, elaborated on the significance of financial inclusion in India. He praised ESAF for its contribution to expanding the horizon of financial inclusion and transforming lives. He also explained how small finance banks can leverage the opportunities provided by the central budget of 2023.

Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank, expressed his appreciation to all who contributed to the Bank's growth. He shared his thoughts on the Bank's future, emphasising that while the Bank achieves great heights, its vision and mission will remain steadfast. He also highlighted how ESAF Bank had managed to grow even during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Kerala floods. He emphasised the Bank's commitment to striking a balance between social responsibility and profitability.

The presidential address was delivered by Shri. P. R. Ravi Mohan, Chairman, ESAF SFB. Dr. Gopakumaran Nair, CGM, NABARD, also addressed the gathering.

During the event, the winners of Tejaswi and Tejus were announced and the Bank launched several new products—Business WhatsApp, Agri Commodity Backed - Warehouse Receipt Finance, QR Scanner for Temple, EbixCash Cobranded Travel Card, eShiksha App, Online Account – eLite, and 3 in One Demat Account. The Agent Onboarding Website and ISO Certification of HR were also released as part of the event.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Shri. George K. John, EVP, ESAF SFB, expressing gratitude to everyone who made the event possible. Overall, the event celebrated the success of the past six years while underscoring ESAF Small Finance Bank's commitment to financial inclusion and social responsibility.