Bank of Baroda organises 8th Edition of the ‘Baroda Kisan Pakhwada’ in Mumbai Zone under the theme “Towards Atmanirbharta”

Chandigar, Dec 20: Bank of Baroda (Bank), one of India’s leading public sector banks, announced that the Bank’s Mumbai Zone along with Navi Mumbai Regional Office organised the 8th edition of its flagship farmer outreach initiative – ‘Baroda Kisan Pakhwada’, under the theme “Towards Atmanirbharta”. The initiative focuses on empowering farmers and rural communities through financial awareness, inclusion and innovation. This year’s theme, “Towards Atmanirbharta”, focused on expanding financial inclusion and strengthening support for India’s farming community. The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from over 700 farmers across Raigad District.

The programme was inaugurated by Shri Kishan Narayanrao Jawale, IAS, Collector, Raigad District, in the august presence of Shri Lal Singh, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda; Shri Rajesh Malhotra, Chief General Manager – Rural & Agri Banking, RRBs & RSETIs; Shri Sunil Kumar Sharma, General Manager & Zonal Head, Mumbai Zone and Shri Manish Kumar Sinha, Regional Manager, Navi Mumbai Region. Executives from Zonal Office, Mumbai and Regional Office, Navi Mumbai participated actively.

The event was further graced by Shri G. S. Harallya, General Manager, District Industries Centre (DIC); Smt. Priyadarshini More, Project Director, MSRLM, Raigad; and Shri Pandurang A. Bamane, Assistant Manager, APEDA, highlighting strong coordination between banking and government agencies for rural development.

Speaking on the successful completion of the programme, Shri Lal Singh, Executive Director, Bank of Baroda, said,

“The 8th edition of Baroda Kisan Pakhwada reflects our continued commitment to serve India’s farmers with solutions that are accessible, reliable, and increasingly digital. Through our Digital BKCC, Digital Gold Loan and our on-ground outreach programmes, the aim is to strengthen our engagement & support by making credit simpler and more empowering for every farmer we reach. We remain deeply committed in supporting the agricultural community and in contributing to their progress and self-reliance.”

Kisan Pakhwada, a flagship outreach initiative of Bank of Baroda, aims to directly engage with farmers, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and agri-entrepreneurs by creating awareness about institutional credit, government-backed schemes, digital banking solutions, and risk-mitigation tools. The initiative plays a vital role in promoting financial inclusion, formal credit penetration, women empowerment, and sustainable agricultural growth.

The initiative spotlighted the Bank’s key digital offerings, including the Digital Baroda Kisan Credit Card (integrated with RBIH for digital land records) and the Digital Gold Loan on the Bank’s digital lending platform. These solutions are designed to make credit access faster, simpler and more convenient for farmers, further strengthening the Baroda Kisan Pakhwada’s overall impact.

A Nukkad Natak was organised to spread awareness on Digital Banking and Cyber Fraud Prevention, reinforcing the Bank’s focus on safe adoption of digital financial services in rural areas. Bank of Baroda is confident that such initiatives will deepen engagement with the farming community and contribute to inclusive growth and agricultural prosperity.

Bank of Baroda’s lending to the agriculture sector stands at ₹1,69,703 crore as of 30^th September 2025, recording a year-on-year growth of 17.4%. With a strong rural footprint and a comprehensive suite of agri and digital banking solutions, the Bank continues to play a key role in supporting farmers and strengthening India’s agricultural ecosystem.