SBI to launch voice-enabled ATMs for sight-handicapped clients

The State Bank of India, the country's largest bank, plans to introduce 7,000 voice-enabled ATMs across the country for visually challenged customers, beginning next month, SBI's general manager (alternate channels) Amitabh Kumar said at a CII seminar in Mumbai on Thursday.

These voice-enabled ATMs, with headphones and Braille keypads, will offer services like fund transfer and downloading of account statements. SBI is currently testing voice-enabled ATMs with its partners NCR and Diebold, and expects to make these operational in a month's time, Kumar said.

SBI plans to install these ATMs in metro, urban and semi urban towns across the country.

"The country has 10.6 million visually challenged people and it is the duty of the banks to help these people to meet their banking needs," ICICI Bank's chief executive and managing director Chanda Kochhar told the seminar.

ICICI Bank, the country's largest private lender, installed its first talking ATM in 2003. Over the years, the bank has also ensured that the basic banking facilities can be used by physically handicapped people, Kochhar said.