Mumbai : 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 30th 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.