CSB Bank has entered the Scale Phase of its SBS 2030 strategy, with the lender planning to accelerate customer acquisition, strengthen its CASA franchise, diversify its loan portfolio and expand its geographic footprint, Managing Director and CEO Pralay Mondal said.
Addressing shareholders at the bank’s 105th Annual General Meeting on Friday, Mondal said the commencement of the current fiscal marks a defining milestone in CSB Bank’s transformation journey, as the lender moves from building its foundation to scaling the business.
The bank’s ambition is to emerge as a respected mid-sized lender recognised for sustainable growth, strong governance, innovation and long-term customer trust.
Focus on customer acquisition and CASA
A key priority during the Scale Phase will be accelerating customer acquisition through focused growth strategies and enhanced digital capabilities.
The bank has established a retail liability sales vertical to accelerate customer acquisition across its liability channels.
Strengthening the CASA (current account, savings account) franchise will remain another key priority, with the bank viewing a stronger CASA base as critical for long-term profitability and deeper customer engagement.
CSB Bank is also seeking to build a more granular deposit profile to improve deposit stability, optimise funding and pricing and create opportunities for cross-selling.
The bank plans to use targeted offerings across current accounts, TASC accounts, focused savings products, integrated payment solutions and tailored asset products to deepen customer relationships.
Gold loans remain important as portfolio diversifies
CSB Bank is also reshaping its portfolio mix to build greater resilience and balance.
While gold loans will continue to provide stability, profitability and liquidity, the bank is gradually diversifying its asset composition.
The corporate banking business is showing strong growth momentum, while the BLG/MSME segment is positioned to capitalise on emerging opportunities.
The bank is also strengthening its retail assets business through phased portfolio revamps and new product launches, aligned with market conditions and its risk appetite.
The strategy is aimed at reducing concentration while creating a more balanced and sustainable loan book.
Network expansion to widen reach
Expanding its geographic footprint and market presence will form another pillar of CSB Bank’s growth strategy.
Mondal said a wider network will help the bank deepen customer reach, improve accessibility and capture opportunities across both existing and emerging markets.
The expansion is also expected to enhance market penetration, reduce geographic concentration and create a scalable platform for long-term growth.
Technology to drive productivity
CSB Bank is focusing on operational leverage and productivity improvements as it scales.
Greater technology adoption, process simplification and disciplined execution are expected to create a more agile and customer-centric operating model.
The bank aims to eliminate process complexity, improve turnaround times, optimise resource utilisation and create additional capacity for future growth.
At the same time, Mondal stressed that efficiency gains will be pursued without compromising controls, governance, compliance or service quality.
Complex technology migration completed
The bank’s entry into the Scale Phase follows the completion of what Mondal described as one of the most complex technology migrations undertaken by the organisation in the previous financial year.
The successful migration has strengthened the bank’s technology infrastructure and provides a platform for introducing new products, simplifying processes and improving customer experiences.
Mondal said the achievement demonstrated the resilience and execution capabilities of the bank’s team and increased its confidence in navigating the next stage of transformation.
Execution to define next phase
According to Mondal, the transition from the build phase to the scale phase will make execution a key determinant of CSB Bank’s success.
The lender plans to combine faster decision-making and an ownership-driven culture with disciplined risk management and strong governance.
“As we move from build to scale, execution becomes the defining factor of success,” Mondal said, emphasising the need to translate the bank’s strengthened foundation into accelerated but risk-managed growth.
The Scale Phase of SBS 2030 is therefore expected to focus not merely on expanding the balance sheet, but on building a more diversified franchise with stronger deposits, wider customer reach, improved productivity and sustainable profitability.