Mumbai | Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India, today outlined how its integrated Branch Banking and MSME franchise is supporting business growth and financial inclusion in Maharashtra, at a media roundtable in Mumbai.

Senior Axis Bank leaders, including Sanjeev Moghe, Group Head – Branch Banking, South; Vijay Shetty, Group Head – Commercial Banking Group; and Prashanth T.S., Group Head – Mid-Corporate & Medium Enterprises Group, discussed the Bank’s approach of bringing together its relationship-led branch network and MSME-focused capabilities to support customers and businesses across Maharashtra.

Reinventing Branch Banking

Axis Bank continues to strengthen its physical footprint, recognising the continued importance of trust and local relationships. The Bank's domestic network stood at 6,275 branches and 12,796 ATMs and cash recyclers as of March 31, 2026, with nearly 47% of branches located in rural and semi-urban markets.

Beyond its national presence, the Bank has built considerable scale in Maharashtra and Mumbai:

· Maharashtra network: 640 branches and 2,021 ATMs and cash deposit machines

· Mumbai network: 262 branches and 1,048 ATMs and cash deposit machines

With customer servicing increasingly moving to digital channels, branches are evolving beyond transaction processing into centres for advisory, relationship management, and financial planning.

This shift is being enabled by strong digital adoption across customer segments. Within Axis Bank’s omnichannel ecosystem, nearly 74% of routine servicing requests are now fulfilled digitally, reflecting customers’ growing preference for digital-first banking experiences.

In Mumbai, Maharashtra's key market, the shift is equally visible, with mobile banking penetration rising 11% YoY, underscoring the continued move towards digital engagement.

As customers increasingly use digital channels for everyday transactions, branch teams are focusing on more meaningful customer interactions spanning wealth management, lending, investments and corporate banking.

This evolution is particularly relevant for Maharashtra’s vibrant MSME landscape, where entrepreneurs continue to value trusted relationships, local market understanding, and personalised financial guidance alongside seamless digital experience.

Powering Maharashtra’s MSME Ecosystem

Maharashtra remains one of India's largest economic and entrepreneurial hubs, home to a diverse ecosystem of MSMEs, exporters, manufacturers, startups and family-owned businesses.

In this dynamic ecosystem, Axis Bank brings together the strengths of its MSME franchise and Branch Banking network—combining on-ground reach, relationship-led engagement and digital-first capabilities—to support business growth across segments.

This scale is backed by a diversified MSME franchise, with Axis Bank’s combined Small Business Banking, SME and Mid-Corporate book at ~₹2.93 lakh crore as of March 2026, contributing 23.8% of the Bank’s loan book and reflecting its growing role in financing India’s real economy.

As businesses scale and become increasingly digital, their banking needs are evolving beyond access to financing. Entrepreneurs today seek integrated solutions that help them manage working capital efficiently, streamline collections and payments, access trade and treasury capabilities, and navigate growth opportunities with confidence.

Axis Bank’s branch network continues to play a critical role in this journey.  While digital channels enable faster banking, relationship managers and branch teams remain trusted advisors, guiding business owners on credit structuring, expansion plans and key financial decisions.

This combination of local presence, sector expertise and digital innovation is helping the Bank support a wide spectrum of businesses—from micro enterprises and traditional SMEs to growth-stage and new-age digital businesses.

The portfolio growth has been broad-based, with the SBB book at ₹78,018 crore, up 17% YoY; the SME book at ₹1,47,159 crore, up 24% YoY; and the Mid-Corporate book at ₹67,969 crore, up 33% YoY.

The significance of Maharashtra within Axis Bank’s franchise is reflected in the scale of its customer base and business presence:

· Maharashtra’s diversified business base spans manufacturing, trade, services, logistics, chemicals, engineering, pharmaceuticals and exports

· Mumbai, Pune and Nashik are among the Bank’s key business hubs for Commercial Banking and ecosystem-led financing programmes

· Mumbai and Pune are among the Bank’s largest affluent and business banking markets

· Burgundy customer ticket sizes in Mumbai are approximately 13% higher than the national average

Supporting Growth Across Sectors and Customer Segments

Credit demand in Maharashtra remains well diversified, with strong activity across textiles and apparel, chemicals, engineering, auto components, pharmaceuticals, food processing and logistics.

To address the evolving needs of businesses across these sectors, Axis Bank continues to strengthen its focus on underserved and emerging customer segments, including micro enterprises and women-led MSMEs. Through tailored lending solutions, curated programmes and bundled banking offerings, the Bank is expanding access to formal credit and growth capital.

Beyond financing, Axis Bank is supporting entrepreneurs through knowledge-sharing initiatives such as Evolve and Digital Evolve, which provide expert-led insights, practical guidance and networking opportunities to help businesses navigate growth, digital adoption and changing market dynamics.

These efforts are complemented by the Bank’s differentiated “One Axis” approach, which brings together banking, lending, treasury, trade, wealth and invoice discounting solutions through a single relationship, enabling businesses to access a more integrated financial ecosystem.

Ecosystem-led financing is becoming an increasingly important lever for MSME growth. Axis Bank’s Supply Chain Finance book grew 36% YoY, reflecting strong adoption across manufacturing, trade and distribution ecosystems, while Invoicemart has facilitated financing of over ₹2.78 lakh crore in MSME invoices, helping businesses improve liquidity and manage working capital more efficiently.

Even as digital adoption accelerates, trusted relationships continue to anchor business banking. Nearly 75% of unsecured business loan disbursements are now processed through end-to-end digital journeys, while 79% of Small Business Banking business continues to originate through branch-led engagement—underscoring how digital convenience and relationship-led banking are working together to support evolving customer needs.

This integrated model is anchored in disciplined underwriting, sector-specific risk frameworks and a strong focus on portfolio quality, with 84% of the SME book rated SME3 or better, 86% of the SME portfolio PSL compliant, and approximately 72% of the Small Business Banking portfolio secured.

Leveraging Technology to Strengthen Customer Engagement

As customer expectations continue to evolve, Axis Bank is increasingly leveraging AI and analytics to enhance customer engagement, improve service quality and accelerate decision-making across segments.

Digital lending solutions such as ‘Digital Merchant Cash Advance’ use transaction and payment data to assess repayment capacity and offer business loans aligned to actual cash flows, enabling faster access to working capital with minimal documentation.

AI-powered platforms such as SIDDHI equip relationship teams with intelligent customer insights and engagement opportunities, while ‘Adi’, the Bank’s Generative AI assistant, enables employees to access information and operational guidance in real time.

By combining technology with relationship-led banking, Axis Bank is improving responsiveness, reducing turnaround times and delivering more personalised experiences across retail, affluent and business banking segments.

Leadership Commentary

Sanjeev Moghe, Group Head – Branch Banking, South, Axis Bank, said, "Banking is witnessing a structural shift. While transactions have become increasingly digital, financial decisions remain deeply personal. Branches are therefore evolving into advisory-led relationship hubs where customers seek guidance on wealth creation, investments, credit and business growth. Maharashtra, particularly Mumbai, remains one of our most important markets, and we continue to invest in both physical presence and digital capabilities to deliver a seamless phygital banking experience."

Vijay Shetty, Group Head – Commercial Banking Group, Axis Bank, said, "Maharashtra has long been one of India’s economic powerhouses, but what is particularly striking today is the breadth of growth across sectors and enterprise sizes. From established manufacturing clusters to new-age businesses and exporters, companies are increasingly seeking partners who can help them improve efficiency and unlock new growth opportunities. Banking today is helping businesses do more than transact; it is helping them grow, scale, and compete. Maharashtra is leading this next phase of enterprise growth."

Prashanth T.S., Group Head – Mid-Corporate & Medium Enterprises Group, Axis Bank, said, "The next decade of MSME growth will be shaped by formalisation, digital adoption and greater access to institutional capital. Entrepreneurs today are building more ambitious businesses, adopting technology earlier, and integrating into national and global value chains. This requires a different banking model, one that combines data-driven decision-making, faster credit access, and relationship-led guidance. Maharashtra’s entrepreneurial ecosystem reflects this evolution, and we believe it will continue to play a defining role in India’s growth story.” 

Driving Inclusive Growth Across Maharashtra

Axis Bank continues to strengthen customer engagement across Maharashtra through branch-led outreach, financial awareness initiatives, and community-focused programmes. These efforts are designed to deepen customer relationships, improve financial literacy, and expand access to banking services across diverse customer segments.

The Bank also marks key occasions such as World MSME Day and Customer Protection Awareness Week through educational programmes, expert sessions and on-ground engagement activities, reinforcing its commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and promoting responsible banking practices.

Beyond Banking, aligned with its ‘Dil Se Open’ philosophy, Axis Bank continues to contribute to inclusive development across Maharashtra through initiatives focused on rural livelihoods, healthcare, education, skill development, financial inclusion and women empowerment.

The Bank’s CSR initiatives in the state have empowered more than 3.3 lakh rural families, enabled financial inclusion for over 3 lakh individuals, supported 7,300+ youth through skilling programmes and facilitated cancer screening for over 7 lakh people.

Through these efforts, Axis Bank continues to contribute to Maharashtra’s long-term socio-economic development and inclusive growth.

About Axis Bank: 

Axis Bank is one of the largest private sector banks in India. Axis Bank offers the entire spectrum of services to customer segments covering Large and Mid-Corporates, SME, Agriculture, and Retail Businesses. It has 6,275 domestic branches (including extension counters) and 12,796 ATMs and cash recyclers spread across the country as on 31st March 2026. Axis Virtual Centres are present across eight locations with 1,591 Virtual Relationship Managers as on 31st March 2026. The Axis Group includes Axis Mutual Fund, Axis Securities Ltd., Axis Finance, Axis Trustee, Axis Capital, A.TReDS Ltd., Freecharge, Axis Pension Fund and Axis Bank Foundation. 

For more information, visit the website: https://www.axis.bank.in/