Khader told The Financial Express that,``A couple of years ago we had serious plans to enter India but were forced to stall our decision then as the Indian situation (including the competetition in the banking sector) looked unviable. However, we are currently reworking our expansion plans, and by 2001, India will have our first branch in Chennai. We also have expansion plans for Hong Kong and Cayman Islands. However, our first priority will be India.''

Khader said Bank Putera has been focusing on class-banking, mainly catering to corporates and in the future the bank would expand its services at the retail level with a ``mass focus.'' To this end, the bank would open 230 new branches across Indonesia, investing $750,000 on each outlet, he added. Currently, the bank has 70 branches in thecountry.

``We want to cash in on Indonesia's huge volumes of trade interactions with Asean countries, European Union, Australia, US and the Middle East,'' Khader revealed.

To achieve technological achievement in the banking sector, Bank Putera has recently entered into a technological tie-up with Infosys Technologies Ltd (ITL) by installing Banc2000.

Khader said,``Bank Putera has moved from a de-centralised mode of operation to a centralised scenario through ITL's Banc2000. With the system in place, the bank's central database will be linked to all of our branches over a communication network based on IT infrastructure.''

He said the Banc2000 was a best fit for the bank in terms of technology and functionality.

He said the bank also has plans to create a sturdy information system that would keep pace with its long-term business plans that include network and customer base expansions and introduction of new products.

According to him, the implementation of Banc2000 at Bank Putera involvedactivities like drawing up a plan, making a gap analysis, conducting training programmes for personnnel and implementation of a pilot phase. The procedure also included pre-implementation tasks, infrastructure preparation, data conversion strategies and consolidation of the implementation activities.

The $3 billion Texmaco Group has business interests in textiles, garments, electronics, steel and automotives business. It was in 1995, the group acquired two banks (Bank Solida and Bank Putera Sukapura) and later merged them in to one as Bank Putera Multi Karsa. The group holds 72 per cent stake in Bank Pikko, another Indonesian bank.

Texmaco group owns the country's largest textile unit producing 250 million yards of fabric a year. The group also makes trucks and tractors and exports them to Malaysia, Thailand and US.