On offer are a 24-hour savings bank account facility with a minimum balance of just Rs 1,000, access via phone (CitiPhone Banking), automated teller machines (ATMs), debit cards and the Internet (CitiDirect Internet Banking). The service offers both corporates and the salaried individuals the comfort of managing their banking needs.

Introduced as a global pilot in Bangalore in 1998, the product has till date garnered 600 corporate and 1,40,000 retail customers, who are serviced through a network of 44 ATMs. `Suvidha' is accepted by 4,000 merchant outlets across the country.The withdrawal limit for Suvidha customers is Rs 50,000 per day from the bank's ATMs across the country. Customers can also draw from 130 Swadhan ATMs-the shared payment network under the aegis of the Indian Banks' Association - and from over 60 Cirrus ATMs in Mumbai. While travelling abroad, customers can withdraw $5,000 per annum under the basic travel quota allowed by the Reserve Bank of India.Says an optimistic Citibank (India) chief executive officer Nanoo Pamnani: "We hope to achieve 15,000-20,000 accounts in Mumbai through Suvidha within the next two months. In the first year, the bank expects the number of customer accounts in the metro to exceed that in Bangalore". He added: "Suvidha allows salaried customers the facility of personal banking through multiplechannels like the ATMs, debit cards, phone and the Web".

Customers can use their ATM cards at any of the 190 ATM centres of the bank while the debit-card is accepted at 1,000 merchant establishments. Globally, the debit-card can be used in over 100 countries across half a million ATMs for shopping at five million outlets for a one-time international activation fee of just Rs 250.

Suvidha customers can also avail themselves of personal, car, home loans and credit cards at special relationship pricing. The bank has tied up with cellular service providers like Orange and BPL."We hope to tie up for electricity bill payments soon," says Pamnani, adding: "The product will offer customers the facility of investing in mutual funds and equities"Citibank has tied up with the New India Assurance Co Ltd, which will allow customers a 50 per cent savings in premia payments. Tieups with dotcoms- Rediff.com and Fabmart.com-will provide a host of discounts for online shopping.Ends