NEW DELHI: After launching a mobile wallet app, SBI Buddy, for smartphone users, State Bank of India will soon come out with a similar software tool for customers with feature phones, a top official said. The soon-to-be launched mobile wallet app will be called 'Batua'.

"Buddy has already been rolled out which can be downloaded on smartphones. We are coming out with another version of Buddy, which has been named 'Batua' and will be for feature phone users," SBI Managing Director Rajnish Kumar told reporters in Hyderabad.

"Its unique feature is that it will be available for feature phone users. We are hopeful that in the next 3 weeks, we should be able to roll out Batua," Kumar said. The Batua app will have characteristics of SBI Buddy but will be targeted at customers who use feature phones.

"Not everybody has a smartphone and that's why we thought of this version," he said.

Batua can be used to make utility payments, transfer funds and buy air tickets, among others things, and it will be available in 13 languages, Kumar added.

Asked about SBI's network expansion plans, he said, "We had planned to open 700 new branches in the current financial year, covering metro, urban, semi-urban, and rural areas. Hundred of them have been opened. After all the new branches become operational, SBI will cross the 17,000-branch mark."

To another query, Kumar said, "This year recruitment plan is for 7,000 people (5,000 clerical posts & 2,000 POs)."

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