Banking major State Bank of India intends to roll out 4,000 Automated Teller Machines to cater to the needs of visually challenged people in the country.

This target is expected to be achieved in the next two years, Rakesh Puri, General Manager, SBI, told Business Line here.

SBI on Thursday launched its first ever "Talking ATM" that would allow visually and physically challenged people to access banking facilities at the machine, without having to visit the branches.

This SBI Talking ATM, which was inaugurated by Puri, is located at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in the Capital.

NCR Corporation has supplied this machine to SBI as part of its existing contract with the SBI.  This ATM has been built under "access for all" standards, said Nagesh Nayak, Professional Services Practice Manager, NCR.

SBI is the second bank after Union Bank of India to install an ATM that catered to physically and visually challenged people.

Other public sector banks are also taking steps to set up similar machines, but are mainly in pilot and testing stages.

Puri said the ATM installed at JNU campus will cater to all including the visually challenged. The ATM will have special features like audio guidance, text-to-speech conversion solution etc.

srivats.kr@thehindu.co.in  

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