Businesses are Restoring to Pre-COVID-19 Levels: Aditya Puri

HDFC Bank Managing Director Aditya Puri has proclaimed that the lender's business is getting back to normal and is reaching pre-COVID-19 levels and complete normalcy as could be expected soon.

After launching the bank's second edition of the 'Festive Treats' offers, Aditya also insisted the customers emerge out of the restriction and get back on track to shopping mode. He stated that COVID has created hassles in our lives, yet we have to put up with it for some time. Also, we have to change the environment and our state of mind, our endeavor is how to change it.

Aditya stated, "As COVID has come, it also has to go one day and in any case, the whole world has to learn to live with this. You choose how to live with it, either complain or adjust by being safe and adapting to the situation."

He also said that the business is returning back to normal now and it is expected to be fully back to pre-COVID levels in the future. Through the bank's 'Festive Treats' platform the customers could avail special deals on all banking products that include loans, credits and over 1,000 such offers from leading merchants across product categories. Apart from this, it has over 2,000 hyperlocal offers to cater to semi-urban and rural areas.

Aditya further said, "COVID will continue to stay for a while and we have to learn to live with it. As far as Festive Treats is concerned, we are all pretty much fed up with the doom and gloom. But people have started to spend, going forward we will actually see it going to pre-COVID levels. We are seeing tremendous demand, we are offering 30-35 percent discount (on Festive Treats platform), toh bhaiya le lo (so just buy it!)."

HDFC Bank said in a media release, due to the COVID-19 situation, this year all deals and offers could also be availed digitally, in addition to branches, partner stores, and dealerships.

Parag Rao, Country Head – Payment Business, Merchant Acquiring Services and Marketing, HDFC Bank says, “In the past 2-3 months we have seen renewed customer interest and buying patterns. We see this continuing through the festive season as well. In September, the bank’s 80-90 percent business returned to pre-COVID levels, and going forward it is expected to come back fully. Thus, Consumers have held back on purchases during the lockdown and there is a lot of pent-up demand that has built up in the system.