Kotak Mahindra Bank announced the launch of ‘811 – Upload a Tree’ initiative wherein the Bank would plant a sapling in the name of the first 10,000 customers who download an 811 bank account from June 5, 2017 – World Environment Day.

The Bank has partnered with SankalpTaru Foundation to plant saplings in housing complexes across eight cities including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. Under this initiative, the Bank would plant Neem, Jacaranda, Gulmohar, Sita-Ashok and Silver Oak saplings; preferably used for shade and medicinal purposes.

Mohan Shenoi, Chief Operating Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank said, “Banking is usually associated with a lot of paperwork. 811 – India’s first downloadable bank, changes this by offering a completely environment friendly, no paper and seamless experience which enables customers to open a savings bank account within 5 minutes. Taking this theme forward, we are launching 811 – Upload a Tree initiative, which seeks to involve our customers in making our society greener.”

Ambuj Chandna, Sr. EVP & Head – Retail Liabilities, Investment & Payments Products, Kotak Mahindra Bank said, “Each sapling will be named after the first 10,000 customers who open an 811 account from June 5, 2017 – World Environment Day. It will be geo-tagged to be viewed by customers on a dashboard provided by our NGO partner – SankalpTaru Foundation. In case of sapling mortality, it will be replaced by the NGO with a same aged plant for up to two years. Post conclusion of the NGO’s maintenance period, housing societies will look after the plants.”

The campaign was initiated in Gurugram’s New Colony, near Dasshera ground, on June 5, 2017, where Kotak employees and volunteers from SankalpTaru Foundation collaboratively planted saplings with residents of the housing complex.