Fino Payments Bank has tied up with citizen-centric and population-scale e-governance solutions Protean eGov Technologies (formerly NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited), to expand permanent account number (PAN) card issuance services in India, especially in rural areas. 

The tie-up will allow Protean to expand its reach in the interiors of the country through Fino Bank’s phygital (a combination of physical and digital services) network of over 12.2 lakh merchant points.  

The company claimed that people can apply for PAN cards through Aadhaar-based authentication, without the need to submit or upload any documents at Fino Bank points. 

Applicants will have the option to choose a PAN card either in digital or physical form. The digital version or e-PAN, introduced recently, will be sent within a few hours of applying to the applicant’s email id. It is permissible as an actual PAN card. Those opting for physicals will receive their PAN cards at their Aadhaar-mentioned address within 4-5 working days, the company stated. 

 Rishi Gupta, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Fino Payments Bank, said, “Our extensive pan India distribution network is best placed to provide efficient near-doorstep delivery of G2C services. We are already facilitating the disbursal of direct benefit transfer payments of various Government schemes and providing last-mile access to banking services. We are pleased to partner with Protean towards their efforts to expand PAN coverage across the country and in the process ensure our objective of making every citizen financially secure is achieved.” 

Suresh Sethi, MD and CEO of Protean eGov Technologies added, “Our partnership will help to advance our shared vision of an inclusive and empowered India. This initiative is aligned with our mission to leave no citizen behind and bring the digitally excluded into the fold of formal financial economy.”