ICICI Bank has come up with an initiative to provide financial aid to families of the Indian Martyrs. To honor the brave soldiers and improve the living standards of their families, ICICI Bank has committed a financial assistance of Rs 10 crore to the Indian Armed Forces.

It’s a popular saying that “the Indian soldier is never off duty” and the Indian Army is seen living up to that. Every day, the Indian Armed Forces, fight extreme weather conditions and safeguard the nation. Some of them even sacrificed their lives for same. Having a legacy of partnering India in its economic growth and development, ICICI Bank, recently came up with an initiative for the betterment of the families of these brave souls. The institution will be providing an assistance of Rs 10 crore in two equal tranches, one this year in 2017 and the other in 2018. The first half of the contribution is already made by Ms. Chanda Kochhar, the MD and CEO of ICICI Bank, through a cheque worth Rs 5 crore. She offered the cheque to the Honourable Minister of Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. Also, Kendriya Sainik Board will be looking into the allocation of the funds, identification of the recipients as well as overall functioning of the programmes.

Talking about the initiative, Ms. Chanda Kochhar said, “Our Indian Armed Forces bravely guard our borders and protect us. Many of these men have valiantly fought and made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for our country. While no amount of assistance is enough to fill the loss for the families, this gesture is our humble endeavor to contribute towards their betterment.”

Through this initiative, ICICI Bank aims to provide a sustainable livelihood to the families of the Indian Martyrs and also enable the young children and widows gain education and skills. Speaking about the same, Ms.Kochhar further added, “Through the skilling initiatives undertaken by ICICI Bank in the past, we have seen that the maximum impact on an individual’s life can be made by equipping him or her with skills and knowledge. This enables him or her to participate in economic opportunities in the country. Our assistance will aid the young children and widows of the soldiers to get an easy access to education, thereby enabling them to gain knowledge, get a job and earn a sustainable livelihood.”

There are two schemes that are initiated by the Managing Director, who also is the CEO, of the ICICI Bank. The first programme is dedicated to help the widows of these Jawans complete their post-graduation, and also to extend educational support to their children. And, the second programme is to provide financial assistance for marriages of the daughters of the ex-servicemen.

Ms. Kochhar ended by saying, “This is our small contribution to these daughters of the nation and our thoughts and best wishes will always remain with the families.”

Certainly, this initiative of ICICI Bank will help in promoting education and employment among the families of Indian armed forces. It is being expected that it will empower them to lead better and economically independent lives.