IDFC FIRST Bank today announced its inaugural sponsorship of participative sports with Procam International and its four global distance running events as the Associate Sponsor – Tata Mumbai Marathon, Tata Consultancy Services TCS World 10K Bengaluru, Delhi Half Marathon, Tata Steel Kolkata 25K and a partner to Sunfeast India Move As One.
Vivek Singh, Jt. MD Procam International; V Vaidyanathan MD & CEO, IDFC FIRST Bank along with Anil Singh, MD Procam International
For the next five years, the technology-led bank will cement its association with the races that have ushered in a running revolution and helped redefine the health, fitness, and giving paradigm of our country. The Bank’s vision is to build a world class bank in India, guided by ethics, powered by technology, and to be a force for social good.
With social good being one of its founding pillars, IDFC FIRST Bank’s products and services are designed keeping societal impact in mind. At the core of its business model is customer-centricity. The Bank uses sophisticated technologies that enables it to be flexible and innovate new solutions to meet the evolving aspirations of its customers and the wider society. The marathon ties in well with the Bank’s mission of touching the lives of millions of Indians in a positive way.
V Vaidyanathan, MD & CEO, IDFC FIRST Bank, said, “We are thrilled to associate with the iconic Tata Mumbai Marathon and a series of running events across the country. These events have grown in international stature and repute over the last decade and it is a proud moment for us to be the Associate Sponsor. As a bank, we want to make a healthy difference to people’s lives just as we do to their finances – and we also want to energise our customers and society to achieve their absolute best.”
Today, running is the fastest-growing participative sport in India. Approximately 700 new amateur runners lace up each day to begin their tryst with running. The Procam events have played a pivotal role in this transformation – from starting a health & fitness revolution that spawned over 1600 races in the country, to creating a springboard for Indian long and middle-distance runners; harnessing an entire eco-system around running and a ‘giving rainbow’ for the social sector. A beacon of hope and humanity, 1000+ NGOs working for multiple causes, have cumulatively raised over INR 475 crores using the events as fundraising platforms.
Moreover, in the last two years, capitalizing on the Power of Technology and a Digital-first approach, Procam International launched app-enabled versions for these races. Thus, expanding its footprint and taking the events beyond their geographical boundaries, while maintaining the spirit of running and fitness unfettered by the constraints imposed in the aftermath of the pandemic and ensuring COVID-appropriate behaviour.
“Sport has the power to unite and be a force of change,” said Anil and Vivek Singh, Promoters, Procam International. “IDFC FIRST Bank is an outstanding brand that stands for trust, strength and dynamism, and it is a great pleasure to associate with such a name as our Associate Sponsor for our distance running events across the country. We have always looked up to them as a quality bank for the long-run. The series of events goes well with their vision of “touching the lives of millions of Indians in a positive way” and the marathon partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank will go a long way in energising people of our country.”
About IDFC FIRST Bank
IDFC FIRST Bank’s vision is to build a world class bank in India, guided by ethics, powered by technology, and to be a force for social good. Though the Bank is a recent entrant to the banking system in India, IDFC FIRST Bank was the first universal bank to introduce monthly interest credits to customers on savings accounts, low dynamic APR and lifetime free credit cards, intuitive and personalized mobile app, digital savings and lending solutions, contemporary wealth management, digital cash management solutions, unique multi-purpose fleet card and Fastag solutions, a cutting-edge corporate banking portal and other such unique industry-first features.
The Bank has a balance sheet of Rs. 1,74,232 crore, and has provided over 30 million loans in its history. It serves customers in over 60,000 villages, cities and towns across the length and breadth of the country. In a short time, the Bank has expanded to 599 branches, 201 asset service centres, 727 ATMs and 620 rural business correspondent centres across the country, and is incrementally growing digitally. The Bank enjoys the trust of millions of customers and its deposits have grown at a CAGR of 84% during the three years since merger.
About Procam International
Since its inception in 1988, Procam International has been the driving force behind the growth and development of sports management in India. Envisioned by founders Anil and Vivek Singh, Procam, is India’s premier sports management company, involved in live events, sports consultancy, and live television production. Pioneers of the distance running revolution in India, Procam International’s Big 4 – Tata Mumbai Marathon, Delhi Half Marathon, Tata Consultancy Services World 10K Bengaluru and Tata Steel Kolkata 25K are global leaders in their respective distances. These events have been watershed developments in India’s ‘participative sport’ landscape. They have ushered in a running revolution, that has helped to re-define, the health, fitness and charity paradigm of our country.
Procam also promotes India’s largest virtual run, i.e. Sunfeast India Move As One. Launched in 2020, the event is cause central, with community and fitness as its main pillars.
