Country's third largest bank HDFC has drew out new steps to expand its network to rural areas of the country with the aim of enabling farmers and self help groups (SHGs) to have access to banking and finance products. According to the bank, the new branches which will be opened in rural areas would be equipped with the core banking facilities that HDFC provides to its customers in metropolitan cities. HDFC Bank plans to open more than 200 branches, during next fiscal across the country. Out of which, the bank will open more than 100 branches in rural areas. Presently, 125 of the total of 325 branches in south India are in rural and semi-urban areas, 113 in urban areas and 87 branches in metro cities. To make farmers and SHG have a bank account and access to the bank, HDFC plans to depute more field staff and provide office with internet and other facilities at rural branches. Further, HDFC also plans to disburse Rs 625 crore under micro finance scheme, from which 12.7 crore families are expected to get benefit. In a separate release, HDFC Bank has informed that it has set up India's first ever rural BPO at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, employing youth from neighboring villages. The bank employs more than 500 people and plans to ramp it up to over 1,500 by March 2009, making it one of the largest rural BPOs in the banking sector.