Coronavirus: ICICI Bank launches voice banking services on Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

ICICI Bank on Monday said it has launched voice assistance-based banking services for its customers who can check balance, seek credit card details as well as ask other queries through this application.

The bank said it has integrated its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered multi-channel chatbot iPal with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant through which its retail banking customers can undertake a host of banking services through voice commands.

This novel facility offers customers yet another way to connect with their bank from home at a time when they are advised to stay indoors in the wake of the nationwide lockdown, ICICI Bank said in a release.

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The private sector lender said the voice-based facility comes close on the heels of its new digital initiatives such as WhatsApp chat-based ICICIStack aimed at providing uninterrupted banking services for both retail and business customers.

It said the WhatsApp-based ICICIStack offers nearly 500 services that covers almost all banking requirements including digital account opening, loan solutions, payment solutions, investments, and care solutions.

To avail the benefit of the voice banking offering, customers need to download the Alexa/Google Assistant and link their ICICI Bank account through a secure two factor authentication process.

Anup Bagchi, Executive Director, ICICI Bank, said the lender recently rolled out ICICIStack to facilitate crores of customers to continue all their banking, digitally and from a remote location, without visiting a bank branch.

"Now, we have introduced voice banking on two of the most popular voice assistants in the world. Our retail customers can execute a host of their banking requirements from their homes securely and 24x7, without visiting a branch," Bagchi said.

Earlier this month, ICICI Group announced that it has committed Rs 100 crore to support the nation in its fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.

Of this, the group pledges to contribute Rs 80 crore to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund and Rs 20 crore to state governments and local authorities in their efforts to battle the pandemic.

(Disclaimer: Additional background information has been added to this PTI copy for context)