Ujjivan believes in constantly upgrading benchmarks and raising the bar higher. The Gobichettypalyam branch in Tamil Nadu is a case in point. Popularly known as Gobi, the branch became the youngest to reach the landmark of 4,000 customers.

Gobi, being a hub of economic activity has a large concentration of Banks with even private players jumping in to the fray. A large, reputed private bank set up a branch in Gobi before entering even metros like Chennai and Coimbatore! The fact that Ujjivan met with stupendous success even in a small town inundated with banks only goes to show the unsuitability of the formal financial system in serving the poor.

Ujjivan began operations in Gobi in July-2009, with a 10-member branch team, comprising 8 CRSs (Customer Relationship Staff), a Cashier and a CRM (Customer Relationship Manager). The team attributes this success to effective planning and cohesive team efforts. With guidance and support from the Distribution Supervisory team, the branch staffs plan their activities well in advance and adhere to preset timelines. This ensures that every minute is well-spent and effective. To ensure optimum utilization of time, all branch staff purchased two-wheelers and ensured that their commute doesn’t exceed 15-minutes on a routine basis.

The branch staffs enjoy each other’s success and make every effort to help those in need within their team. The fact that 6 of the 8 CRSs have won the ‘Best CRS of the Month Award’ in past 1 year is testament to this fact. Gobi, known for its numerous film shoots, has given it the tag of ‘Little Kollywood’. Ujjivan’s Gobi branch team members are the real heroes.