The villages surrounding Sri Badrika Ashram are inhabited by simple folk who don’t have easy access to banks and have probably never used an ATM. The nearest bank is almost 20 kms away. The Ashram, continuing in its efforts to improve the lives of the villagers, decided to make commercial banking facilities accessible to the residents of Shalamu and adjoining villages. This strategic move will enable the remotest citizens to benefit seamlessly from this digital and financial inclusion.

A thoughtful devotee enabled this tie-up between the Ashram and Vakrangee, a Mumbai-based technology-driven company. Despite the constraints imposed due to COVID-19, Vakrangee successfully installed its ATM on the 24th July, 2020, on the Ashram premises.

A typical Vakrangee Kendra gives access to online marketplaces like Amazon, online ticketing, and even e-pharma, thereby revolutionising rural healthcare. With the expected increase in footfall, the company will extend its other valuable services like deposits and bill payments, thus virtually acting as the branch of a commercial bank.

The Vakrangee Kendra is yet another contribution from Sri Badrika Ashram towards improving the living standards of the population of the surrounding villages.