mumbai in his first communication to employees postmerger sashidhar jagdishan md ceo of hdfc bank said that hdfc banks planned growth rate could create a new hdfc bank every four years he said the bank would add 1500 branches annually for several years to achieve this growth potentialjagdishan said the decision for the megamerger was spurred by the right timing both from an economics and a regulatory perspective he said that the bank would like to harness the hdfcs bond with the customer and the banks work starts today in realising the merger potentialhe said that the bank also envisions reimagining its technology architecture to become a technologydriven company in the banking sectorwelcoming the new employees on board after boards of the two entities approved july 1 as effective date of merger on saturday jagadishan said that hdfcs excellence in execution is demonstrated in the lowest ever cost to revenue of any housing finance institution globally and losses due to bad loans of 004 through the corporations lifeacknowledging the concerns of the 4000 employees from hdfc jagdishan assured them that their jobs and pay would be protected throughout the merger process an independent external expert was engaged to ensure fairness in determining the roles and levels within the bank and a grievance committee will be established to address any concerns raised by employeeswe recognise that the home loan product is not just a financial transaction it holds great emotional significance for the customer and their family hdfc ltd has earned a reputation for building trust with customers throughout its four decades of operation jagdishan statedhe said the merger presents an opportunity for hdfc bank to leverage its position as a leader in various customer segments and products with its superior digital platform the bank aims to provide home loan customers a complete range of products and services including pay save borrow invest insure and trade options this strategic approach marks a shift towards relationship management rather than traditional sales management he saidaccording to the ceo the prospects for hdfc bank are promising considering indias demographic advantage he said indias gdp is projected to increase from 35 trillion to 8 trillion within the next decade offering ample opportunities for financial services and mortgage providershowever jagdishan emphasised that sustainable growth depends on upholding strong governance and compliance standards fostering a positive working environment for employees and delivering exceptional customer service