India Switch Company Pvt Ltd (ISC), which pioneered the setting up and running of `Swadhan', has approached the IBA with a plan to upgrade the existing platform to an e-commerce and i-banking one. `Swadhan' itself is all set to see participation from Visa International and MasterCard International.

Said ISC chairman Harish K Murthi, ``As of now, `Swadhan' allows only debit-card transactions. We now want to upgrade this platform to an e-commerce and i-banking enabling one. All participating banks can benefit rather than each going about setting up one on their own.''

ISC provides and implements technology-based solutions for electronic payment systems for banks in the country, and now intends to create two distinct e-debit card payment gateway models - pass-through e-payment gateway, and e-business establishment model.

A debit-card platform, `Swadhan' was approved of in 1995. It currently has 350 networked automated teller machines (ATMs) and point-of-sale units in its loop.

This is less than 30 per cent of an installed ATM base of 1,500 in the country split almost equally by manufacturers Diebold Inc., and NCR Corporation. Mr Murthi sees this number going up to 600 ATMs in the near future. UTI Bank and ICICI Bank will join the `Swadhan' network soon while HDFC Bank is expected to follow suit soon.

More exciting, according to Mr Murthi, is the enhancement of `Swadhan' to a bigger platform to enable banks to come together and offer e-commerce and i-banking services. All the more so as this initiative is seen getting a boost now that the Chief Vigilance Commissioner N Vittal has decreed that banks have to be 70 per cent computerised by March 2001. And to this extent, the environment ahead will be conducive for bank's to lock into ISC's efforts on i-banking.

``ISC will now seek to position itself as a shared payment system for i-banking. Using `Swadhan' as a springboard, India Switch Company can now invest in e-business opportunities. We have done a feasability study, and are working towards a shared enterprise-wide `Channel Mangement System' to handle bank's traditional, mobile and virtual worlds,'' Mr Murthi said.

Citibank, IDBI Bank, Abu Dhabi Bank and Centurion Bank are already hooked into `Swadhan'. Bank host connections are expected to be number 25 by end 2001, and 50 by 2002. ISC's current and potential access to these banks and customer accounts presents in with an opportunity to now position itself as a shared e-commerce platform.

ISC is part of the HMA group, and set up in 1995 by HMA Data Systems Pvt Ltd. Other group concerns are a joint venture, Diebold HMA, with Diebold Inc for the supply and service of ATMs, and HMA STARware for middleware. The last mentioned is also expected to go public shortly.