On 17 September, the ICA-AP staff in New Delhi office paid a courtesy visit to South Korea's NongHyup Bank at its India representative office. NH Bank is owned by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF), South Korea, a member of the ICA.

NH Bank opened a liaison office in 2016 to strengthen the competitiveness of agriculture and contribute to the economic development of farmers even in India, a country with a long historical relationship and is preparing to open a licensed bank branch. The India representative office was the bank's fourth overseas office after New York, Beijing, and Hanoi. NH Bank hopes to build an Asian financing belt by opening an office in New Delhi, which can serve as a platform for its entry into Southwest Asia.

Mr. Sung-chang Hong, Managing Director of the office welcomed the staff and said that the bank aims to eventually convert the representative office into a branch to provide broader financial services. NH Bank is keen to initiate activities to transfer Korean knowledge on agricultural finance and enhance the common benefits of the two countries. Although it is at the level of a liaison office, as part of the management activities of NH Bank, which focuses on social contribution, it has a keen interest to support the local community.

Since its foundation in 1961 in Korea, NH Bank has been striving to strengthen the competitiveness of agriculture, improve the quality of life for farmers, and balance the national economy. NH Bank has been selected as the No. 1 social contribution bank in Korea for 7 consecutive years since 2011 and has provided free management consulting for agri-food companies and farmers, public finance fund support, and public benefits fund financial services to support rural communities and the underprivileged. It has been faithfully playing a role in social finance.