HDFC executive director R V S Rao says his company is trying to introduce a flexible approach in offering housing loans to the non-salaried class people. “The trading and business community offers a huge potential for HDFC. Discussions are on to identify the basis on which these prospective customers have to be assessed.”

HDFC is also planning to be more aggressive on the non-resident Indians (NRI) front. “We are targeting the untapped potential available in countries like the US, the UK and Canada besides focussing on the Middle East. As per the revised policy of the company, we are looking at foreign citizens with Indian origin as well to boost credit offtake in the NRI segment,” says Rao.

After the 11 September 2001 attacks, credit offtake in the NRI segment, especially in the US, has gone down substantially. The company is trying to tap the market more aggressively, Rao adds. HDFC, during the current fiscal, is targeting the NRI business, which is worth Rs 400 crore as against the previous year’s performance of Rs 300 crore.