The State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest public lender, has partnered with Bhopal-based skill development organisation AISECT for the roll-out of its Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) project across the country.

Under the project, the bank issues SBI FASTag that is a researchable tag that allows automatic deduction of toll charges so as to allow people to pass through the toll plaza without waiting for cash transaction. The tag is fixed on the vehicle's windscreen and uses radio-frequency identification technology to connect to a prepaid account from which the requisite toll amount is deducted.

Currently, there are 370 toll plazas across the national highways where ETC facility is available.

AISECT will be responsible for the nationwide sale and recharge of SBI’s FASTag through the AISECT-SBI banking kiosks nationally.

SBI FASTag will work at all the e-toll plazas, even if a toll plaza is partnered with another bank. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will run this initiative and will be responsible for payment settlement between various banks involved in the ETC Project. The tag can be used for car, jeep, van, mini light commercial vehicle and heavy construction machinery/ earth moving equipment.

AISECT is planning to start the roll-out process within the next couple of days. The cost of the SBI FASTag will be Rs 150 and it will offer 10 percent discount for those who would pay the toll charges through ETC mode.

Moreover, the organisation will utilise its widespread network of over 23,000 Skill Knowledge Provider Centres that are located across 29 States and 3 Union Territories for the execution of the ETC Project. AISECT is also planning to set up booths at the toll plazas where their agents will execute the sale and recharge of the tags.

“In a bid to follow directives of the Government of India, we have joined hands with the State Bank of India to sell SBI FASTag through our centres across the country. It shall be our endeavor to fulfill the aspirations of the Government towards a cashless economy and we shall extend our 100% cooperation for the success of this movement,” said Anurag Gupta, Associate General Manager (Services & Financial Inclusion), AISECT.

The ETC project is being spearheaded by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in order to facilitate the Digital India movement and enable seamless traffic on the national highways.

AISECT is a National Business Correspondent for SBI under the financial inclusion scheme and has established over 4,000 Banking Kiosks in rural parts of India since 2009.