Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has directed banks to map regional rural banks (RRBs) with micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) clusters and put greater thrust on increasing the network of rural branches in cluster areas identified by the MSME ministry. While chairing the review meeting of RRBs of the northern region, she emphasised on increasing penetration under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) and financial inclusion. FM Sitharaman stated that a roadmap has to be prepared for completing the designated activities in a time-bound manner. Sitharaman urged the RRBs to facilitate storage facilities for apple growers, particularly in J&K and Himachal Pradesh. During the review meeting, she emphasised on digital capability upgradation of RRBs and instructed the Managing Director and CEO, Punjab National Bank (PNB) to ensure that all RRBs with PNB acquire digital onboarding capability by 1 November 2023.