KOLKATA: Competitors ICICI Bank and Housing Development Finance Corporation may have lowered home loan rates to match the State Bank of India 's rates, but the nation's biggest bank is stepping on the gas on marketing to sell home loans and remain the top mortgage company.Besides branch-led marketing push through the widest network of more than 22,000 branches, SBI is also engaging retired employees to promote home loans, a senior executive said.SBICAP Securities Ltd, a 100 per cent subsidiary of SBI Capital Markets also sell home loans."We are pushing home aggressively -- through branches as well as through our marketing associates. It's a priority area for us," said Prasanna Kumar Mishra, SBI's deputy general manager for home loan vertical.As a marketing thrust, SBI has also decided to offer upto 35 basis points concession on loans for construction to the builders for the affordable housing segment."We are tying up with builders and offering them construction finance on easier terms for affordable housing projects. This, in turn, helps marketing of home loans," SBI chief general manager for Kolkata circle Partha Pratim Sengupta said at an event in Kolkata.One basis point is 0.01 percentage point.SBI announced lowering of home loan rates last week which was matched by its rivals ICICI Bank and HDFC as they are all trying to take advantage of the central government's push towards affordable housing.Accordingly, women borrowers get home loan at 8.35 per cent for up to Rs 30 lakh, while other salaried borrowers get loans at 8.40 per cent a year from these three largest lenders.The government envisages housing for all citizens by 2022 which is the year India completes 75 years of Independence.