You can always ask HDFC for a waiver. They generally do give a waiver a couple of times. After a couple of years, you can take a call to close the card or request them for LTF on it if you are lucky.
Exactly, that's why followed your advice and waiting. I have a feeling it will get rejected ultimately, but nonetheless holding on to the last bit of hope.
Highly recommend you to get a non co-branded HDFC first before applying for anything else. HDFC is a major pain when it comes to obtaining non cobrand after you have a cobrand. I struggled with timescard for 6 years, after multiple requests finally managed to get a millenia as an upgrade to...
Yeah, no other option but to wait. Friend escalated it multiple times and his card got rejected quoting internal policy. So I am just going to leave it bhagwaan bharose!