Credit card issuances surged to a seven-month high in August, as lenders led by HDFC Bank ramped up distribution in anticipation of the festive demand, regulatory data showed. In total, nearly 700,000 cards were added during the month, taking the total number of active credit cards to 112.3 million. HDFC Bank led the additions with 221,000 new cards, taking its total card base to 25 million, though the pace slowed compared with July when it added 315,000 cards. Axis Bank followed with 140,000 additions, taking its tally to 15.3 million. It added 122,000 credit cards in July.