Syndicate Bank

The business started with a capital of 8000 rupees. T M A Pai, Upendra Pai and Vaman Kudva strove together to set up the bank. The first branch of the bank started its operations in 1925 at Udupi in Dakshin Kannada district (currently Udupi District) in Karnataka state. By 1937, it had secured its membership as a clearing house at Mumbai. The primary objective of the business was to extend the financial assistance to local weavers. Initially, the bank collected as low as two annas from the doorsteps of the depositors daily through its agents. This type of system wherein the agents of the bank come doorsteps to collect deposit is still prevailing in India and is referred to as the Pigmy Deposit Scheme

Mergers

As time progressed, twenty banks merged with the Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate Limited including the Maharashtra Apex Bank Limited and Southern India Apex Bank Limited. The name of the bank was changed to Syndicate Bank Limited in 1964 and the head office of the bank was shifted to Manipal. The bank expanded its operations not only on the domestic front but also overseas. It has a branch in London and the bank manages National Exchange Co. in Doha and Musandam Exchange Co. in Muscat. By 1978, it opened its 1000th branch at Hauz Khas, Delhi. Currently it has over 4000 branches and all branches are offering corebanking-e-banking services under anywhere-anytime-anyhow banking. Syndicate Bank has one branch in London, United Kingdom.

On 30 August 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that Syndicate Bank would be merged with Canara Bank. The proposed merger would create the fourth largest public sector bank in the country with assets of ₹15.20 lakh crore (US$210 billion) and 10,324 branches.[3][4] The Board of Directors of Canara Bank approved the merger on 13 September 2019.[5][6] The Union Cabinet approved the merger on 4 March 2020. Canara Bank assumed control over Syndicate Bank on 1 April 2020 with Syndicate Bank shareholders receiving 158 equity shares in the former for every 1,000 shares they hold.[7]

Syndicate Bank on Eastcheap in central London, UK

Syndicate Bank sponsored the first regional rural bank in India by name Prathama Bank, in Moradabad district Uttar Pradesh on 2 October 1975. The stocks of the Syndicate Bank are listed on Bombay Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange, Mangalore Stock Exchange and Bangalore Stock Exchange. Syndicate Bank made a partnership with UNEP to initiate a successful solar loan programme. It is a four-year $75855.6 million effort, launched in April 2003 to help accelerate the market for financing solar home systems in southern India. Presently, the bank is sponsoring 2 RRBs :

• Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank
• Andhra Pragathi Grameena Bank

It has also sponsored a regional rural bank in Karnataka called Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (formed after amalgamation of four other RRB's) which stands fourth in India.

Syndicate Bank branch at Lighthouse Hill Road in Mangalore

SyndicateBank has nine Zonal Offices (ZO) for administration and business purpose. The ZOs are in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Ernakulam, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Manipal.

The Bank has 95 Regional Offices (RO) that ensure smooth functioning and control business operations in the various regions of the country. The regional offices are headed by CM, AGM, DGM cadre.

SyndicateBank has a strong presence across India. The bank has 4063 Brick and Mortar Branches including an overseas Branch in London, 11 Extension counters, and 33 Retail & MSME Loan Centres as of June 2019.

1. For international business, the Bank has a full-fledged office at Mumbai.
2. SyndicateBank has overseas Branch at London, United Kingdom.
3. SyndicateBank operates Musandam Exchange, an exchange company in Oman.

• Bank has opened 103.844 lakh Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDA) as on 31.03.2015. Of which 6.058 lakh accounts were opened during the quarter ended as on 31.03.2015. The balance outstanding in these accounts is Rs. 3611.81 crore as on 31.03.2015 (103.793 lakh accounts).

• To promote financial literacy in the villages, 14196 financial literacy programmes were organized during the year up to 31.03.2015, in which 5.74 lakh persons were benefitted.

• Bank has opened 3496559 number of accounts under PMJDY with a balance of Rs. 505 crore as at 31.03.2015.

• 3350302 RuPay Cards have been issued under PMJDY as at 31.03.2015.

• Government of India infused Rs.460 crore capital (including premium) in March 2015 by way of preferential allotment of 3,74,74,541 equity shares at issue price of Rs.122.75 per share.
• Bank has raised Unsecured Non-Convertible Redeemable Basel III compliant Tier II bonds (of 10 years) of Rs.1150 crore during FY 2014–15, in two tranches. Rs.750 crore at coupon rate of 8.95% p.a in December 2014 and Rs.400 crore at coupon rate of 8.75% p.a during March 2015.

Bank has entered into strategic tie-ups with the following corporates:

• Bank had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with M/s SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd. on 30 March 2015 for providing Group Life Insurance cover to Education Loan Borrowers of the Bank.
• Bank has a Corporate Agency tie-up with M/s TATA-AIA Life Insurance Co Ltd. on 30 March 2015 for providing Group Life Insurance cover to Housing Loan borrowers of the Bank on optional basis.

• Bank had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with LIC for implementation of "Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana". In this, LIC will provide life insurance cover of Rs.2 lakh in case of death of the insured person at nominal premium of Rs.330 per annum.

• To attract retail investors in the pursuit of tax savings and to take advantage of the available opportunity, Bank has recently launched a campaign titled "Save Tax – Get Relaxed" from 1 January – 31 March 2015. This campaign was designed to increase business of the Bank under Core Term Deposits, Life Insurance Policies from LIC of India, ELSS option of Mutual Funds and Mediclaim policies of the Bank.

• In order to provide impetus for growth and to increase growth in potential branches, Bank has selected 55 STAR branches to tap business in line with corporate vision to achieve a level of Rs. 10 lakh crore businesses by 31.03.2020. All these branches will be provided good amenities at branch premises for customers.

• Bank had launched a special SIP campaign titled "SYND Mutual Funds –SIP Campaign" with all the nine Mutual Fund Companies, covering all the asset classes i.e. Equity, Debt and Hybrid. The objective of the campaign was to increase the penetration in Mutual Funds business and build the SIP book along with Asset under Management (AUM) for the Bank. 3233 SIP Folios were created with a monthly SIP amount of Rs.34.64 lacs in various schemes.

• Project Ananya

Bank in collaboration with BCG has launched Project Ananya, which aims at Branch transformation, effective customer service, latest technology utilization at customer points and marketing.

• Bank is planning to open 355 new branches during FY 2015-16 and also to recruit 5000 personnel in clerical and official cadre. Bank has planned to open 8 "State of the Art Branches" and 100 "Fast Track branches" in the near future.
• The Bank has opened 37 mid-corporate branches till now. Another 13–14 branches will be opened in the next two to three months.
• In order to augment long term resources and further strengthening of the Capital Base, Bank proposes to raise Equity Capital by way of Rights Issue /QIP (Domestic/Foreign) / Follow on public issue based on market conditions and approach the market for Basel III compliant through additional Tier I bonds and Tier II bonds.
• Syndicate Bank Organized Synd iNNOVATE Hackathon to attract talented Hackers and coders from all around country to encourage innovation in Banking Sector.[8] The Hackathon was managed by Bhanu Srivastav.[9]
• On 1st April 2020, Syndicate Bank merged with Canara Bank and became 4th Largest Bank in India.[10] During a press conference on 30 August 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the merger of two banks - Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank - both of which used to operate predominantly in the South.[11]

• Syndicate Manipal School of Banking (SMSB) is a joint venture between Syndicate Bank and Manipal Global Education (MAGE).
• The SMSB campus is in Bangalore. The bank gives recruitment notification as per the requirement.

• Syndicate Nitte School of Banking (SNSB) is a joint venture between Syndicate Bank and Nitte Educational International Pvt. Ltd. (NEIPL). It operates one centre each at Mangalore and Greater Noida. Its first batch of 200 officer trainees were recruited in year 2015

• Indian banking
• List of banks in India

• Syndicate Bank Official Website