THE BANK OF INDIA

Established in 1906, The Bank
of India is probably the first Indian bank that was truly of the people, for
the people and by the people of India. Never before had so many mercantile
communities – Parsees, Bhatias, Gujarati banias, Bohra Muslims and Jews –
come together with a common aim to set up a bank that would serve India’s
indigenous trade and industry on modern lines. The Bank of India: 100 Years
of Prudential Banking takes a detailed look at the proud history of a
remarkable bank. Even during a financial crisis that caused a sector-wide
collapse in banking in pre-Independence India, the Bank of India held the
ship steady with great caution, commitment and prudence and emerged as one of
the Big Five of Indian banking. Post the nationalization of banks in 1969,
the bank aligned its activities with the economic plans of the Government of
India and expanded the scope of banking to the farthest corners of the
country to reach people from every economic stratum – be it an agriculturist,
an industrialist, a small businessman, an exporter or a self-employed
individual. Methodical and vivid, this book explores how the Bank of India
became a trendsetter in the banking industry in many respects and helped in
building customer relationships that went well beyond just banking. Apart
from bearing testimony to the faith and trust customers have shown towards
the organization, the book also provides a comprehensive account of the
evolution of banking as an industry.