Vice President Attends Tamilnad Mercantile Bank 105th Day

A bank that began in a port town of Tamil Nadu marked its one hundred and fifth year on 11 November 2026, and the chief guest was the Vice President of India. C. P. Radhakrishnan attended the 105th Foundation Day of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank, usually called TMB, at Thoothukudi, and told the gathering that the bank should set its sights on becoming one of the country's leading private sector lenders.

From Nadar Bank to a national network

The Vice President recalled that the institution started life in 1921 as Nadar Bank Limited. From that modest opening it has grown into a bank with 632 branches spread over 17 States and four Union Territories, more than 53 lakh customers on its books and total business of over Rs 1.30 lakh crore. He described the 105-year journey as evidence of the bank's commitment to trust, service and financial inclusion.

What he asked of banks

Lending, he said, carries a duty. Banks must lend responsibly and must reach the borrowers who find credit hardest to get, namely micro, small and medium enterprises, farmers, small traders, entrepreneurs, enterprises led by women, and corporates as well. He linked this squarely to the national goal, telling the audience that the banking sector has a decisive part to play in realising Viksit Bharat @2047. Digital banking and UPI, he added, have already changed the way Indians handle money, and the widening of financial inclusion has brought many more people inside the formal banking system.

Advice to TMB

Commending the bank's recent performance and its progress in technology, the Vice President urged it to keep strengthening cybersecurity and to guard both the money and the personal data of its customers while embracing innovation. He also made a point about roots: even as TMB widens its presence across the country, it should remain anchored in Thoothukudi, the town where it was born. He expressed confidence that the bank would scale greater heights in the years ahead.

Who was present

The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, attended the celebration, along with TMB's Part Time Chairman K. Ramachandran, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Salee S. Nair, Executive Director Vincent Menachery, members of the board and senior officials of the bank.