Banking was one of the more preferred lines of business in Kerala - as well as in the princely states of Travancore and Cochin and the Malabar Province of British India) that originally comprised it - in the twentieth century. A list of some of the Banks that operated in that territory during that period are given below. Due to various reasons most of them were either closed or amalgamated with other banks, leaving only a handful now.
Aleppey Bank - ....-1964 (Amalgamated with Federal Bank)
Bank of Cochin - ....-1985 (Amalgamated with State Bank of India)
Bank of Kerala - 1944–1961 (Amalgamated with Canara Bank)
Bank of New India - ....-1961 (Amalgamated with State Bank of Travancore)
Catholic Bank - ....-1961 (Amalgamated with Syndicate Bank)
Catholic Syrian Bank - 1920-
Chalakudy Public Bank - ....-1964 (Amalgamated with Federal Bank)
Cochin Nayar Bank - ....-1964 (Amalgamated with State Bank of Travancore)
Cochin Union Bank - ....-1964 (Amalgamated with Federal Bank Ltd)
Dhanalakshmi Bank - 1927-
Federal Bank (In 1931 originally known as Travancore Federal Bank)
Kottayam Orient Bank - ....-1961 (Amalgamated with State Bank of Travancore)
Latin Christian Bank - ....-1964 (Amalgamated with State Bank of Travancore)
Lord Krishna Bank - 1940–2006 (Amalgamated with Centurion Bank of Punjab)
Marthandom Commercial Bank Ltd - - ....-1968 (Amalgamated with Federal Bank)
Nedungadi Bank Ltd - 1899–2003 (Amalgamated with Punjab National Bank)
Palai Central Bank - 1927-60 (Liquidated by High Court of Kerala on the request of Reserve Bank of India)
Parur Central Bank Ltd - ....-1990 (Amalgamated with Bank of India)
Quilon Bank Ltd - ....-1937 (Amalgamated to form Travancore National & Quilon Bank Ltd)
South Indian Bank - 1929-
State Bank of Travancore (originally known as Travancore Bank Ltd) - 1945-
St George Union Bank - ....-1965 (Amalgamated with Federal Bank)
Thiya Bank - ....-1964 (Amalgamated with Lord Krishna Bank)
Travancore Forward Bank - ....-1961 (Amalgamated with State Bank of Travancore)
Travancore National & Quilon Bank - 1937-38 (Liquidated by Travancore Government)
Travancore National Bank - ....-1937 (Amalgamated to form Travancore National & Quilon Bank Ltd)
Venadu Bank Ltd - ....-1961 (Amalgamated with South Indian Bank )
North Malabar Gramin Bank-1975 (Amagamated with South Malabar Gramin Bank to form Kerala Gramin Bank-2013)
South Malabar Gramin Bank-1975
(Amagamated with North Malabar Gramin Bank to form Kerala Gramin Bank-2013)
