The full form of CUB is City Union Bank

The bank, ‘The Kumbakonam Bank Limited’ as it was then called was incorporated as a limited company on 31st October, 1904. The first Memorandum of Association was signed by twenty devoted and prominent citizens of Kumbakonam including Sarvashri R. Santhanam Iyer, S.Krishna Iyer, V.Krishnaswami Iyengar and T.S.Raghavachariar. T.S.Raghavachariar was the First Agent of the Bank.  In 1908, he was succeeded by Shri R. Santhanam Iyer who became the Secretary of the bank under the amended Articles of Association which created the office of a Secretary to be in charge of the Bank’s Management in the place of the Agent, which post he held till his death in 1926. He was succeeded by Shri. S. Mahalinga Iyer as Secretary who subsequently became the First full-time Managing Director of the bank in tune with the amendment of Articles in 1929.  He held the position of Secretary from 1926 to 1929 and that of Managing Director from 1929 to 1963.

The bank in the beginning preferred the role of a regional bank and slowly but steadily built for itself a place in the Delta District Thanjavur. The first Branch of the Bank was opened at Mannargudi on 24th January 1930.  Thereafter, branches were opened at Nagapattinam, Sannanallur, Ayyampet, Tirukattupalli, Tiruvarur, Manapparai, Mayuram and Porayar within a span of twenty five years.  The Bank was included in the Second Schedule of Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, on 22nd March 1945.

The Bank celebrated its Golden Jubilee on 14th November, 1954 at Kumbakonam under the Presidentship of Shri.C.R.Srinivasan, Editor, ‘Swadesmitran’ & Director, Reserve Bank of India. 

In 1957, the bank took over the assets and liabilities of the Common Wealth Bank Limited and in the process annexed to it the five Branches of Common Wealth Bank Limited at Aduthurai, Kodavasal, Valangaiman, Jayankondacholopuram and Ariyalur.

In 1963,  Shri. R. A.Venkataramani Iyer took charge as the Chairman of the Bank which position he held up to 1969.

In April, 1965, two other local banks viz., ‘The City Forward Bank Limited’ and ‘The Union Bank Limited’ were amalgamated with the Bank under a scheme of amalgamation with the resultant addition of six more branches viz., Kumbakonam-Town, Nannilam, Koradacherry, Tiruvidaimarudur, Tirupanandal and Kuttalam. Consequently, the Bank’s name was changed to ‘The Kumbakonam City Union Bank Limited’.

In November 1965, the bank’s first branch at Madras was opened at Thiyagaraya Nagar. In May, 1969 the Bank secured the services of Shri. O.R. Srinivasan, a former Officer   of Reserve Bank of India to be at the helm of affairs as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer which event proved to be a turning point in the annals of the Bank. Under the new Management the Branch Expansion got a fresh impetus and branches were opened at Eravancheri, Sembanarkoil, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Thanjavur, Dindigul, Keelapalur, Tirumakkottai, Kottur, Tiruvarur Town and Coimbatore during the period from March, 1968 to August, 1973.

In April, 1974 the bank secured the services of Shri. K.Srinivasan, another  former Senior Officer of Reserve Bank of India, as its Secretary.  At that time, a Young Chartered Accountant from Thippirajapuram village near Kumbakonam,   Shri. V.Narayanan was appointed as Assistant Secretary of the Bank.

During the period 1974-1976 Branches were opened at Periyakulam, Mandaveli (Madras), Pattukkottai, Triplicane (Madras), Cuddalore, Pudukkottai, Chidambaram and Salem.

When Shri. O.R.Srinivasan relinquished his office in June 1977, the then Secretary Shri. K.Srinivasan was appointed as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank and the then Asst.Secretary Shri. V.Narayanan was elevated to the rank of the Secretary.

From July,1977 to September,1979 the bank has opened ten more branches including those at George Town (Madras), Mount Road (Madras), Tirunelveli and Karaikudi.

The Bank celebrated its Platinum Jubilee on 9th December, 1979 at Kumbakonam with Dr. Rajah Sir M.A.Muthiah Chettiar, Shri. G.Rengasamy Moopanar, Shri. Kosi.Mani and Shri. M.V.Arunachalam as Guests of Honour.

In November, 1980, the then Secretary Shri. V.Narayanan, assumed charge as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank with the approval of Reserve Bank of India consequent to the completion of the term by Shri. K.Srinivasan.   The event opened a glorious chapter in the history of the bank. 

The first branch outside the state of TamilNadu was opened at Sultanpet, Bangalore in Karnataka in September,1980.  Branches were also opened at the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Andhrapradesh.  In tune with the national image attached to the Bank, the Bank’s name was changed to ‘City Union Bank Limited’ with   effect from December, 1987.

The Bank started its own Staff Training College on 21st August, 1989 at Kumbakonam with the avowed objective of imparting need based and result oriented training to its Staff Members irrespective of the cadre. 

Taking into account the bank’s financial strength, managerial competence and consistent progress in all spheres of its activities, Reserve Bank of India has granted an Authorised Dealers License to deal in Foreign Exchange business with effect from October, 1990.  

The bank has introduced computerisation in the year 1990 and all the Branches have been computerised. The bank has entered into an agreement with Tata Consultancy Services Limited for introducing Core Banking Solution [CBS] and all the branches have been brought  under Core Banking Solution [CBS] as on date.

Automated Teller Machines ( ATMs) have been installed  at select centres where the Card holders can withdraw cash, make balance enquiries and obtain Statement of accounts

The bank obtained  license from Insurance Regulatory Authority of India (IRDA) to act as Corporate Agent for selling insurance products  and  to provide value added services to the public at large .The Bank has entered into Memoranda of understanding with Life Insurance Corporation of India and National Insurance Company Limited for selling their insurance products.

The Bank has tied up with Export Credit & Guarantee Corporation Limited [ECGC] for marketing export credit insurance products through its branch network.

The Bank has also entered into a franchise agreement for the Money Transfer Service Scheme of M/s UAE Exchange and Financial  Service Ltd. ICICI, Doha Bank and  Bank of India for effective and speedy receipt of funds remitted form abroad . 

The Bank has obtained License to function as Depository  Participant under National Securities Depository Limited. 

The Bank’s Centenary Celebrations were inaugurated on 27th December, 2003 at the Saraswathi Patasala Girl’s Higher Secondary School Grounds, Kumbakonam under the Chairmanship of Shri. V.Narayanan with Shri. R.Venkataraman, Former President of India, Dr.A.R.Lakshmanan, Judge, Supreme Court, New Delhi and Shri. N.Rengachari, Retired Chairman, IRDA & Advisor to the Government of Andhra Pradesh as distinguished Guests

In the glorious history of City Union Bank Limited, nearly one third of the period of its existence and progress centered around a key person, namely, Shri.V.Narayanan. The enviable leadership style of Shri. V. Narayanan and his vision for the consistent growth of the bank in all spheres, his tireless efforts in augmenting the Bank’s Business, widening the branch network, maintaining harmonious industrial relations, ensuring the unique achievement of not loosing not even a single man-day by way of labour unrest-a record of sort in the country has earned name and fame not only for himself but to the bank in the entire Banking Industry in India.   His famous words of  ‘Take care of  the bank; The  bank  will take care of you’ have made wonders in enhancing the morale and improving the productivity of the workforce, the facts of which can be vouchsafed by the financial results  of the bank during his tenure as Chairman. But the bank has lost it’s illustrious Chairman Shri.V.Narayanan in  an  unexpected  car accident near chennai on 5th November, 2004. 

With the irreparable loss of Shri. V.Narayanan, the mantle of leading the bank to make his dreams a reality fell on Shri.S.Balasubramanian who had joined the bank as an Officer in 1971 and risen to the rank of  Executive Director during the Chairmanship of Shri. V. Narayanan. The Board of Directors  with the approval of Reserve Bank of India appointed him as the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of the Bank with  effect from 31-1-2005. 

In the year 2009, on receipt of approval from Reserve Bank of India,   the Board appointed Shri. P. Vaidyanathan [ Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant and Company Secretary] as the Non Executive Chairman of  the Bank on 27-04-2009  and  Shri.S.Balasubramanian as Managing Director & Chief Executive officer of the  Bank. Shri.P.Vaidyanathan has demitted his office of Non-Executive Chairman of the Bank on 26-04-2011 on completion of two years and Shri.S.Balasubramanian has demitted his office of Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer on 30-04-2011. 

Pursuant to the approvals received from Reserve Bank of India Shri.S.Balasubramanian M.Sc.PGDFM.CAIIB has assumed charge as Non Executive Chairman of the bank and Dr. N. Kamakodi, B.Tech. MBA.PhD.CAIIB who joined the services of the bank as Deputy General Manager in June 2003, subsequently elevated to the rank of General Manager in March,2005, Executive Director in October,2006 and that of Executive President  in January,2011  has been appointed as  the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the bank  with effect from 01-05-2011.