Public sector banks, governed and regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the nation’s central banking authority, play a crucial role in facilitating economic stability and growth. On 30 August 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a significant reform by merging several public sector banks to enhance operational efficiency and banking services across the country. As a result of this strategic consolidation, the number of public sector banks in India has been reduced to 12 as of 2025, streamlining the banking sector while strengthening its foundation.
Public Sector Banks in India
Public sector banks, also known as government or nationalized banks, are financial institutions in which the Government of India holds a significant amount of stake. These banks are known for their nationwide presence, trustworthiness, and active role in implementing government financial schemes. As of 2025, there are 12 Public Sector Banks in India after multiple mergers and reforms introduced by the Ministry of Finance.
List of 12 Government Banks in India
The stake of the government is above fifty percent under all public sector banks. The public sector and government banks also get to be known as nationalized banks. The List of twelve government banks has given below:
Name of the bank | Establishment of bank | Headquarter of bank |
State bank of India | 1955 | Mumbai and Maharashtra |
Punjab National Bank | 1894 | New Delhi |
Bank of Baroda | 1908 | Vadodara Gujrat |
Bank of India | 1906 | Mumbai and Maharashtra |
Bank of Maharashtra | 1935 | Pune and Maharashtra |
Union Bank of India | 1919 | Mumbai and Maharashtra |
Canara Bank | 1906 | Bengaluru and Karnataka |
Central Bank of India | 1911 | Mumbai and Maharashtra |
Indian Bank | 1907 | Chennai and Tamilnadu |
Indian Overseas Bank | 1937 | Chennai and Tamilnadu |
Punjab and Sind bank | 1908 | New Delhi |
UCO bank | 1943 | Kolkata and West Bengal |
State Bank of India
It is the first largest central government bank in India. It also gets to be known as the Imperial Bank of India. India. SBI is ranked 236th on the Fortune Global 500 list. With the merger with its 5 associates banks, SBI has the largest branch network in India. Tagline- Pure Banking, Nothing Else
Punjab National Bank
Punjab National Bank is the second-largest government bank. The new name of merged Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank, and United Bank is Amalgamated 3. The tagline of PNB is –The name you can Bank Upon.
Bank Of Baroda
Bank of Baroda is the third-largest bank of India. The merging of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank created the Bank of Baroda. Bank of Baroda is an Indian multinational bank. Tagline: India’s International Bank
Bank Of Maharashtra
The Bank of Maharashtra originated in 1969. It was founded and created by D.K Sathe as well as V.G. Kale. Bank of Maharashtra is a major public sector bank. Tagline: One Family One Bank.
Bank Of India
Bank of India is a leading nationalized bank. It was founded by a distinguished group of Maharashtra as well as Mumbai. Bank of India is the founder member of SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Inter Bank Financial Telecommunications). Tagline: Relationship Beyond Banking.
Union Bank Of India
Union Bank of India is a very famous government bank. It consists of 3040 ATMs under them. It contains complete automatic 2600 CBS branches. The tagline of this bank- Good People to Bank With.
Canara Bank
Canara Bank is the largest famous public sector government bank in India. Canara Bank will merge with Syndicate Bank to become the fourth largest Public Sector Bank in the country. The tagline of Canara Bank is- Together we can.
Central Bank Of India
It was founded by Ammembal Subba Rao Paiand. It originated in 1969 at Mangalore. Established in 1911, the financial organization of India was the primary Indian bank that was the whole closely-held and managed by Indians. Tagline- Central to you since 1911.
Indian Bank
Indian Bank is the oldest bank of India, which includes the 20924 rates of employees. It also contains 2900 bank branches and 2861 ATMs under them. Tagline of this bank is- Your Own Bank.
Indian Overseas Bank
The founder of the Indian Overseas Bank is Thiru.M.Ct.M. Chidambaram Chettiar. It has formalized foreign exchange operations with high capability. It is the fastest and largest top performer among Government banks. Tagline- Good People to Grow With
UCO Bank
It was established in 1943 in Kolkata, India. The founder of UCO bank is a group of eminent Indian industrialists. It is a commercial bank that has provided an excellent economic facility to people. The tagline of UCO bank is- Honours Your Trust.
Punjab and Sind Bank
The Punjab and Sind Bank has 623 branches in Punjab state, and throughout the country, it has 1559 bank branches. This is a public sector bank of India. The tagline of this bank- Where Service Is A Way Of Life.