There is an air of business as usual at the State Bank of Hyderabad main office at Gunfoundry, 48 hours before the name changes forever to State Bank of India. “Nothing will change. It is a subsidiary bank anyway with the same banking norms. So, we are not worried. Nor should the customers be worried,” says a senior staffer of the bank.
Outside the bank, standing on scaffoldings, workers are busy applying a fresh coat of paint which looks like the same. “ Kal kisney dekha (who knows about tomorrow). Earlier, we used to pay the challans at the building opposite the branch. Then Andhra challans were paid at Andhra Bank and Telangana challans at SBH. Now, we are not sure what will happen,” says Fakruddin Ali Khan.
Inside, Uppu Sudhakar talks about the changes in the bank from the time he joined in 1967 for a princely salary of ₹230. “It was quite a sum as I used to commute from Kachiguda. The RBI was accommodated in one room on the first floor of the building. Later it was shifted to Abids and I used to go on a cycle-rickshaw with a trunk of cheques for clearing. This banking hall was the largest in Asia before it was partitioned into multiple cubicles and segmented into different rooms,” says Mr. Sudhakar, who retired in 2001.
Shujauddin Ahmed joined the bank in 1969, and as he checks his passbook, he reminiscences about the time he would drive on his two-wheeler from Tolichowki. “The roads used to be empty. This was one grand building that could be seen from afar. Now it is dwarfed by the new building behind it with SBH written in big letters. I hope they don’t remove the bank name for some time. We knew it was inevitable and the talks have been going on for years, but this change is somewhat difficult to digest,” says Mr. Ahmed.
The State Bank of Hyderabad had many missteps before it began operations in 1942. The first attempt to start a bank was made by Nizam Nasir ud Dowla, who was neck deep in debt to the British due to the Hyderabad Contingent which was raised for protecting his kingdom. Nasir ud Dowla tapped Henry Dighton, a local banker, who agreed to lead the bank with other sahukars (money lenders) pitching in the money if the Nizam pledged his jewellery. But the British Governor General Lord Dalhouse had plans to grab the prized cotton fields of central India under the control of the Nizam. Dalhouse ensured that the bank did not materialise.
First branch
The Hyderabad State Bank was constituted on August 8, 1941. The first branch began functioning at the same location on April 5, 1942. R.S. Paton led the bank between 1942 and 1948. He was succeeded by K.P.R. Menon.
After a tumultous time, the then President, Rajendra Prasad, inaugurated the new premises designed by Muhammad Fayazuddin on June 27, 1955. The next year, the Hyderabad State Bank became State Bank of Hyderabad with the takeover by the Reserve Bank of India. In 1959, it became an associate bank of the SBI.
And exactly five days before the 75th anniversary of the opening of the first branch, the State Bank of Hyderabad will pass into history.
