“I am also one of your customers.” When Chief Minister Jayalailthaa made this observation with a smile at the platinum jubilee celebration of the Indian Overseas Bank, the audience at the Chennai Trade Centre, the venue of the event, responded with cheers. Members of the family of M.Ct.M. Chidambaram Chettiyar, founder of the bank, were among those present.
Referring to her association with the bank, she first said the bank was no stranger to her. “I have seen it grow before and after nationalisation.”
Remembering the role of the bank's founder in establishing the institution, she said: “It is indeed a matter for celebration that the small bank that he [Chidambaram Chettiyar] pioneered has grown into a huge global organisation, serving millions of Indians across the country and abroad.” She had a word of advice specifically for the IOB: “A bank like Indian Overseas Bank, large enough to be stable and secure, but small enough to be nimble and innovative, can truly expand the scope and reach of the financial system in Tamil Nadu,” Ms Jayalalithaa said.