Syndicate Bank, established in 1925 was started with a capital of Rs.8000/ by Sri Upendra Ananth Pai, a businessman, Sri Vaman Kudva, an engineer and Dr.T M A Pai, a physician - who shared a strong commitment to social welfare. Syndicate Bank was first established in Udupi, the abode of Lord Krishna in coastal Karnataka. The bank was primarily established to extend financial assistance to the local weavers who were crippled by a crisis in the handloom industry through mobilising small savings from the community. The bank collected as low as 2 annas (1 anna = 1/16 rupee) daily under its Pigmy Deposit Scheme started in 1928. However, today, the Pigmy Deposit scheme is the bank's brand equity today and the bank collects around Rs. 2 crore per day under the scheme.

Syndicate Bank has eight Zonal Offices (ZO) for administration and business purpose. The ZOs are in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Manipal.
The Bank has 60 Regional Offices (RO) that ensure smooth functioning and control business operations in the various regions of the country. The regional offices are headed by an AGM, DGM cadre.
SyndicateBank has a strong presence across India. The bank has 3952 Brick and Mortar Branches including an overseas Branch in London, 12 extension counters, and 37 satellite offices as of July 2017.

The progress of Syndicate Bank has been synonymous with the phase of progressive banking in India. Spanning over 80 years of pioneering expertise, the Bank has created for itself a solid customer base comprising customers of two or three generations. Being firmly rooted in rural India and understanding the grassroot realities, the Bank's perception had vision of future India. It has been propagating innovations in Banking and also has been receptive to new ideas, without however getting uprooted from its distinctive socio-economic and cultural ethos. Its philosophy of growth by mutual sustenance of both the Bank and the people has paid rich dividends. The Bank has been operating as a catalyst of development across the country with particular reference to the common man at the individual level and in rural/semi urban centres at the area level.
The Bank is well equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century in the areas of information technology, knowledge and competition. A comprehensive IT plan is being put in place and the skills and knowledge of the Bank's personnel are being upgraded through a variety of training programmes to promote customer delight in every sphere of its activity. The Bank has launched an ambitious technology plan called Centralised Banking Solution (CBS) whereby 500 of our strategic branches with their ATMs are being networked nationwide over a 4 year period. The Bank is pioneer among Public Sector Banks on launching CBS. Our bank has already achieved CBS implementation among all its branches. Thus, the bank is 100% CBS enabled.

Awards won by the bank over the years