<P> The state of Karnataka, particularly the region comprising the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, is called the cradle of banking in India . This is because seven of the country's leading banks, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore originated from this state . The first five in the above list of banks were established in the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada . These districts have one among the best distribution of banks in India - a branch for every 500 persons . Between 1880 and 1935, 22 banks were established in coastal Karnataka, nine of them in the city of Mangalore . </P> <P> The origin of banking in Karnataka's coastal region can be traced to the year 1868 when the Presidency Bank of Madras opened a branch to cater to the needs of British companies involved in exporting plantation produce . In 1912, the Indian Co-operative Societies Act in 1912 further energised the financial sector in this region leading to the establishment of a lot of co-operative societies . The freedom movement of India also played a crucial role as can be seen in the establishment of Karnataka Bank which was created as an offshoot of the swadeshi movement of 1905 . These banks were earlier created to address the main sector in the economy i.e. agriculture but later they diversified to address other economical sectors as well . </P>

City known as cradle of the indian banking