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CSB Bank Limited, originally incorporated as The Catholic Syrian Bank Limited, was founded on November 26, 1920, and began operations on January 1, 1921, making it the oldest private sector bank in Kerala, India. It was established with headquarters in Thrissur, Kerala, and concentrated its business solely within the state for its first two decades. A significant milestone was achieved in 1969 when the bank was included in the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, granting it the status of a Scheduled Bank, and it attained "A Class" Scheduled Bank status by 1975. Throughout its early history, the bank participated in the consolidation of the Indian banking sector by taking over the assets and liabilities of several small/medium-sized banks in Kerala, a process that strengthened its base.

CSB Bank Limited is currently a public sector bank whose shares are traded on both the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE), following a successful Initial Public Offering (IPO) in December 2019. A major turning point in its modern history was the acquisition of a 51% stake in 2018 by Fairfax India (via FIH Mauritius Investments Ltd), which is part of the globally reputed Fairfax Group. This investment and subsequent new management have enabled a major transformation, with the bank now focusing on becoming a full-service, contemporary private sector bank. While maintaining a strong, trusted brand and extensive network in its traditional base of South India, especially Kerala, its general significance in the Indian financial system lies in its focus on core business areas like SME banking, Retail banking, Wholesale banking, and Treasury operations, with gold loans being a major area of growth.