Bank mergers and old IFSC codes: what changed and how to check yours
When banks merge, the old bank's branches usually get new IFSC codes, and the old codes are switched off on a date the acquiring bank announces. If your cheque book, passbook or saved payee still shows an old code, a transfer can fail. This guide lists the mergers that changed codes since 2019, the date each old code stopped working, and how to check yours.
2026: the mergers that affect you this year
No public sector bank merger had been announced when we reviewed this guide in October 2026. In February 2026 the Finance Minister said the government had no roadmap for merging public sector banks, and the 2026–27 Union Budget proposed a High-Level Committee on Banking to review the sector. Two sets of changes this year still affect the codes you use:
- Emirates NBD Bank's Indian branches are scheduled to become RBL Bank branches on 1 December 2026. The Reserve Bank of India approved the amalgamation on 16 October 2026, but it has not taken effect yet. Emirates NBD's Indian IFSC codes start with
EBILand RBL Bank's withRATN. The RBI's announcement does not say when the old codes will stop working, so do not change saved payees until RBL Bank or Emirates NBD confirms the date, and update them when that notice arrives. - Three co-operative banks were merged into larger ones. Lalbaug Co-operative Bank, Vadodara, joined Akhand Anand Co-operative Bank, Surat, on 23 March 2026. The Mekhar Urban Co-op Bank joined Nagpur Nagarik Sahakari Bank on 24 April 2026. The Bhavani Sahakari Bank, Mumbai, joined TJSB Sahakari Bank on 4 May 2026. If you bank with one of them, ask the bank that took over whether your branch's IFSC has changed.
2025: rural banks merged in 11 states
Under the Government of India's "One State, One RRB" policy, 26 regional rural banks in 10 states and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir were merged into 11 banks, one for each, with effect from 1 May 2025. The number of regional rural banks in India fell from 43 to 28. The Department of Financial Services notified the mergers in the Gazette of India on 7 April 2025.
| State | Banks that were merged | New bank and head office | Sponsor bank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Chaitanya Godavari Grameena Bank, Andhra Pragathi Grameena Bank, Saptagiri Grameena Bank, Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank | Andhra Pradesh Grameena Bank, Amravati | Union Bank of India |
| Bihar | Dakshin Bihar Gramin Bank, Uttar Bihar Gramin Bank | Bihar Gramin Bank, Patna | Punjab National Bank |
| Gujarat | Baroda Gujarat Gramin Bank, Saurashtra Gramin Bank | Gujarat Gramin Bank, Vadodara | Bank of Baroda |
| Jammu and Kashmir | J&K Grameen Bank, Ellaquai Dehati Bank | Jammu and Kashmir Grameen Bank, Jammu | The Jammu and Kashmir Bank |
| Karnataka | Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank, Karnataka Gramin Bank | Karnataka Grameena Bank, Ballari | Canara Bank |
| Madhya Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh Gramin Bank, Madhyanchal Gramin Bank | Madhya Pradesh Gramin Bank, Indore | Bank of India |
| Maharashtra | Maharashtra Gramin Bank, Vidharbha Konkan Gramin Bank | Maharashtra Gramin Bank, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | Bank of Maharashtra |
| Odisha | Odisha Gramya Bank, Utkal Grameen Bank | Odisha Grameen Bank, Bhubaneswar | Indian Overseas Bank |
| Rajasthan | Rajasthan Marudhara Gramin Bank, Baroda Rajasthan Kshetriya Gramin Bank | Rajasthan Gramin Bank, Jaipur | State Bank of India |
| Uttar Pradesh | Baroda U.P. Bank, Aryavart Bank, Prathama U.P. Gramin Bank | Uttar Pradesh Gramin Bank, Lucknow | Bank of Baroda |
| West Bengal | Bangiya Gramin Vikash Bank, Paschim Banga Gramin Bank, Uttarbanga Kshetriya Gramin Bank | West Bengal Gramin Bank, Kolkata | Punjab National Bank |
Source: Gazette of India notifications S.O. 1625(E) to S.O. 1635(E), 7 April 2025.
Your account and your money stay with the merged bank. But branch details, cheque books and IFSC codes can change while the banks' systems are joined. If you bank with any of the banks in the second column, confirm your branch's current IFSC with the new bank before you share it for a salary, pension or subsidy payment.
Retired IFSC prefixes and when they stopped working
On 1 April 2020 the Government of India merged ten public sector banks into four. A year earlier, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank had merged into Bank of Baroda, and on 27 November 2020 Lakshmi Vilas Bank was merged into DBS Bank India. Each old branch was given an IFSC of the bank it joined, and the old codes were switched off between March 2021 and March 2022.
| Old bank | Old prefix | Now part of | Merged on | Old codes stopped working from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dena Bank | BKDN | Bank of Baroda (BARB) | 1 April 2019 | 1 March 2021 |
| Vijaya Bank | VIJB | Bank of Baroda (BARB) | 1 April 2019 | 1 March 2021 |
| Oriental Bank of Commerce | ORBC | Punjab National Bank (PUNB) | 1 April 2020 | 1 April 2021 |
| United Bank of India | UTBI | Punjab National Bank (PUNB) | 1 April 2020 | 1 April 2021 |
| Andhra Bank | ANDB | Union Bank of India (UBIN) | 1 April 2020 | 1 April 2021 |
| Corporation Bank | CORP | Union Bank of India (UBIN) | 1 April 2020 | 1 April 2021 |
| Syndicate Bank | SYNB | Canara Bank (CNRB) | 1 April 2020 | 1 July 2021 |
| Allahabad Bank | ALLA | Indian Bank (IDIB) | 1 April 2020 | 1 July 2021 |
| Lakshmi Vilas Bank | LAVB | DBS Bank India | 27 November 2020 | 1 March 2022 |
Dates are from the notices of the banks that took over. No branch codes with these prefixes remain in the current RBI-based branch list. The IFSC finder on this site warns you when you enter one of the eight public sector prefixes and names the bank that took over.
Fincare Small Finance Bank became part of AU Small Finance Bank on 1 April 2024. Codes starting with FSFB were still listed when we checked in October 2026, so confirm with AU Small Finance Bank before you rely on an old Fincare code.
What happens if you use an old code
Your bank checks the IFSC before it sends a NEFT, RTGS or IMPS transfer. A code that no longer exists is usually rejected at that step, and the money is not sent.
The bigger risk is delay. A salary, pension or government benefit payment set up with an old code can fail or come back, and it may be days before anyone notices. If a payment does not arrive, check the code, give the sender the new one, and ask your bank for the status using the transaction reference (UTR) number.
How to find your branch's current IFSC
- Look at a cheque book or passbook issued after the merger. Older books may still show the old code.
- Check the bank's own website, or call the customer care number listed there.
- Search for the branch in the IFSC finder on this site, and confirm with your bank if the amount is large.
- The Reserve Bank of India publishes the IFSC lists of banks that take part in NEFT and RTGS on rbi.org.in.
- Banks that took over others publish lists that match old codes to new ones. For example, Indian Bank's lookup gives the new code for any former Allahabad Bank branch.
- For a former Syndicate Bank branch, the new code replaces
SYNBwithCNRBand adds 10000 to the branch number (the last seven digits). For example,SYNB0003687becameCNRB0013687. Search the new code in the IFSC finder to check that it shows your branch before you use it.
After a merger: other places your old bank details can be stored
Changing the IFSC in your banking app is not enough. Systems that pay you, or take money from your account, often still hold the old details. Check these:
- Your employer's payroll. Give HR the new IFSC, and the new account number if your bank has told you it changed, so your salary is not returned.
- The EPFO (UAN) member portal. Your bank details are kept under Manage, then KYC. If the IFSC does not match the account number, the KYC is rejected.
- The Income Tax e-Filing portal. The Income Tax Department says an already validated bank account must be re-validated after a change of branch, IFSC or a bank merger. If a refund failed because of an invalid IFSC, ask for a refund reissue once the account is validated.
- Pension, scholarship and other benefit payments. Ask the office or scheme that pays you to update the account details it holds.
- Auto-debits and mandates. EMIs, SIPs, insurance premiums and subscriptions can fail if the mandate still carries the old code. Ask each company whether the mandate still works.
- Saved payees and other people's records. Your landlord, family members, insurers and anyone who pays you by bank transfer may still hold the old code.
Questions people ask
Does my account number change when my bank merges?
Not always. It depends on the banks involved and how far their systems have been joined. The notice from the bank that took over will say whether your account number, IFSC, MICR code and cheque book change, so read it and check your passbook or banking app instead of assuming.
Is my money safe during a merger?
Your account and your money stay with the merged bank. The risk is not losing the money but sending or receiving payments with details that no longer work.
Does the MICR code change too?
It can. When a branch moves to the new bank's systems it can get a new MICR code along with its new IFSC, so check the codes on any cheque book issued after the merger.
Can I still use my old cheque book?
Only until the date given in your bank's notice. Once the old codes are switched off, a cheque book that shows them can be rejected, so ask your bank for a new one.
How do I know my branch's code is current?
Search the code in the IFSC finder on this site, which warns you when you enter one of the retired public sector prefixes. Then match it with your bank's own list or the RBI's NEFT and RTGS list. For a large payment, confirm with your bank.
A transfer failed because of an old IFSC. Where is my money?
A transfer rejected for an invalid code normally goes back to the sender's account. If it has not, ask the sender's bank for the status using the UTR number, and give the sender the new code before they try again.
Where this information comes from
This guide is general information. The facts in it come from these public sources:
- Gazette of India notifications S.O. 1625(E) to S.O. 1635(E), 7 April 2025 (regional rural bank mergers).
- RBI announcements and the RBI's NEFT page.
- Reserve Bank of India, press release 2026-2027/1342, “RBI approves amalgamation of Indian branches of Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C. with RBL Bank Limited”, 16 October 2026 (the approval and the 1 December 2026 effective date).
- Business Standard, “RBI approves amalgamation of Emirates NBD's Indian branches with RBL Bank”, 16 October 2026 (the RBI approval and the 1 December 2026 effective date).
- Notices from the banks that took over others, such as Indian Bank's old-to-new IFSC lookup.
- The Income Tax e-Filing portal and the EPFO Unified Member Portal, for the bank-detail updates described above.
Rules, limits and phone numbers change. Confirm the current details at cybercrime.gov.in, rbi.org.in or with your bank before you act.