Bank Branches Shut Across India.. Over 4,000 Closed in Five Years!

More than 4,000 bank branches have been shut across the country during the last five financial years, with banks focusing on reducing operational costs and controlling staffing requirements. Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary shared the figures in the Rajya Sabha. According to the data, 2,564 branches were closed in 2021-22, followed by another 700 closures in the subsequent financial year.

At the same time, public sector banks continued expanding their network. Between 2021-22 and 2025-26, PSBs opened 6,255 branches across India, including 1,967 branches in the latest financial year and 1,823 in the previous year. The minister also said there were 15,930 wilful defaulters with loans of Rs 25 lakh or more, involving total outstanding loans of Rs 2.85 lakh crore. Unclaimed deposits increased from Rs 90,545 crore as of June 30, 2025, to Rs 98,073 crore by January 31, 2026.