The Bank was incorporated as ‘ESAF Small Finance Bank Limited’ on May 5, 2016 at Thrissur, Kerala, as a public limited company under the Companies Act, 2013, and was granted the certificate of incorporation by the Registrar of Companies, Kerala at Ernakulam (RoC). Its Promoter, ESAF Financial Holdings Private Limited, was granted in-principle approval to establish a small finance bank (SFB), by the RBI, pursuant to its letter dated October 7, 2015.