Once you start managing and maintaining your own finances, banks become an integral part of the process. What most people forget is that banks are really punctual, and any lapse in maintaining that can lead to the said task not being fulfilled.
All private and public sector banks open at 9:30 AM and pack up by 5:30 only on weekdays. Banks are always closed on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month, which is when you can conduct your business through mobile or net banking. When it comes to conducting and completing financial transactions physicallyin the bank, it is best you visit the bank only after you know the bank’s lunch timings.
Bank Lunch Timings
Usually, every Indian bank has a 2-hour lunch break, starting from 1 PM and ending at 3 PM. All bank employees are expected to follow these guidelines and take their break only during these times.
Unlike other business sectors, bank employees are quite punctual with their lunch since they have to come back and assist the customer at the desk. This only goes to show how seriously they take their job and why everything has to be in proper sync and very punctual, even when it comes to the customer.
Any discrepancy in this timing can further lead to missed commitments given to the customers. All throughout the day, customers will be attended to regarding any banking or transactional issues they might have, and it is the sole duty of the employees to provide assistance at the earliest possible.
There are also some other banks in India that have a lesser time allotted to lunch breaks, ranging from 30 minutes to an hour. All of this mainly depends on the prior commitments they have towards their customers. This article further provides a list of the different banks in India and their lunch hours so you can plan your visits accordingly.
| Bank | Business Hours | Lunch Timings |
| State Bank of India (SBI) | 10 AM to 4 PM | 2.30 to 3.00 PM |
| Bank of India (BOI) | 10 AM to 03.30 PM | 2 PM to 2.30PM |
| HDFC Bank | 9.30 AM to 03.30 PM | 2.00–3.00 PM |
| AXIS Bank | 9.30 AM to 03.30 PM | 1.00 –2.00 PM |
| Kotak Mahindra Bank | 9.30 AM to 04.30 PM | 1.30 to 2.00 PM |
| Yes Bank | 9.30 AM to 04.30 PM | 1.30 to 2.00 PM |
| Citibank | 10 AM to 6 PM | 1.00 to2.00 PM |
| Standard Chartered Bank | 9.30 AM to 4.30 PM | 1.00 –2.00 PM |
State Bank of India
SBI is perhaps one of the biggest and most diversely located banks in India. You can find a branch ready to help you with any issues in even the most remote corners of the country. SBI lunchtime typically lasts 30 minutes, starting from 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM. Similarly, Canara Bank, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda,Union Bank of India, Punjab National, and ICICI Bank also has 30-minute lunch breaks, just with different timings.
HDFC Bank
Also considered one of the more notable banks in India, this bank offers its employees more time during lunch breaks. Usually, HDFC branches offer an hour of lunch break, between 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. While it is an hour all throughout the country, the timings can differ based on the region you are in.
AXIS Bank
This is a privately owned national bank and follows the same timing throughout the country. Similar to HDFC bank, Axis bank also offers their employees an hour of lunchtime, but the timings are different. In Axis bank, the lunch timings start from 1:00 PM and last till 2:00 PM. Even Citi Bank and Standard Chartered Bank have the same lunch timings in all their branches.
Kotak Mahindra Bank
You can find Kotak Mahindra branches in every part of India. Much like other banks like YES and Canara Bank, here, too, the lunch breaks are only for half an hour, starting from 1:30 to 2:00 PM.
Will there be any support during lunch times?
As you can already tell from the information mentioned above, bank lunch breaks are usually quite short. Hence, employees do not entertain any requests or provide any support during these few minutes, and the customers will be put on hold. However, the basic services will be running all day, even if there is a slight delay of a few minutes.
What happens if you drop in a cheque at the closing time of the bank?
If you drop in a cheque during the closing time of the bank, the cheque will be processed and taken into the deposit section only the next day. The cheque verification process is completely manual in India, which requires the presence of an employee to process the transaction request.
Now that you know the opening, closing, and lunch timings of the bank, you can better plan your visit to one.