KP Hormis comes from a farmers family. He was born on October 18 1917 in Mookkannoor Kerala. He did law and srated his career as a lawyer in the Munsiff Court in Perumbavoor. However he always wanted to do something impactful for the poor and farmers. Buying Stake In Failing Bank In 1945 he grabbed an opportunity in a struggling Travancore Federal Bank and decided to take action. At that time the bank was on the brink of bankruptcy as it did not focus on agricultural lending. Hormis left his job in 1944 and bought a controlling stake in the bank. Hormis became the Chief Executive of the bank and started rebranding it. Under his leadership the bank was renamed The Federal Bank Limited in 1947. Over the next 34 years he expanded its reach from a single branch to 285 across India. The bank’s share capital also grew from Rs 5000 to Rs 71000 under his regime. After acquiring control Hormis relocated the original Neendakara branch to Aluva Kerala and also dropped Travancore from the name. In 1949 the bank received its official banking license. During this time he started famous chitty (chit fund) schemes known as Kuries It gained so much popularity in Kerala. Hormis launched Kuries for farmers which helped them to raise money through these schemes. Federal Bank’s Success Hormis didn’t just grow a bank he reshaped financial inclusion in India. Federal Bank crossed over Rs 1000 crore deposit mark and its IPO was welcomed by investors. Even after retiring as Chairman on March 31 1979 he continued to serve on the bank’s board for two more years. As of the trading session that closed on July 2 2025 Federal Bank’s share price stood at Rs 217.65 with a market capitalization of Rs 53456 crore. The stocks all-time high is Rs 270 and its 52-week high is Rs 220. According to the bank’s website it serves over 18.3 million customers through 1509 banking outlets 1441 ATMs and 593 cash recyclers.