IFSC Code of South Indian Bank, Cherpunkal Branch, Kerala

Below are the complete branch details for South Indian Bank, CHERPUNKAL branch, located in KOTTAYAM, KERALA. The IFSC assigned by the Reserve Bank of India to this branch is SIBL0000197. Whether you want to transfer money, add a beneficiary, verify a cheque or simply confirm the branch address, you will find authentic, up-to-date information on this page that has been cross-checked against the bank's branch directory and the RBI's master list of participants in the National Electronic Funds Transfer system.

The IFSC code is one of the most frequently asked-for pieces of information when somebody wants to send you money or set up a recurring credit such as a salary, EMI auto-debit or supplier payment. Knowing exactly which IFSC belongs to your branch — in this case SIBL0000197 for South Indian Bank – CHERPUNKAL — saves you from rejected transfers, returned credits and the back-and-forth that follows them.

IFSC stands for Indian Financial System Code. It is an 11-character code that pinpoints a particular bank branch on the RBI's real-time payment rails. Every NEFT, RTGS or IMPS instruction must carry the destination branch's IFSC for the credit to land in the correct account.

In our case, SIBL0000197 is the IFSC of South Indian Bank's CHERPUNKAL branch. The format is fixed: SIBL = bank code, 0 = reserved, 000197 = branch identifier.

About the bank

South Indian Bank serves retail and corporate customers with a full range of deposit, lending, payments and digital banking products. Its Cherpunkal branch in Kottayam, Kerala is part of this network and uses the IFSC code SIBL0000197 for all electronic settlement.

About the Cherpunkal branch

The Cherpunkal branch of South Indian Bank is situated at DONO18A,WARD NO6,NELLIPUZHA BUILDING,PALA-ETTUMANOOR HIGHWAY,CHERPUNKAL PO,KOTTAYAM DISTRICT,KERALA-686584. Customers visiting this branch can complete cash deposits, withdrawals, demand draft requests, cheque clearing, passbook updates and KYC formalities. For online transactions to or from this branch, the IFSC code SIBL0000197 is used.

Branch details at a glance

The role of IFSC in India's payments network

India's electronic payment infrastructure — NEFT, RTGS, IMPS, UPI and the National Automated Clearing House (NACH) — is built on a single principle: every participating bank branch must be uniquely identifiable by an alphanumeric code. The Reserve Bank of India introduced the IFSC system to fulfil this requirement, and that is how South Indian Bank's CHERPUNKAL branch came to be assigned the code SIBL0000197.

Whether you are receiving a salary on the first of the month, paying a vendor invoice, settling an EMI, or accepting a refund from an e-commerce platform, the IFSC is the silent piece of metadata that tells the network where your account lives. Without IFSC SIBL0000197, money simply cannot be routed to the CHERPUNKAL branch electronically.

MICR code & cheque clearing

Apart from IFSC, every cheque book issued by South Indian Bank carries a 9-digit MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) code that is read by cheque-sorting machines. The MICR code, the IFSC SIBL0000197 and the account number together uniquely identify the Cherpunkal branch and your account. The MICR for this branch is printed at the bottom of your cheque leaves.

How to transfer money using IFSC SIBL0000197

Online transfers in India are powered by three major channels — NEFT, RTGS and IMPS — and each one requires a destination IFSC. Below is a quick guide for using IFSC SIBL0000197 across all three.

How to use IFSC SIBL0000197 for an NEFT transfer

NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer) is the most widely used method for sending money to South Indian Bank's CHERPUNKAL branch. NEFT now settles on a 24x7 basis in half-hourly batches and has no upper limit for retail customers (individual banks may impose their own caps).

1. Log in to your internet banking or mobile banking app.
2. Choose Add Beneficiary and select NEFT / Other Bank.
3. Enter the beneficiary name, account number and the IFSC SIBL0000197.
4. Confirm the bank name auto-populates as South Indian Bank and the branch as CHERPUNKAL.
5. Approve the beneficiary using OTP. Once activated, transfer any amount and the credit will reflect in the next NEFT cycle.

RTGS transfers via IFSC SIBL0000197

RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement) is the fastest high-value transfer mechanism in India. It is meant for transfers of ₹2 lakh and above and settles each transaction individually and instantly. To remit through RTGS to South Indian Bank – CHERPUNKAL, ensure your bank's portal accepts IFSC SIBL0000197 while registering the beneficiary. RTGS is also available 24x7.

Send money instantly through IMPS

For a real-time, anytime transfer to South Indian Bank – CHERPUNKAL, use IMPS. With IFSC SIBL0000197 and the beneficiary's account number you can move up to ₹5 lakh per transaction with instant credit, any day of the year.

Comparing NEFT, RTGS and IMPS for transfers to Cherpunkal

The right transfer rail depends on how urgent the payment is, how large it is, and whether the receiving bank participates in the chosen scheme. Every option below works with the IFSC SIBL0000197:

• NEFT — best for everyday transfers of any amount; settles in half-hourly batches around the clock.
• RTGS — best for transfers of ₹2 lakh and above; settles each transaction individually in real time.
• IMPS — best when speed matters more than batch scheduling; instant credit up to ₹5 lakh.
• UPI — best for small peer-to-peer payments using a VPA; the underlying account at CHERPUNKAL is still linked to IFSC SIBL0000197.

For salary credits, vendor payouts and refunds, employers and merchants usually default to NEFT because of its zero per-transaction cost for retail customers and its 24x7 availability.

How UPI relates to the IFSC code

UPI lets you pay using a short Virtual Payment Address instead of typing the IFSC every time, but behind the scenes every UPI mandate is mapped to an account number plus an IFSC. For accounts at South Indian Bank's CHERPUNKAL branch, the IFSC SIBL0000197 is what the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) uses to route the credit when you tap Pay on a UPI app.

That is why, even in the UPI era, it is still worth knowing the IFSC of your home branch — for failed UPI mandates, e-mandate set-ups, third-party platform onboarding and salary or refund credits.

Account types you can open at the Cherpunkal branch

Once you have an account at South Indian Bank – CHERPUNKAL, the IFSC SIBL0000197 stays the same regardless of the type of account you hold. The branch typically supports the following options:

• Savings account — for individuals, with chequebook, ATM card and net-banking access.
• Current account — for sole proprietors, partnerships and companies that need higher transaction volumes.
• Salary account — opened in bulk for corporate employees, often with zero-balance benefits.
• NRE / NRO accounts — for non-resident Indians who want to repatriate or maintain rupee balances in India.
• Fixed deposit and recurring deposit — term-based investment accounts with quarterly or cumulative interest.
• Senior citizen accounts — concessional minimum balance and a small interest rate premium on FDs.
• Minor and student accounts — operated jointly with a guardian until the customer turns 18.

Eligibility, minimum balance and KYC requirements vary by product. Speak to a relationship officer at the branch for the latest schedule of charges and interest rates.

Banking services available

The Cherpunkal branch typically offers the following services. Specific products may vary by branch size; please confirm with the branch on 4822-255969.

• Savings, current and salary accounts
• Fixed deposits and recurring deposits
• Personal, vehicle and home loans
• Demat and investment products (where supported)
• Internet banking and mobile banking enrolment
• Debit and credit card issuance
• Locker facilities (subject to availability)
• Foreign exchange services (at authorised branches)
• Bill payments, demand drafts and pay orders
• NEFT / RTGS / IMPS / UPI fund transfers using IFSC SIBL0000197

Online banking and IFSC SIBL0000197

South Indian Bank customers can register for net banking and the bank's official mobile app once their account at the CHERPUNKAL branch is active. Net banking lets you view balances, download statements, open fixed deposits, request cheque books and initiate NEFT/RTGS/IMPS transfers — all without setting foot in the branch. The IFSC SIBL0000197 is pre-filled by the bank for transfers originating from your own account, and you only need to enter it manually when adding an external beneficiary or sharing your account details with a third party.

Reaching the branch

The Cherpunkal branch sits at DONO18A,WARD NO6,NELLIPUZHA BUILDING,PALA-ETTUMANOOR HIGHWAY,CHERPUNKAL PO,KOTTAYAM DISTRICT,KERALA-686584. If you are travelling from outside Kottayam, search for the branch on a maps application using the bank name and locality, or call 4822-255969 to ask for landmarks. Many customers find it easier to skip the trip altogether: net banking, mobile apps, NEFT, RTGS, IMPS and UPI all work using the IFSC SIBL0000197 and your account number.

Things to verify before sending money

Banking errors are usually small typos that snowball into delayed credits and customer-care follow-ups. Use this short checklist before you confirm any transfer to South Indian Bank – CHERPUNKAL:

• The IFSC is exactly SIBL0000197 with no extra spaces.
• The beneficiary's account number matches what they shared, digit for digit.
• The portal auto-fills South Indian Bank as the bank name and CHERPUNKAL as the branch.
• The amount and the purpose of payment are correct.
• You have a valid OTP-verifying mobile number on hand.

A 30-second review here saves hours of reconciliation later.

Working hours

Branch counters at Cherpunkal are usually open from 10 AM to 4 PM on weekdays. Saturdays follow the RBI's alternate-Saturday rule. Even when the branch is closed, NEFT, RTGS, IMPS and UPI transfers addressed to SIBL0000197 continue to work without interruption.

Other ways to verify the IFSC code

While this page already lists the verified IFSC SIBL0000197 for South Indian Bank – CHERPUNKAL, you can cross-check the code from any of these sources before initiating a high-value transfer:

• The front of the cheque book issued by the branch – the IFSC is printed at the top of every leaf.
• The first page of your passbook.
• The bank's official website under the branch locator.
• The Reserve Bank of India's IFSC search portal.
• Net banking dashboards usually display the home-branch IFSC under account details.

Branch address & contact

Frequently asked questions

Final notes

To recap: SIBL0000197 is the IFSC code of South Indian Bank, CHERPUNKAL branch, in KOTTAYAM, KERALA. It is required for every electronic transfer to an account held at this branch. We keep this page updated with the latest address and contact details, so you can rely on the information here for your day-to-day banking needs.