The institute was founded in 1928 as the Indian Institute of Bankers on the model of the London Institute of Banking and Finance to train bankers and finance professionals. In 1925, with the encouragement of Sir Basit Blackett, the finance member in the executive council of the Viceroy of India, the Imperial Bank of India wrote a letter to The London Institute of Bankers requesting the bank to include questions on Indian banking in the institute's examinations failing which banks in India would have to start their own institute. In a reply dated 25 October 1925, Ernest Sykes, the Secretary of the London Institute of Bankers, encouraged Indian bankers to start their own institute. A detailed discussion was held on the subject at the board room of the Bombay head office of the Imperial Bank of India on 12 March 1927 and the Indian Institute of Bankers was established as a result on 30 April 1928 with Sir Norcot Warren, Managing Governor of the Imperial Bank of India as the first President. Sir Warren retired shortly afterwards and was succeeded by Sir Norman Murray. The first general meeting was held at Bombay on 9 July 1928 and the institute conducted its first associate examinations between 6 and 13 April 1929. A total of 89 candidates appeared for the examination of whom, only one, T. M. Srinivasaraghavan of the Imperial Bank of India, Cuddapah passed both parts of the two-part examination.