A claim is being shared on social media that the State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a ‘Floating Bank’ that operates on the backwaters of Alappuzha district in Kerala.
Fact Check/Verification
We conducted a keyword search on Google to verify the claim. No recent or credible reports were found to support it.
A report published by Rediff on December 30, 2003, stated that for the first time in India, the State Bank of India (SBI) was planning to launch a “floating ATM” in the backwaters of Alappuzha (Alleppey) district in Kerala.
The Times of India also reported on February 7, 2004, that SBI would inaugurate India’s first “floating” ATM on February 9. SBI sources confirmed that the ATM was installed on a junker (boat) owned by the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC).
However, there are no reports of any SBI branch being opened on a boat.
We also searched for SBI branches under the Thiruvananthapuram circle and found no mention of a floating branch.
Additionally, we checked Google Maps for SBI branches in Alappuzha and found no evidence of any floating bank facility.
To further verify, we contacted a branch manager of SBI in Alappuzha, who confirmed that SBI does not operate any floating bank in the region.
As part of our investigation, we examined the “floating bank” photo shared with the viral claim.
We checked it using AI detection tools and found that the image was created by using Artificial Intelligence. wasitai indicated high confidence that the photo—or a significant portion of it—was AI-generated.
We also verified the image using another AI detection tool, sightengine, which assessed it as 89% likely to be AI-generated.
Conclusion
Therefore, based on the available evidence, the claim that the State Bank of India has launched a “floating bank” in the backwaters of Alappuzha district in Kerala is false.
Sources
Branches of State Bank of India, Thiruvananthapuram Circle
Conversation with Manager State Bank of India, Alappuzha Main
wasitai
Sightengine
(This claim was first fact checked by our Kannada team. This can be read here)
