Tamilnad Mercantile Bank has launched TMB Vani, an AI-powered telecalling service that speaks to customers in 40 languages. The bank unveiled the system on 11 November 2026 at its 105th Foundation Day celebrations in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, one month after reporting a record ₹451 crore profit for Q2 FY27.

The rollout bundles more than one product. Alongside TMB Vani, the bank introduced a Smart Kiosk for self-service, an auto-reconciliation tool, a new credit card and a new branch at Anna Nagar in Thoothukudi, inaugurated virtually. Vice-President of India C. P. Radhakrishnan attended as chief guest, with Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar present.

What does TMB Vani change for customers?

The service lets the bank hold telecalling conversations in any of 40 languages, so each customer can be served in the language they prefer. For a lender headquartered in southern Tamil Nadu with a growing national footprint, that removes the need to staff call centres in every language it wants to reach.

Voice AI is already a fast-growing category in Indian banking. Federal Bank has worked with GreyLabs AI to deploy voice AI across customer interactions, while specialist vendors are raising capital to build such agents for lenders. TMB's move shows mid-sized banks adopting the same capability directly.

What else did the bank launch?

The Foundation Day announcements covered technology, retail products and people:

• TMB Vani: AI-powered telecalling in 40 languages.
• Smart Kiosk: self-service terminals for branch customers.
• Auto-reconciliation solution: aimed at improving operational efficiency.
• New credit card: an addition to the bank's retail product range.
• New branch: Anna Nagar, Thoothukudi, inaugurated virtually.
• Careers portal: a channel to connect with prospective job seekers.
• LinkedIn Learning platform: employee skill development.

What did the CEO say?

Managing Director and CEO Salee S. Nair framed the launches as part of a broader shift. The bank's focus, he said, is on "building a more agile, technology-driven and customer-centric bank".

"TMB Vani and Smart Kiosks mark important steps in this direction," Nair added. He took charge of the bank after the Reserve Bank of India approved his appointment as MD and CEO in 2024.

What did the Vice-President tell the bank?

Radhakrishnan traced TMB's journey from its origins as Nadar Bank Limited in 1921 to a lender with 632 branches across 17 states and four Union Territories, more than 53 lakh customers and total business exceeding ₹1.30 lakh crore, according to the Vice-President's Secretariat. The bank confirmed the celebration in a stock exchange filing.

He urged TMB to keep strengthening its cybersecurity, safeguard customers' money and personal data, and continue to embrace innovation. He also called on the bank to aim to become one of India's leading private sector banks while staying rooted in Thoothukudi.

Why does multilingual AI matter for Indian banking?

Multilingual AI gives mid-sized banks a practical way to serve customers beyond English and Hindi at scale. Regulators are moving in the same direction: SEBI's BHASHINI tie-up for investor services shows how Indian-language AI is entering financial services more broadly.

For TMB, the 40-language voice channel could help it reach customers across states without adding call-centre staff for each language. The launch, coming after a record quarter, signals where the bank plans to spend its next phase of growth.