Established in 1969 by the Reserve Bank of India, in consultation with the Government of India, as an autonomous apex institution, with the mandate of playing a proactive role of "think-tank" of the banking system, the National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM) is part of the grand vision of giving a new direction to the banking industry in India and making the industry a more cost-effective instrument for national development. Therefore, helping the managers in their endeavor to make their organizations competitive both in domestic and inter-national markets is the mission of the Institute.

NIBM is recognized by the University of Pune as an approved centre for Post-Graduate Research and also by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. Many Ph.D. students are currently resigtsred with NIBM for their doctoral dissertation under the supervision of the Institute's faculty members.