The Bank, through its Canara Bank Centenary Rural Development Trust (CBCRDT), has established 34 exclusive training institutes, including 26 Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs), 5 Institutes of Information Technology and 3 Artisan Training Institutes to promote entrepreneurship development among rural youth and encourage them to take up self employment activities.

During 2015-16, these Institutes trained 30,387 candidates, taking the tally to 2.57 lakhs unemployed youth since inception, with an impressive settlement rate of 73%. The Bank has co-sponsored another 27 Rural Development and Self Employment Training Institutes (RUDSETIs) across 17 States, engaged in training of rural youth for taking up self-employment programmes.

During 2015- 16, these Institutes trained 26,909 candidates, taking the tally to 3.96 lakhs unemployed youth since inception, with a settlement rate of 72%. The Bank has co-sponsored Andhra Pradesh Bankers Institute for Rural and Entrepreneurship Development (APBIRED) at Hyderabad, Canara Bank Deshpande RSETI at Haliyal, Karnataka, Karnataka Farmers Resource Centre (KFRC) at Bagalkot, Karnataka and Bharat Ratna Shri M Visvesvaraya Training Institute at Bengaluru. Cumulatively, the Bank’s sponsored/ co-sponsored 65 training institutes have trained 6.78 lakhs unemployed youth, with a settlement rate of 72%.

The Bank has 4 donated a hi-tech, custom built, solar powered ‘Retail Mobile Marketing Van’ to assist women entrepreneurs, SHGs and artisans to market their products. During the year, the Bank undertook a number of activities for the benefi t of the communities as part of CSR programmes