Joseph Augusti Kayalackakom (1884-1968) was an outstanding entrepreneur of Kerala, India. He made pioneering ventures in diverse spheres during the first half of the 20th century, and was a major figure in the financial and social arena of the State for nearly fifty years. In 1927, he founded the Palai Central Bank, which grew up to become not only the biggest bank but the biggest institution in Kerala after the state Government, and the 17th largest among the more than 94 scheduled commercial banks in India.