1895 - The Establishment of BRI

One of the largest state-owned banks in Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) was established on December 16, 1895, by Raden Bei Aria Wirjaatmadja in Purwokerto, Central Java under the name De Poerwokertosche Hulp en Spaarbank der Inlandsche Hoofden (Help and Savings Bank for Purwokerto's Aristocrats).

1946 - BRI Post-independence RI

Bank BRI became the first State-Owned Bank in Indonesia as stipulated in Article 1 of Government Regulation No.1 of 1946 following the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia. Bank BRI’s activities were temporarily ceased during the revolutionary war in 1948. The bank resumed its operation after the Renville Agreement in 1949, changing its name to Bank Rakyat Indonesia Serikat.

Throughout the history, various names have been attached to BRI, beginning with “Hulp en Spaarbank der Inlandsche Bestuurs Ambtenaren”, Hulp en Spaarbank der Indlandsche Bestuurs Ambtenareen, Syomin Ginko, and finally, officially established as Bank Rakyat Indonesia on 18 December 1968 by virtue of Law No. 21 Year 1968.

1992 – BRI Today

Pursuant to Banking Law No. 7 of 1992 and Government Regulation No. 21 of 1992, BRI officially became a limited liability company on August 1, 1992. At that time, the Government controlled 100% of BRI's ownership. In 2003, the Government decided to sell 30% of the bank's shares and made the bank a public company under the official name PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. which it still uses today.

Since its establishment, BRI consistently focuses on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), and became the pioneer of microfinance in Indonesia.

BRI also brought its technology-based banking services to every corner of the country, including to the small islands of the archipelago. In 2016, a new history was made. On June 18, 2016, 18:38 PM Kourou time, French Guiana, BRI launched BRIsat, making it the first bank in the world that owns and operates its own satellite. This satellite was part of BRI’s strategic plan to strengthen the supporting infrastructure for digital services of the future, which could offer quality banking technology from the center of the city to the remote areas of the nation.

To develop the MSME sector, BRI is continually committed to provide convenience in banking services, through digital banking innovation. To that end, since 2017 BRI has launched BRISPOT and continuing its development in 2018. BRISPOT is a mobile-based application with a one-stop service concept for Account Officer for the end-to-end lending process.

On September 13, 2021, Ultra Micro Holding Company which involves three Indonesian State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), BRI, Pegadaian, and PNM (Permodalan Nasional Madani) officially has been established. The establishment of an ultra-micro ecosystem will strengthen BRI's journey in achieving the aspirations of The Most Valuable Banking Group in Southeast Asia and Champion of Financial Inclusion, and continue to provide sustainable value for all stakeholders.