Country’s Largest Lender Plans Recruitment Across Clerical and Officer Cadres as It Expands Branch Network
New Delhi (Economy India): State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, plans to recruit around 11,000 to 12,000 personnel and add approximately 250 new branches during the ongoing financial year, SBI Chairman C S Setty said.
Speaking to PTI, Setty said the bank expects recruitment across both clerical and officer cadres during FY27. The final number could vary depending on retirements and emerging staffing requirements.
“In terms of recruitment, I think we would be looking at around 11,000 to 12,000 appointments across both clerical and officer cadres this year,” Setty said.
He added that SBI expects to close the financial year with around 12,000 recruitments, subject to changes arising from retirements and business requirements.
SBI Plans 12,000 Recruitments in FY27
SBI’s planned hiring comes as the lender continues to expand its operations and strengthen its workforce.
According to Setty, recruitment will primarily cover clerical and officer positions. The hiring requirement will be assessed alongside employee retirements and the bank’s emerging operational needs.
The recruitment plan indicates continued demand for banking professionals even as lenders increasingly adopt digital banking and technology-driven services.
Lower IT Hiring Expected This Year
Setty said SBI had undertaken relatively large-scale recruitment in the previous financial year, including the hiring of around 1,500 specialist IT officers.
However, the bank does not expect to require a similarly large number of IT specialists this year.
“Last year, we have done fairly large recruitment because we took 1,500 specialist IT officers. This year, we do not need such a large number on the IT side,” he said.
The change suggests that SBI’s technology workforce requirements are being calibrated based on its existing specialist strength and evolving business needs.
Around 250 New SBI Branches Planned
Alongside recruitment, SBI also plans to expand its physical banking network by adding approximately 250 new branches during FY27.
The expansion is expected to strengthen the bank’s physical presence and complement its growing digital banking operations.
For a lender with a nationwide network, new branches can help meet banking requirements in areas where customers continue to depend on physical banking services, while digital channels cater to an increasing share of routine transactions.
Balancing Physical and Digital Banking
The recruitment and branch expansion plans highlight SBI’s approach of maintaining both physical and digital banking capabilities.
While digital adoption has transformed customer interactions and reduced dependence on branches for several routine services, physical branches continue to play an important role in customer acquisition, relationship management, lending and other banking activities.
SBI’s planned addition of 250 branches indicates that the bank continues to see value in expanding its physical network alongside investments in digital capabilities.
SBI Strengthens Workforce for FY27
With around 12,000 appointments planned and 250 new branches targeted, SBI is preparing to strengthen its workforce and operating network during FY27.
The bank’s hiring strategy is also expected to remain flexible, with the final recruitment numbers dependent on employee retirements and emerging business requirements.
At the same time, the lower requirement for specialist IT recruitment compared with the previous year reflects a shift in the composition of SBI’s workforce needs.
The plans underline SBI’s continued focus on maintaining adequate staffing and expanding access to banking services as India’s financial sector continues to evolve.
(Economy India)
