SBI plans to hire 12,000 employees, up to 250 more branches in FY27
SBI made 25,633 hires in 2025-26, according to its annual report. This included 4,640 officers, 19,340 associates, and 1,653 contractual staff
- Sep 6, 2026,
- Updated Sep 6, 2026 9:50 PM IST
State Bank of India (SBI) plans to hire around 11,000 to 12,000 employees and add up to 250 branches during the current financial year, chairman CS Setty said in an interview with news agency PTI.
The hiring will cover both clerical and officer-level positions.
Setty said the final number could change depending on retirements and the bank’s emerging 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. This number may vary depending on retirements and emerging requirements, but I expect we should close the year with around 12,000 recruitments," the chairman said.
Fewer IT Hires This Year
SBI made 25,633 hires in 2025-26, according to its annual report. This included 4,640 officers, 19,340 associates, and 1,653 contractual staff.
Setty said last year's recruitment was particularly large because the bank hired 1,500 specialist IT officers.
"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 (information technology) side," he said.
SBI had more than 2.45 lakh employees as of March 2026, making it one of India’s largest employers.
In Case You Missed It: NSE's ₹30,000 crore IPO: SBI, its investment banking arm to offload 1% stake
SBI To Add Up To 250 Branches
The bank also plans to expand its branch network despite its already large presence across the country.
Setty said there was still "white space" in several areas, including new residential colonies and commercially active districts, where SBI could improve its presence.
At the same time, the bank is looking at rationalising some branches. "We also are looking at rationalisation of some of the branches, which means that our number broadly will be growing by maybe 200 to 250 per year on the net side," he said.
NSE Stake Dilution
The chairman also said SBI and its subsidiary SBI Capital Markets Ltd plan to dilute up to 1% of their combined stake in the National Stock Exchange through its proposed Rs 30,000-crore IPO.
SBI plans to sell 0.65%, while SBI Capital Markets plans to sell 0.35%.
"We are participating in that divestment. We propose to divest 0.65 per cent and 0.35 per cent by SBI Capital Markets because both of us hold the stake. So together, about 1 per cent as an SBI group... it could be less depending on any other shareholders joining," he said.
SBI currently holds a 3.23% stake in NSE, while SBI Capital Markets owns 4.33%.
State Bank of India (SBI) plans to hire around 11,000 to 12,000 employees and add up to 250 branches during the current financial year, chairman CS Setty said in an interview with news agency PTI.
The hiring will cover both clerical and officer-level positions.
Setty said the final number could change depending on retirements and the bank’s emerging 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. This number may vary depending on retirements and emerging requirements, but I expect we should close the year with around 12,000 recruitments," the chairman said.
Fewer IT Hires This Year
SBI made 25,633 hires in 2025-26, according to its annual report. This included 4,640 officers, 19,340 associates, and 1,653 contractual staff.
Setty said last year's recruitment was particularly large because the bank hired 1,500 specialist IT officers.
"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 (information technology) side," he said.
SBI had more than 2.45 lakh employees as of March 2026, making it one of India’s largest employers.
In Case You Missed It: NSE's ₹30,000 crore IPO: SBI, its investment banking arm to offload 1% stake
SBI To Add Up To 250 Branches
The bank also plans to expand its branch network despite its already large presence across the country.
Setty said there was still "white space" in several areas, including new residential colonies and commercially active districts, where SBI could improve its presence.
At the same time, the bank is looking at rationalising some branches. "We also are looking at rationalisation of some of the branches, which means that our number broadly will be growing by maybe 200 to 250 per year on the net side," he said.
NSE Stake Dilution
The chairman also said SBI and its subsidiary SBI Capital Markets Ltd plan to dilute up to 1% of their combined stake in the National Stock Exchange through its proposed Rs 30,000-crore IPO.
SBI plans to sell 0.65%, while SBI Capital Markets plans to sell 0.35%.
"We are participating in that divestment. We propose to divest 0.65 per cent and 0.35 per cent by SBI Capital Markets because both of us hold the stake. So together, about 1 per cent as an SBI group... it could be less depending on any other shareholders joining," he said.
SBI currently holds a 3.23% stake in NSE, while SBI Capital Markets owns 4.33%.