State Bank of India (SBI) is preparing for another phase of expansion, with plans to recruit around 12,000 employees and add 200–250 branches in FY27, Chairman CS Setty said.
The hiring will cover both clerical and officer cadres. Setty said the final number could vary depending on retirements and emerging workforce requirements, but SBI expects recruitment to reach approximately 12,000 by year-end.
The plan follows aggressive hiring in FY26, when SBI recruited 25,633 people, including 4,640 officers, 19,340 associates and 1,653 contractual employees. The bank employed more than 245,000 people as of March 2026.
This year, however, SBI does not expect the same requirement for specialist IT officers. Last year’s recruitment included around 1,500 specialist IT officers, reflecting the bank’s earlier technology expansion.
Physical expansion remains equally important. Despite SBI’s extensive nationwide footprint, Setty sees opportunities in newly developed residential areas and commercially active districts. Branch rationalization will continue, but the bank expects a net addition of roughly 200–250 locations annually.
The strategy highlights an interesting shift in Indian banking: digitalization is not eliminating the need for people or branches. Instead, SBI appears to be pursuing a hybrid growth model—combining technology and digital banking with human talent and an expanded physical presence to serve India’s growing banking market.
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