SBI Plans 12,000 New Hires and Up to 250 Branches Across India in FY27

New Delhi, September 6, 2026: State Bank of India (SBI) is preparing for another major expansion during the current financial year, with plans to recruit around 11,000 to 12,000 employees and increase its branch network by roughly 200 to 250 outlets. The plans underline the country's largest lender's continued focus on strengthening its physical presence while maintaining staffing levels across its extensive operations.

SBI Chairman C.S. Setty said the final recruitment figure could change depending on employee retirements and the bank's operational requirements during the year. However, the expectation is that the lender could finish FY27 with approximately 12,000 new appointments across officer and clerical positions.

Recruitment to Focus on Regular Banking Roles

The proposed hiring programme comes after SBI carried out a significantly larger recruitment drive in the previous financial year. According to the bank's FY26 annual report, SBI recruited 25,633 people during 2025-26.

The previous year's intake included 4,640 officers, 19,340 associates and 1,653 contractual employees. The bank also recruited around 1,500 specialist information technology officers during that period, making technology hiring an important component of its workforce expansion.

For FY27, however, SBI does not expect to require IT specialists at the same scale. The recruitment strategy is therefore expected to be more closely aligned with conventional banking requirements, including officer and clerical positions.

SBI had more than 2.45 lakh employees as of March 2026, placing it among India's largest employers. The additional hiring is expected to help the bank address workforce requirements arising from retirements, business growth and expansion into new locations.

SBI Eyes 250 More Branches

Alongside the recruitment drive, SBI is also looking to expand its physical banking network. The lender expects its branch count to register a net increase of around 200 to 250 branches during the financial year.

Although SBI already operates one of the country's largest banking networks, the bank believes there are still locations where its presence can be strengthened. New residential developments, growing commercial centres and districts experiencing increased economic activity are among the areas that could create demand for additional branches.

The expansion will not simply involve opening branches at new locations. SBI is also reviewing its existing network and considering rationalisation where required. This approach is intended to ensure that the bank's branch footprint matches changing customer and business needs.

The combination of new outlets and network rationalisation means the overall number of SBI branches is expected to rise by roughly 200 to 250 on a net basis each year, according to the chairman's comments.

Why the Expansion Matters

The planned recruitment and branch additions come as banking customers increasingly use digital channels while physical branches continue to play an important role in many parts of India.

SBI's expansion strategy reflects the need to balance both models. Digital banking has reduced dependence on branches for routine transactions, but branches remain significant for activities such as loans, financial consultations, account-related services and customer support.

For employees and job seekers, the proposed recruitment could also create opportunities across SBI's officer and clerical cadres. The exact number of vacancies, recruitment schedules and eligibility requirements will depend on official notifications issued by the bank.

SBI Also Plans NSE Stake Sale

SBI's expansion plans come at a time when the bank is also evaluating opportunities to monetise some of its investments.

SBI and its subsidiary SBI Capital Markets are planning to participate in the proposed initial public offering of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) by selling a portion of their combined stake. The group has indicated plans to dilute up to 1% of its NSE holding through the IPO. SBI is expected to sell around 0.65%, while SBI Capital Markets could sell approximately 0.35%, although the final amount could be lower depending on participation from other shareholders.

SBI currently holds about 3.23% of NSE, while SBI Capital Markets owns approximately 4.33%. The proposed NSE IPO, valued at around ₹30,000 crore, has received regulatory approval and could become India's largest-ever IPO if completed at the indicated size.

For now, SBI's primary operational focus remains its core banking business. The combination of thousands of new employees and hundreds of additional branches signals that the lender continues to see scope for growth in its nationwide customer base, even as banking services become increasingly digital.

The FY27 expansion could therefore mark another step in SBI's effort to strengthen its workforce and physical network while adapting its operations to changing customer needs across India's urban, semi-urban and emerging markets.