SBI’s Aggressive Hiring Drive and Branch Expansion in FY27

State Bank of India’s chairman, C.S. Setty, told PTI that the bank is gearing up for a sizeable recruitment push in FY27. Roughly 11,000‑12,000 fresh faces – spanning clerical roles to officer‑level positions – are expected to walk through the doors before the year ends.

Numbers can be a little fluid, he added, because retirements and emerging business needs might shift the final count. Still, the target is clear: close the fiscal year with close to 12,000 new appointments.

The bank’s recent hiring spree was far larger than usual. In the 2025‑26 financial year, SBI logged 25,633 hires – 4,640 officers, 19,340 associates and 1,653 contractual staff – largely driven by the intake of 1,500 specialist IT officers. This year, the emphasis on IT talent will dial back, Setty explained, as the technology demand has stabilised.

At the March 2026 cut‑off, SBI’s workforce topped 2.45 lakh, cementing its status as one of India’s biggest employers. Yet the bank isn’t content to rest on its laurels. It plans to roll out up to 250 fresh branches across the country, focusing on “white‑space” pockets – new residential colonies and bustling commercial districts that still lack an SBI presence.

While expanding, the bank will also rationalise certain under‑performing outlets. The net gain is expected to be about 200‑250 branches per year, rather than a straight addition of 250.

Alongside staffing and network growth, SBI and its subsidiary SBI Capital Markets are gearing up for a modest divestment in the National Stock Exchange. Together they may off‑load roughly 1 % of their combined NSE holding – 0.65 % from SBI and 0.35 % from SBI Capital Markets – as part of the proposed ₹30,000‑crore IPO.

All these moves signal SBI’s dual strategy: deepen its footprint on the ground while fine‑tuning its capital structure for the years ahead.