SBI to hire 12,000 staff this year, open 250 new branches
SBI chairman C S Setty says the bank will recruit 11,000 to 12,000 employees and expand its branch network in the current financial year.
The State Bank of India has laid out a major recruitment plan. Bank chairman C S Setty said the lender will hire 11,000 to 12,000 employees in this financial year, with vacancies for both clerks and officers. The bank will also open 250 new branches.
"We need people because of retirements and new requirements. We expect to complete recruitment of around 12,000 by the end of this year," Setty said. SBI had also carried out large scale recruitment last year, hiring 1,500 IT specialist officers. Because of this, the need in the IT cadre is not as high this time, but recruitment of clerks and general officers will happen on a large scale. As of March 2026, SBI has a total of 2.45 lakh employees, making it the largest employer in the country.
According to the bank's annual report, SBI hired a total of 25,633 people in the 2025-26 financial year. This included 4,640 officers, 19,340 clerks and 1,653 contract employees. This means the recruitment figure this time is slightly lower than last year, though the figure of 12,000 is still considered large.
SBI is also expanding its network. According to Setty, the bank's network is already very large, but the need for branches is still felt in some places. The bank will open 250 new branches in areas where new residential colonies are coming up and business is growing. These new branches will also need new staff, so this recruitment will serve that purpose as well. The bank is also considering closing some old branches and shifting them to new locations. On this basis, around 200 to 250 branches will keep getting added every year.
This is a big opportunity for the lakhs of young people who dream of a government job. A job at SBI is considered to mean a good salary, a secure future and respect. Those preparing for the bank's exams should start their preparation now. SBI will soon issue an official notification for this recruitment, giving full details such as eligibility, age limit and exam dates. For now, it is clear that recruitment will happen for 12,000 posts, so candidates should begin their preparation in earnest.
