State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest public sector bank, has initiated the onboarding of 13,455 newly recruited junior associates across its extensive branch network.
This move is part of a broader strategy to reinforce customer service and operational efficiency at the grassroots level.
The recruitment drive, announced in June 2025, is one of the largest in recent years and reflects SBI’s commitment to expanding its human resource capabilities in line with evolving banking needs.
The junior associates are being deployed across 35 states and Union Territories, with the aim of improving customer engagement and streamlining branch-level operations.
These roles are critical for handling transactions, managing administrative duties, and delivering frontline services that directly impact customer experience.
SBI Recruitment Process and Selection Criteria
SBI adopted a thorough multi-stage evaluation process to select candidates for the junior associate roles.
The preliminary exams took place in February and March 2025, followed by the main examinations in April.
SBI assessed candidates on key competencies such as customer service aptitude, banking knowledge, and digital literacy.
The final list of selected candidates was released in July, and onboarding commenced shortly thereafter.
SBI Chairman C.S. Setty emphasized the importance of structured skill development for new recruits.
He noted that the bank is implementing training programs aligned with technological advancements and functional requirements, ensuring that junior associates are equipped to meet modern banking challenges.
Strategic Workforce Expansion
SBI plans to hire around 18,000 employees during the financial year 2026 as part of its workforce expansion strategy.
The recruitment includes positions such as clerical staff, probationary officers (POs), local-based officers (LBOs), and specialist officers (SOs).
Of these, the junior associate roles represent the largest segment, accounting for nearly 75% of the total intake.
SBI has a workforce of over 2.36 lakh employees spread across the country.
Its operations include 22,937 branches, 63,791 ATMs/ADWMs, and more than 77,000 business correspondent outlets.
The addition of junior associates will significantly enhance the bank’s ability to deliver consistent and responsive service at every customer touchpoint.
Digital Integration and Future Outlook
The newly recruited employees will play a role in advancing SBI’s digital strategy.
They will contribute to the growth and operations of YONO, the bank’s main digital platform, which now has over 8.77 crore registered users.
Digital banking is steadily expanding across India’s financial landscape.
In response, junior associates will help connect conventional banking practices with modern digital platforms, particularly in semi-urban and rural regions.
SBI is projected to achieve a 12% credit growth in FY26, in line with the overall banking sector.
The expanded workforce will contribute to this growth by improving service delivery and operational throughput.
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