The State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has outlined a comprehensive strategy to enhance gender diversity across its workforce. The bank aims to increase the share of women employees to 30% within the next five years. In an interview with PTI, Kishore Kumar Poludasu, SBI’s Deputy Managing Director (HR) and Chief Development Officer (CDO), said,
“If we talk about frontline staff, women make up almost 33%, but overall, they account for 27% of the total workforce. We are working towards improving this percentage further to strengthen diversity.”
With a total staff strength of over 2.4 lakh employees, SBI is one of India’s largest employers and the biggest in the banking sector.
Women-Centric Initiatives at SBI
To achieve its diversity goals, SBI has launched several initiatives to support women employees and encourage leadership development:
- Workplace Support: The bank offers creche allowances for working mothers, a Family Connect Programme, and special training modules for women employees returning from maternity leave, sabbaticals, or extended medical absences.
- ‘Empower Her’ Programme: A flagship initiative aimed at identifying, mentoring, and grooming women leaders through structured leadership labs and coaching sessions. This programme seeks to build a strong pipeline of future women executives.
- Health and Well-being: SBI has introduced focused programmes like breast and cervical cancer screenings, nutrition allowances for pregnant employees, and a Cervical Cancer Vaccination Drive.
“These initiatives are designed to ensure that women and young girls employed with the bank can achieve their full potential in a safe, supportive environment,” Poludasu said.
Women-Led Branches and Inclusive Growth
SBI currently operates more than 340 branches managed entirely by women staff, and the number is expected to grow in the coming years. Women employees are well represented across all regions and hierarchical levels, reflecting the bank’s commitment to inclusivity and empowerment. Poludasu added that SBI continues to leverage technology and innovation to stay ahead in the industry.
“By embracing new technologies and evolving customer expectations, SBI remains agile and responsive to changing business models, consistently setting the pace rather than lagging behind,” he said.
Yes womans are more efficient than man, but banks need security where woman will not cope up, maternity leave, house responsibility, health issues for that leave they will avail, moreover I observed in sbi womans are short tampered banking is not glamour industry
There are already 30% women workforce in SBI, 33% in frontline and 27% in back office. So, average is 30%..