The State Bank of India (SBI), a leading financial institution in the country, has launched an ambitious initiative to significantly boost gender diversity within its ranks. The goal is to raise the representation of women in its workforce to 30% over the next five years.
Kishore Kumar Poludasu, SBI’s Deputy Managing Director (HR) and Chief Development Officer, shared in an interview that while women make up nearly 33% of the frontline staff, their overall representation across the bank stands at 27%. He emphasized the bank’s commitment to enhancing this figure to foster greater diversity.
Mr. Poludasu confirmed that SBI is actively implementing various strategies to close this gap and successfully reach its mid-term target of having 30% women in its total workforce.
With over 240,000 employees, SBI boasts one of the largest workforces of any organization in India, and indeed, the most significant in the entire banking sector.
He further elaborated on SBI’s dedication to cultivating a supportive environment where women can excel across all hierarchical levels. Through specially designed programs, the bank aims to promote leadership development, a healthy work-life balance, and ensure dignity for all its female employees.
Among the key initiatives aimed at supporting its women employees, Mr. Poludasu highlighted benefits like crèche allowances for working mothers, family connect programs, and tailored training sessions for those returning from maternity leave, sabbaticals, or extended sick leave.
A cornerstone of these efforts is the ‘Empower Her’ initiative. This flagship program is designed to identify, mentor, and develop women for leadership positions through structured leadership labs and personalized coaching, ultimately strengthening the pipeline for future senior female executives.
Addressing the specific health and well-being needs of its female staff, SBI has also rolled out specialized programs, including breast and cervical cancer screenings, nutritional support allowances for pregnant employees, and a comprehensive cervical cancer vaccination drive.
Mr. Poludasu reiterated that these numerous initiatives are thoughtfully implemented with the welfare of all women and girls employed by the bank as a central focus.
The SBI CDO emphasized the bank’s unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive, secure, and safe environment, empowering its women employees to realize their complete potential.
A testament to this commitment is the operation of over 340 all-women staff branches across India, a number expected to grow in the coming years.
According to the SBI CDO, women are strongly represented across all regions and management levels, underscoring the bank’s dedication to inclusivity. He also noted that the bank prides itself on a dynamic and highly skilled team of female IT specialist officers who are vital for ensuring the security, efficiency, and innovation of its banking operations.
Globally, SBI stands among the top 50 banks by asset size and has earned recognition as a top employer from numerous prestigious organizations.
Mr. Poludasu highlighted SBI’s position at the forefront of industry transformation, utilizing its adaptable framework to champion innovation in processes, technology, and customer experience.
He concluded that by proactively adopting new technologies and adapting to evolving customer expectations, SBI maintains its agility and responsiveness to shifting business models, consistently leading the way instead of merely following.