The State Bank of India (SBI), a powerhouse in India’s banking sector, has unveiled an ambitious plan to significantly boost gender diversity within its ranks. Their goal? To see women make up 30% of their total workforce within the next five years.
Kishore Kumar Poludasu, SBI’s Deputy Managing Director (HR) and Chief Development Officer, shared insights into this initiative. “While women constitute a strong 33% of our frontline staff, their overall representation across the bank currently stands at 27%,” he explained. “We are dedicated to enhancing this figure, ensuring a more balanced and diverse workforce.”
Poludasu emphasized the bank’s proactive approach, outlining various measures designed to close this gap and successfully reach their medium-term target of 30% female employees.
With over 240,000 employees, SBI boasts one of the largest workforces in India, and indeed, the most substantial in the entire banking industry.
He further affirmed SBI’s unwavering commitment to cultivating an environment where women can truly excel at every career stage. Through specifically designed programs, the bank aims to champion female leadership, promote a healthy work-life balance, and uphold dignity for all its employees.
Among the many initiatives focused on women, Poludasu highlighted several key offerings. These include providing creche allowances for working mothers, implementing comprehensive family connection programs, and offering specialized training to support women returning from maternity leave, sabbaticals, or extended sick leaves, ensuring a smooth transition back to work.
A cornerstone of this commitment is ‘Empower Her,’ a flagship initiative dedicated to identifying, mentoring, and developing women for leadership positions. This program leverages structured leadership labs and personalized coaching to enhance female representation in senior roles and build a robust pipeline of future top women executives.
Acknowledging the distinct health requirements of its female staff, SBI has also rolled out specialized health programs. These include offering breast and cervical cancer screenings, providing nutritional allowances for pregnant employees, and organizing a dedicated Cervical Cancer Vaccination Drive.
Poludasu underscored that these and many other initiatives are thoughtfully designed with the well-being and career progression of all women and girls employed at the bank in mind.
The SBI CDO reiterated the bank’s dedication to fostering an inclusive, secure, and safe environment, empowering its women employees to realize their utmost potential.
A testament to this commitment is the existence of over 340 all-women operated branches across India, a number that the bank anticipates will grow significantly in the coming years.
The SBI CDO highlighted that women employees are already well-represented across various regions and organizational tiers, showcasing the bank’s dedication to inclusivity. Furthermore, SBI boasts a highly dynamic and skilled team of female IT specialist officers who are crucial in ensuring the security, efficiency, and innovation of the bank’s operations.
As one of the world’s top 50 banks by asset size, SBI has also earned recognition as a leading employer from numerous prestigious organizations.
Poludasu concluded by stating that SBI remains at the cutting edge of transformation, utilizing its adaptable framework to champion innovation across processes, technology, and customer experience.
By proactively adopting new technologies and adapting to evolving customer expectations, SBI maintains its agility and responsiveness to shifting business landscapes, consistently leading the way instead of merely following.