The State Bank of India (SBI) has unveiled a focused strategy to enhance gender diversity, setting a target to increase the representation of women in its workforce to 30 per cent within the next five years. Currently, women constitute 27 per cent of SBI’s total workforce of over 2.4 lakh employees, while at the frontline level, they account for 33 per cent.
To bridge this gap, the bank is implementing a series of initiatives aimed at creating a workplace where women can thrive, lead and grow. SBI’s women-centric programmes include a crèche allowance for working mothers, a family connect programme, and a special training initiative designed to help employees smoothly transition back to work after maternity, sabbatical, or extended medical leave.
A key part of the bank’s inclusion agenda is its flagship initiative, Empower Her, which focuses on identifying, mentoring and grooming women for leadership roles. Through structured leadership labs and coaching sessions, the programme aims to build a strong pipeline of future women leaders across the organisation.
Recognising the importance of women’s health and well-being, SBI has also rolled out preventive healthcare initiatives such as breast and cervical cancer screenings, nutrition allowances for pregnant employees, and a Cervical Cancer Vaccination Drive.
SBI’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment is further reflected in its 340+ all-women branches operating across India — a number the bank plans to expand. Women employees are well-represented across geographies and hierarchical levels, underscoring SBI’s focus on diversity, safety and professional development.
Through these efforts, the country’s largest lender continues to strengthen its people-first culture, setting a benchmark for gender inclusion and leadership parity in the Indian banking sector.
