SBI hiring over 4,200 staff for associate banks

The State Bank of India, the country's largest lender, has announced plans to hire over 4,200 employees for its associate banks, at a time when banks across the globe are cutting down staff and closing branches in the amidst a financial market meltdown.

SBI's website announcement that it plans to recruit 4,280 clerical staff at its various associate banks for operations across the country, comes within days of its proposal to recruit 25,000 people in the current fiscal.

The bank last week said it planned to hire around 25,000 people for its various associate banks in the current financial year.

SBI's associate banks include the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Indore, State Bank of Patiala and the State Bank of Travancore.

While there are over 1,000 vacancies each at the State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Patiala and the State Bank of Travancore, there are between 240 and 440 vacancies each of the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Indore and the State Bank of Mysore.

SBI had last year announced plans to increase its as well as the associate banks' headcount by about 10,000 people. IDBI Bank, another state-run lender, last month said it was looking to hire about 650 people for its retail banking and SME finance businesses.

SBI, meanwhile, is expanding its branch network in the Andaman & Nicobar  Islands to boost its operations there.

The bank would also raise the number of ATMs in the union territory from 11 to 16 by the year-end.

SBI also plans to undertake income generation activities among the unemployed youth there in collaboration with Nabard, by setting up with a training institute under the Rudseti (rural development and self training institute) programme, the bank said.