Banking sector to play transformative role in India's 'Viksit Bharat' journey: SBI Chairman
Mumbai, May 27
The banking sector will play a transformative role in helping India achieve its Viksit Bharat vision by mobilising capital, promoting entrepreneurship and accelerating financial inclusion, State Bank of India Chairman C S Setty said on Wednesday.
In his address to shareholders in the bank's annual report, Setty said the sector would play a transformative role in mobilising capital, supporting infrastructure development, fostering entrepreneurship and driving financial inclusion across the country.
"As India progresses towards the vision of Viksit Bharat, the banking sector will play a transformative role in mobilising capital, enabling entrepreneurship, supporting infrastructure creation, and accelerating financial inclusion," he stated.
"As the country's largest bank, we recognise both the opportunity and responsibility that comes with this role and remain committed to supporting India's growth aspirations," Setty stated.
Sharing the bank's future roadmap, Setty said SBI's strategic priorities would remain focused on strengthening its "Digital First, Customer First" approach.
"Going forward, our strategic priorities will remain firmly centred around strengthening our 'Digital First, Customer First' approach," he mentioned.
He said the bank would continue investing heavily in technology, data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure to build a more agile, intelligent and responsive banking ecosystem.
Describing FY26 as a landmark year for the bank, Setty said SBI strengthened its leadership position across key business segments while continuing its transformation into a technology-driven and customer-centric financial institution.
He added that the next phase of transformation would focus on delivering deeply personalised, seamless and intuitive banking experiences across customer segments and channels.
"The next phase of our transformation will focus on delivering deeply personalised, seamless, and intuitive banking experiences across all customer segments and channels," Setty explained.
At the same time, he underlined the continued importance of physical banking in SBI's relationship-led model.
According to him, the bank aims to integrate the strength of its branch network with the speed and convenience of digital platforms to create a truly omni-channel banking experience.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good intentions, but I hope 'financial inclusion' doesn't just mean more loans. Many people end up in debt traps. Need better financial literacy programs first, especially in semi-urban areas.
Impressive ambition. The integration of physical branches with digital platforms is crucial. In rural India, people still trust bank staff for important transactions. The omni-channel approach sounds promising if executed well.
SBI should focus on reducing NPAs first. All this tech talk is fine, but if lending isn't responsible, it's just fuelling more bad loans. Viksit Bharat needs a stable banking system, not flashy digital shows.
'Digital First, Customer First' is the right mantra. But SBI's customer service at branches needs serious improvement. Long queues and unhelpful staff are still common. Technology should complement human touch, not replace it entirely.
Finally, some good news from banking sector! Entrepreneurship promotion through better credit access can really help small businesses in tier-2, tier-3 cities. But need faster loan processing and less red tape. 🙏
Hope this focus on cybersecurity is real. With UPI and digital payments skyrocketing, banks are vulnerable
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