SBI Full Form
State Bank of India
What does SBI stand for? A banking term, explained.
SBI Full Form in English, letter by letter
SBI is the State Bank of India, the country's largest public sector bank, formed in 1955 from the Imperial Bank of India.
SBI Full Form in Indian Languages
SBI is the bank most Indian families already have an account in, and its name is painted on branch boards in every state language. The cards below show State Bank of India in six Indian languages.
From the Bank of Calcutta to SBI
The SBI full form is State Bank of India, and its ancestry runs back to the Bank of Calcutta, set up in 1806 and renamed Bank of Bengal in 1809. Together with the Bank of Bombay (1840) and the Bank of Madras (1843) it formed the three presidency banks, which were merged into the Imperial Bank of India in 1921.
The Reserve Bank of India then took a controlling interest, and on 1 July 1955 the Imperial Bank became the State Bank of India under the State Bank of India Act, 1955. The larger commercial banks were nationalised in 1969, but SBI had been under public ownership for fourteen years by then.
The associate banks and the 2017 merger
From 1959 SBI took over several state-associated banks as subsidiaries, among them the banks of Hyderabad, Mysore, Patiala, Saurashtra, Travancore, Indore, Bikaner and Jaipur. They carried the group into regions the old presidency banks had never reached, and their branches kept the old names well into the 2000s.
Saurashtra and Indore were merged into SBI in 2008 and 2010. The remaining five, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, Hyderabad, Mysore, Patiala and Travancore, joined the parent on 1 April 2017, along with Bharatiya Mahila Bank, the women's bank launched in 2013. It was one of the biggest bank mergers in Indian banking history.
How large SBI is today
SBI runs more than 22,000 branches in India and tens of thousands of ATMs and customer service points, the widest network of any Indian bank, with a presence in districts where private banks have no office. Crores of accounts sit with it, from salary and savings accounts to Jan Dhan accounts opened during the financial inclusion drive. Its foreign offices serve Indian businesses and the diaspora.
The group includes SBI Life Insurance, SBI Mutual Fund, SBI Cards and Payments, SBI General Insurance and SBI Capital Markets, several of them separately listed companies. SBI Cards listed through an IPO in March 2020.
Banking products and the YONO app
Savings accounts, home loans, car loans, education loans and Kisan Credit Card lending are everyday products, and the YONO app moved many branch services onto the phone. UPI, NEFT and card payments run through the same app.
A few rules are worth knowing. Keep your KYC details updated, since an account can be restricted if documents lapse. Link your mobile number to the account for alerts, and never share an OTP or card details with anyone claiming to be from the bank. The bank will not ask for them by phone or message.
Working with SBI: exams and careers
As an employer SBI is a destination in itself. It runs its own examinations for probationary officers and clerks, unlike most other public sector banks, which recruit through IBPS. The SBI PO exam draws lakhs of applicants for a few thousand posts and is one of the toughest banking tests in India.
The selection runs in stages: a preliminary exam, a main exam and then group exercises and an interview. Clerk recruitment, officer posts for specialists and apprentice schemes follow their own notifications, so check the official careers page for dates and eligibility before applying.
Why SBI behaves differently from private banks
A social mandate sits alongside the profit motive: SBI is expected to serve rural and unbanked areas, which shapes where branches open and how small loans are priced. That reach is why government benefit transfers, subsidies and pension payments so often land in SBI accounts.
The government holds a majority stake, a little over half the shares, so SBI's quarterly results move the stock market on their own. For customers the trade-off is scale over speed, a little less polish than a private bank, and a great deal more counter presence across the country.
SBI grew from a presidency bank into the institution that touches most Indian bank accounts. Knowing that history explains its size, its reach into small towns and why its exam calendar matters to banking aspirants.
SBI Full Form: Common Questions
What is the full form of SBI?
The full form of SBI is State Bank of India, the country's largest public sector bank. It took this name on 1 July 1955 from the Imperial Bank of India, whose roots go back to the Bank of Calcutta, set up in 1806.
When was the State Bank of India founded?
SBI was established on 1 July 1955 under the State Bank of India Act, 1955, when the Imperial Bank of India was taken over with the Reserve Bank of India holding a controlling stake. Its earliest ancestor dates to 1806.
How many branches does SBI have?
More than 22,000 branches in India, the largest network in the country, supported by tens of thousands of ATMs and customer service points. Five associate banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank were merged into SBI on 1 April 2017.
Does SBI conduct its own banking exams?
Yes. Unlike most public sector banks that recruit through IBPS, SBI runs its own probationary officer, clerk and specialist officer examinations. The PO exam attracts lakhs of applicants for a few thousand vacancies.
Is money deposited in SBI safe?
Deposits with SBI carry DICGC insurance cover of up to ₹5 lakh per depositor per bank, as for any scheduled bank. SBI is also designated by the RBI as a systemically important bank, which brings closer supervision.
What is the YONO app?
YONO is SBI's mobile banking app, which lets customers open accounts, transfer money, pay bills, apply for loans and use UPI. Download it only from the official app store listing and never share your login details or OTP.