Mumbai: Eight public sector banks out of 12 added a total of 13,223 employees in the financial year 2026 with State Bank of India (SBI) accounting for the bulk of the hiring. The combined workforce stands more than 6.28 lakh.

An analysis of data gathered by PTI from the annual reports of banks indicates that the total workforce of the eight public sector banks reached 628,203 as of March 31, 2026, in contrast to 614,980 in FY25, reflecting an increase of 13,223 employees.

The eight banks include SBI, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, Bank of India, Indian Bank, UCO Bank, and Bank of Maharashtra.

A total of four other public sector lenders - Punjab and Sind Bank, Union Bank of India, Central Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank -- have not yet released their annual reports.

The largest bank in india, SBI, led the workforce expansion among the tracked lenders, adding a total of 8,905 employees during the year.

The country's largest lender's employee strength rose to 2,45,131 in FY26 from 2,36,226 in FY25.

The increase in employees' numbers in the eight banks come despite rapid digitalisation and automation in banking operations, indicating that public sector lenders continue to rely on a larger workforce to support expansion, customer servicing and technology-led transformation.

The addition of employees comes as public sector banks report improved financial performance, stronger balance sheets and higher business growth, prompting lenders to strengthen manpower across functions, including technology, risk management, operations and branch banking.

SBI's contribution to the increase was significant, accounting for nearly 67 per cent of the total workforce addition among the eight tracked banks, highlighting the scale at which the lender continues to expand its operations.

Bank of Baroda added 1,685 employees, taking its workforce to 76,693 from 75,008 a year ago. Bank of Maharashtra reported an increase of 1,005 employees, with its employee strength rising to 15,596 in FY26 from 14,591 in FY25.

Canara Bank added 567 employees during the year, taking its workforce to 81,827, while Punjab National Bank increased its employee strength by 527 to 96,738.

Bank of India's workforce rose by 446 employees to 51,010, while Indian Bank added 153 employees to reach 40,224.

With inputs of PTI