This will be done through technology-led investments leading to automation benefits in many recurring jobs, Managing Director and Chief Executive Salee S Nair told PTI, underlining that there will be no layoffs.
The total number of employees is expected to rise by over 200 from the current 5,000, said Nair, a career SBI banker who joined the south-based lender in August 2024.
“Two years down the line, about 50-60 percent of employees will be repurposed into sales. We will train them for the new roles,” he said, speaking on the sidelines of an event to announce the tie-up with tech giant Oracle.
Nair recalled that after joining the bank, he found that many processes were being done manually and the use of technology was largely limited to the core banking solution.
This led to a bank-wide effort to revamp processes with the best technology tools, he said, adding that the board approved an outlay of ₹250 crore for FY26.
Expenditure will be similar in FY27, there will also be more efforts, and will decline thereafter, he said. He added that currently, technology-related expenses will exceed 10 percent of operating costs, but this share will decrease.
He said the paperwork has led to the use of 150 offices just for storing the paperwork, adding that this has been reduced to 30 offices in the past year as two private document storage companies have been appointed.
Similarly, in terms of processes, TMB has implemented or is in the process of implementing solutions for human resources, customer relationship management and business processes, which will reduce dependence on people.
Nair said human resources currently account for 47 per cent of the bank’s total expenditure worth ₹1,500 crore.
Despite the benefits from using technology, which has reduced cost-revenue to 44 percent, Nair has not revised the guideline for cost-revenue ratio, which is below 50 percent.
When asked about the impact on the overall workforce, he said the bank will increase its workforce by a net of more than 200 people. Addition of 50 additional branches compared to the current 614, and also because it is undertaking other efforts, such as retaining customers with new technology.
A revised version of the online banking service will be launched soon, almost tripling the number of transactions that can be made to 170, he said.
The bank has also brought in consultants to provide details of its future branches, which will focus more on sales.
The plans include unmanned counters to carry out transactions in branches and next to ATMs, as well as lounges to explain the details of products to customers for sales purposes.
When asked how the employees are receiving the efforts, Nair said they are excited about the changes and added that the bank has previously managed to convince 83 percent of the workforce to sign up for business-based emoluments under the IBA package.
One of the factors that helped the bank was its younger staff, Nair said, noting that the average age of the bank is 35 years.
Nair maintained loan growth expectations at 16-17 percent for FY26, and Net Interest Margin (NIM) at 3.9 percent.
The bank will focus more on the small business segment and also put its foot on the accelerator when it comes to unsecured claims, he said, admitting that it has been skeptical of the riskier unsecured segment until now.
It will also accelerate housing and auto financing in FY27, he added.
Meanwhile, Shailesh Singla, Oracle’s head of applications at the same event, said the company is growing at high double digits and segments like banking, financial services and insurance are witnessing a doubling of revenues.
The company is adding two new customers every month in the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance) segment, he said, mentioning that it already serves lenders like Indusind Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank.
Published on February 11, 2026
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