State Bank of India (SBI) has earned significant recognition by winning the “World’s Best Consumer Bank 2025” and “Best Bank in India 2025” awards from Global Finance, New York. These awards were announced at the Global Finance Award Ceremony during the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings 2025. This dual honor asserts SBI’s leading position in global banking, emphasizing its commitment to innovation, financial inclusion, and delivering exemplary customer experiences.
SBI’s accomplishment comes amid its serving 520 million customers, with 65,000 new customers added every day. A key factor behind its success is heavy investment in technology and digitalization, exemplified by its flagship mobile application that supports over 100 million registered users with daily active users reaching 10 million. The recognition reflects SBI’s strategic focus as a “Digital First, Consumer First” bank, underlining its effort to provide seamless, technology-driven banking in a geographically diverse market.
As India’s largest commercial bank by assets, deposits, branches, customers, and employees, SBI also holds dominant shares in home loans (27.7%) and auto loans (19.03%). It boasts the largest branch network in the country, with 22,980 branches and 62,200 ATMs/ADWMs, extending to more than 76,800 business correspondent outlets. Internet banking usage is immense, with 142 million customers utilizing online services. The integrated digital and lifestyle platform YONO accounts for 66% of new savings accounts in recent quarters, with over 90.4 million registered users.
The awards underscore SBI’s blend of extensive physical presence and rapidly growing digital capabilities to enhance both customer and employee experiences (CX and EX). The bank exemplifies scaling customer centricity while harnessing cutting-edge technology to achieve inclusion across India’s urban and rural segments.
Tackling Real-World CX and EX Challenges at Scale
Handling half a billion customers daily in a diverse nation poses immense CX and EX challenges. Customers have varied needs based on geography, income, digital literacy, and product requirements. Creating a seamless experience combining physical branch access with robust digital offerings demands agile innovation and operational excellence. Behind every digital transaction is the need for secure, reliable technology with intuitive design.
Additionally, managing an employee workforce spread across thousands of branches to deliver consistent service is a complex EX task. Engaged employees who understand the bank’s customer-first vision are vital to sustaining high CX standards, especially in frontline roles.
SBI’s approach prioritizes:
- Deep digital investments ensuring availability and ease of use.
- Inclusive service models integrating physical and digital channels.
- Continuous employee engagement and training to maintain quality service.
- Leveraging data analytics for personalized experiences and proactive CX interventions.
In-Depth Analysis: What Sets SBI Apart in CX/EX Leadership?
SBI exemplifies best practices in CX and EX through several distinctive pillars:
Digital-First Strategy with Consumer Focus
SBI’s “Digital First, Consumer First” motto drives its product development, prioritizing mobile app engagement and digital onboarding. The YONO platform is a flagship digital channel combining banking, lifestyle services, and digital payments, delivering an integrated customer journey. It accounts for a majority of the bank’s new savings account openings, illustrating strong digital adoption.
Technological Innovation for Massive Scale
Serving 520 million customers requires resilient and scalable technology. SBI invests heavily in infrastructure, incorporating AI-driven customer support, real-time analytics, and secure digital lending solutions. Pre-approved personal loans disbursed digitally via YONO are an example of frictionless service enhancing customer satisfaction while reducing turnaround times.
Focus on Financial Inclusion
SBI’s largest network of branches and business correspondents in rural and semi-urban areas ensures banking access to underserved populations. This physical reach combined with digital tools reflects a hybrid CX model addressing India’s socio-economic diversity.
Employee Engagement and Experience
High-quality customer experiences stem from energized employees. SBI invests in training programs emphasizing customer-centric culture and digital fluency. Frontline workforce empowerment is crucial to deliver trustworthy and consistent service across channels.
Expert Commentary Highlights
Joseph Giarraputo, founder and editorial director of Global Finance, noted SBI’s strong commitment to customer engagement and digital transformation, leading to profitability growth. SBI’s success reflects not only revenue growth but sustained excellence in delivering robust banking products and personalized services.
SBI Group Chairman Challa Sreenivasulu Setty highlighted the challenge of serving 520 million customers with daily additions and emphasized the critical role of technology and digitalization in meeting these demands while maintaining a “consumer-first” approach.
Actionable Insights for CX and EX Professionals
The SBI case offers several learnings for CX/EX leaders aiming to scale excellence in complex environments:
- Embrace a Digital-First, Consumer-First Philosophy: Engage customers where they are digitally, but ensure seamless integration with offline touchpoints to support diverse customer segments.
- Invest in Scalable, Resilient Technology: Focus on platforms that can handle massive user bases and offer personalized, fast, and secure services.
- Balance Inclusion with Innovation: Expand physical reach for underserved groups while driving digital adoption to ensure no customer segment is left behind.
- Prioritize Employee Engagement: Invest in comprehensive frontline training and foster a culture aligned with customer-centric values.
- Leverage Data for Continuous Improvement: Use customer data and feedback proactively to refine journeys and address pain points in real-time.
- Align CX and EX Strategy Closely: Recognize that engaged employees are the silent drivers of superior customer experiences and brand trust.
Practical Takeaways
- Create Integrated Customer Journeys: Ensure your digital platforms are feature-rich yet user-friendly, supplementing with human interaction where needed.
- Strengthen Your Technology Backbone: Prioritize security, uptime, and speed to build customer confidence, especially in financial services.
- Drive Inclusion Through Outreach: Whether in banking or another sector, hybrid models combining digital convenience and local presence build unmatched loyalty.
- Foster Employee Advocacy: Investors in employee satisfaction see dividends in customer loyalty and operational excellence.
- Measure and Act on CX/EX Feedback: Real-time feedback loops enable agile adjustments to both customer and employee workflows.
SBI stands as a beacon for CX and EX excellence at scale. Its awards reflect not digital promise alone but proven delivery of world-class experiences tailored for one of the most challenging markets globally.
This model challenges CX/EX professionals to rethink customer engagement in tandem with employee empowerment, leveraging technology and inclusion as twin pillars of success.
By studying SBI’s journey, CXQuest readers can draw inspiration and practical strategies to enhance their own CX and EX frameworks and drive transformative business outcomes.
