SBI launches Centre of Excellence for MSMEs at State Bank Academy
DFS Secretary - “I urge this SBI Centre of Excellence to benchmark itself against the best MSME institutions in the country”
Mumbai, August 21, 2025: State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest bank, inaugurated its Centre of Excellence (CoE) for MSMEs at the State Bank Academy (SBA), Gurugram. The Centre has been established with an objective of strengthening the MSME ecosystem through capacity building, research, and industry collaboration, thereby contributing to India’s vision of becoming a developed nation. The Centre was inaugurated by Shri M. Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS) and Shri C.S. Setty, Chairman, in the presence of Shri Vinay M. Tonse, MD (RB&O), Shri Surender Rana, DMD (Retail-Agri, SME & FI), Shri Anindya Sunder Paul, DMD (SME & SCF) and Smt. Suranjana Dutta, CGM STU. SBA is an institute imparting specialized training in Credit, International Banking, Risk & Compliance and carrying out Research & Development in various spheres of banking.
Shri M. Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, said, “MSMEs are the true engines of growth, creating widespread employment and driving prosperity in rural India, which is critical for our journey towards becoming a developed nation. I urge this SBI Centre of Excellence to benchmark itself against the best MSME institutions in the country. My expectation is that the CoE will engage in making case studies and undertaking research, creating a rich repository of knowledge and sharing it online for the benefit of all, especially those in remote areas. Continuous innovation and deep engagement with entrepreneurs, fintechs, and startups will be the key to its success.”
Speaking on the occasion, Shri C.S. Setty, Chairman, SBI, stated, “As the largest lender to MSMEs, with the widest network of SME branches, SBI is responsible to build capacity and the Centre of Excellence will serve as a hub of ideas and innovation, supporting the development of new SME-focused products and processes that can benefit the entire banking sector.”
Shri C.B.K. Singh, GM & Director, State Bank Academy, said, “The Centre has been established based on the vision articulated by the Chairman and would play a significant role in supporting the growth and development of the MSME sector.”
The CoE has been designed with an inclusive approach, engaging with MSME promoters, startups, industry associations, academia, government, regulators, and banking professionals. This collaborative model will ensure that the Centre’s initiatives remain relevant, impactful, and aligned with the needs of the sector.
About State Bank of India:
State Bank of India is the largest commercial bank in terms of assets, deposits, branches, customers, and employees. It is also one of the largest mortgage lender in the country which has so far fulfilled the home buying dreams of around 30 lakh Indian families. The home loan portfolio of the bank has crossed ₹ 8.5 lakh crore. As of June 2025, the bank has a deposit base of over ₹ 54.73 lakh crore with CASA ratio of 39.36% and advances of more than ₹ 42.54 lakh crore. Ranked as the 4th most trustworthy bank in the world by Newsweek, SBI commands a market share of 27.7% and 19.03% in home loans and auto loans respectively. SBI has the largest network of 22,980 branches and 62,200 ATMs/ADWMs in India with more than 76,800 BC outlets. The number of customers using internet banking stand at 14.2 crores. With SBI’s digital strategy right on track, the bank witnessed 66% of new savings accounts being opened through the integrated digital and lifestyle platform YONO in Q1 FY26. YONO, which has more than 9.04 crore registered users, witnessed 27.4 lakh new YONO registrations in Q1FY26. In terms of digital lending, the bank disbursed pre-approved personal loans worth ₹ 1,791 crores through YONO during Q1 FY26. As on 30th June 2025, SBI has 21 million followers on Facebook, 3.3 million followers on Instagram, 4.8 million followers on X and 8.42 million subscribers on YouTube. State Bank of India is the most followed bank globally on Facebook, Instagram & X.
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