SBI to make global training institute operational in some months

The lender aims to attract bankers from emerging economies and neighboring countries as trainers

State Bank of India (SBI) is looking to establish a global training institute for banking and financial services at the information technology hub of Rajarhat, a suburb here, at an investment of around Rs 600 crore.

The bank is aiming to attract bankers from emerging economies and from neighboring countries for training purposes in the institute.

SBI already has five Apex Training Institutes (ATIs) but for its own staff. “We want to position this institute as a totally different institute. It should be operational by the second quarter of the next financial year. We are expecting the institute will attract foreign bankers as well,” said a top official.

To be positioned as a 'centre of excellence', it will be a leading institute in banking and financial services in emerging economies, according to an advertisement posted by SBI for the position of dean at the proposed institute.

Around 2012, SBI had bought about 10 acres from the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation for about Rs 58 crore for setting up the institute. It will have a capacity for around 180 people, with four wings for training senior officials of SBI and two wings for external participants.

According to the latest annual report of SBI, the present training apparatus consists of five ATIs and close to 45 state bank learning centres. The bank has also created a virtual knowledge university within the institution, with a capacity of classroom training for 3,350 employees a day in the areas of banking, economy, leadership, ethics, marketing, administration and soft skills, in addition to a robust digital leaning system. Additionally, the bank offers a little over 300 e-lessons, including 30 created by Harvard Business School.