Chandigarh, Feb 1st: State Bank of India, the country’s largest bank, held its inaugural edition of the SBI STAR Awards, appreciating its employees for their excellence outside their professional roles. Introduced in September, 2025, the awards celebrate exceptional achievements across five diverse categories viz. Arts (Visual and Performing), Culture, Games & Sports, Literature and Social & Environmental initiatives. The awards were presented by the Chairman of the Bank, Shri Challa Sreenivasulu Setty, at a ceremony held at State Bank Bhavan, Mumbai. 

This inaugural edition of the STAR Awards received an encouraging response, with over 2,100 nominations received from its employees across the Bank. The awardees were selected through a structured and transparent evaluation process. 

While congratulating the awardees, Chairman of the Bank, Shri C S Setty stated that the STAR Awards reflect the Bank’s continued emphasis on recognising excellence beyond professional roles and fostering a culture of recognition and holistic development. He added that the initiative is expected to encourage employees by acknowledging their diverse talents, achievements, and contributions. 

“At State Bank of India, we value our people in their entirety, as professionals, creators, and citizens making a difference. The STAR Awards further reinforce our commitment to honouring Bank’s multi-talented employees and broadening our collective perspective,” Shri C S Setty said. 

With a workforce of over 2,46,000 employees, State Bank of India fosters an inclusive and empowering workplace that celebrates individuality and purpose alongside professional excellence. SBI’s emphasis on holistic employee development, spanning leadership training, continuous learning, digital upskilling and well-being, has long set it apart in Indian banking, with the SBI STAR Awards reinforcing this legacy of recognising people beyond performance metrics.