State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has launched the annual employee excellence award, ‘SBI STAR’ (Staff Talent Acknowledgment and Recognition), a structured framework to recognize excellence of employees outside professional areas.
In line with SBI’s long-term commitment to promote holistic employee engagement, well-being and organizational pride, SBI Star aims to recognize the exemplary talent of its employees in the areas of art, literature, sports and games, culture, social work and environmental initiatives, SBI said in a statement.
Speaking at the launch, SBI Chairman Challa Srinivasulu Shetty highlighted that employees should be appreciated not only for their professional excellence but also for their personal achievements, passion and contribution to society.
He said, “This initiative aims to celebrate the Bank’s multi-talented employees and broaden its collective perspective, reinforcing the belief that at State Bank of India, we value our people in their entirety – as professionals, as creators and as change-making citizens.”
The statement further said that SBI has a rich tradition of employees displaying remarkable creativity and talent in their personal lives.
Stories like Pratiksha Tondwalkar rising to the role of AGM by pursuing her personal aspirations, Sanwali, a visually impaired clerk who inspired colleagues and the community through her dedication, Tarachand Agarwal, a retired banker who cleared the chartered accountancy exam at the age of 71, Iluri Ajay Kumar Reddy, a partially blind official who led India’s blind cricket team to five World Cup wins and the only blind cricketer to receive the Arjuna Award. These are just a few examples of the many employees whose creativity, persistence and initiative extend beyond the workplace.
Recognizing that such talents contribute not only to individual growth but also to the broader spirit of innovation and engagement within the Bank, SBI Star has been designed to celebrate these achievements in a structured and visible manner.
The SBI STAR framework ensures a fair, transparent and structured selection process, it said, adding that employees can self-nominate, following which each circle or vertical will evaluate and shortlist the candidates based on the prescribed parameters.
The final selection of award winners will be done by the Corporate Center in Mumbai.
It said that through this initiative, SBI seeks to foster a culture of recognition, inspiration and pride within its huge workforce of over 2,45,000 employees – the largest in India’s BFSI sector.
