The World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI), working with the State Bank of India (SBI), ran a four-day study visit at SBI’s Mumbai head office on advancing financial inclusion through digital innovation, bringing together senior executives and experts from WSBI member institutions. The programme examined SBI’s retail and digital operating model at scale, including outreach to underserved communities through simplified account structures, rural distribution, mobile banking, biometric authentication, agent networks and paperless onboarding. Delegates reviewed SBI’s digital usage metrics, including more than 140 million mobile banking users, the YONO platform’s 80 million-plus daily logins and 80-plus services across 21 user journeys, and SBI’s estimate that 98% of its transactions are now digital; the visit also included a tour of SBI’s Mumbai Main Branch digital hub. Sessions also covered India’s public digital infrastructure, including the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), described as processing more than 12 billion transactions a month as of mid-2025, and the early-stage rollout of the Digital Rupee (e₹), with SBI’s involvement in pilot testing. Delegates visited the SBI Global IT Centre to discuss cybersecurity risk management, operational resilience and IT governance.
World Savings and Retail Banking Institute 2025-10-14
World Savings and Retail Banking Institute hosts study visit with State Bank of India on digital financial inclusion
The World Savings and Retail Banking Institute and the State Bank of India held a four-day study visit in Mumbai on advancing financial inclusion through digital innovation. The program highlighted SBI's digital model, including mobile banking, biometric authentication, and the YONO platform, with 98% of transactions now digital. Discussions also covered India's public digital infrastructure, such as the Unified Payments Interface and the Digital Rupee pilot.