SBI shifts 64 staffers from West Asia to Mumbai, moves operations amid escalating regional conflict

State Bank of India has evacuated 64 employees from West Asia to Mumbai over the past few days as the country’s largest lender activated a business continuity plan in response to the escalating war in Iran.SBI obtained approvals from local regulators to temporarily manage its operations in three countries from India, two people aware of the matter said. Only minimal on-ground presence has been maintained in these locations to comply with regulatory requirements.“People have shifted to India after regulators permitted it.

These include staff from Bahrain, the UAE and Israel. Except for some skeleton services run by local staff, the bank is functioning from India,” the first person said.

“Some three-four local staff are there since regulators want some presence there.”SBI has six branches and representative offices in the UAE, Bahrain, Israel and Oman. The second person said the Oman office has four staff members who remain there.

The person said the evacuated staff will work from an office set up in Mumbai.“We had some 8-10 people in each office, not more than that, and these people have come back in the past 3-4 days,” the first person said.The person said that once regulatory approvals are secured, operations can typically be shifted within a week. However, in this case, the process took longer, with approvals coming through after about 10 days as the situation worsened.

The regulators allowed the transition but stressed that uninterrupted customer service must be maintained, the first person said.With corporate internet banking and other online systems in place, activities are continuing from India instead of the overseas locations. The return of the staffers to West Asia remains uncertain because of the ongoing