India’s small finance banks (SFBs) are expanding their horizons and preparing for a transition to universal banking. To achieve this, they are aggressively hiring senior executives from larger banks and non-bank financiers to strengthen their leadership and scale their businesses. Several prominent SFBs, including AU Small Finance Bank, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, Suryoday Small Finance Bank, and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank, are looking to onboard senior executives, including key business officers, vice-presidents, and executive vice-presidents.
The move highlights the growth of the SFB sector, which has demonstrated significantly higher hiring momentum compared to the broader banking sector. In 2025, SFBs added 26,736 employees, a 18% increase in their workforce, while public sector banks added 1,626 people and private sector banks reduced their staff strength by 7,257. SFBs are attracting talent by offering “bump ups” in compensation and significant role elevation.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set out guidelines for SFBs to transition to universal banks, including a minimum net worth of ₹1,000 crore, a satisfactory track record of at least five years, and a net profit in the last two financial years. AU Small Finance Bank has already received a conditional nod from the RBI, while others, like Ujjivan, are still awaiting regulatory approval.
SFBs are not just scouting talent for senior roles but are also looking at junior ones, with a 30% increase in hiring in junior levels. They are recruiting sales executives typically from other banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs). The aggressive hiring by SFBs reflects their ambition to expand and become universal banks, which would require branch expansion and more people at various levels.
The SFB sector has made significant progress since its inception in 2014, with a compounded annual growth rate of 28% in deposits and 25% in advances between FY22 and FY25. However, they still face challenges, such as low-cost deposits, with their current and savings account (Casa) deposits at 26.2% of overall deposits, lower compared to universal banks. Nevertheless, SFBs are poised for a more complex phase of growth, and their ability to attract and retain talent will be critical to their success.