Is SBI Open During the September 28–30 Bank Strike?

• The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called a nationwide bank strike for 28–30 September 2026.
• SBI has not said that every branch will be closed. It says it is making arrangements to maintain normal operations, although branch services may be affected.
• SBI has advised customers to use ATMs, ADWMs, Customer Service Points, internet banking, YONO, mobile banking and UPI during the strike.
• If you have important branch work, try to complete it by Friday, 25 September.

Will SBI branches be open during the strike?

SBI has not announced that all of its branches will close during the strike.

The bank has said it is making arrangements to maintain normal operations. However, services at some branches may be affected depending on employee participation in the strike.

If you need help from branch staff or have work that cannot be completed online, it is better not to depend on normal branch service between 28 and 30 September.

What SBI services should still work?

SBI has advised customers to use its digital and alternative banking channels during the strike period.

These include:

• ATMs and ADWMs for cash and supported transactions.
• Customer Service Points (CSPs) for supported banking services.
• Internet banking for online banking services.
• YONO and mobile banking.
• UPI for supported payments and transfers.

These services are expected to remain available, although temporary technical or local disruptions are still possible.

Which services may be affected?

Services that depend on branch staff may be delayed or unavailable at some locations.

This can include:

• Services requiring physical documents.
• Transactions requiring help from branch staff.
• Some cheque-related processing.
• Other services that can only be completed at a branch.

SBI has advised customers to complete important banking transactions in advance where possible.

When should I finish my branch work?

If possible, finish important branch work by Friday, 25 September.

Saturday, 26 September is the fourth Saturday of the month and Sunday, 27 September is a regular bank holiday. The proposed strike then runs from Monday, 28 September through Wednesday, 30 September.

That means customers who wait until the last moment could have difficulty accessing branch services for several consecutive days.

When should normal branch services return?

The proposed strike is scheduled to end on 30 September.

Normal branch operations would generally be expected from Thursday, 1 October, but customers should check SBI's latest advisory or contact their local branch in case the strike programme changes.