SBI Sells 13.18% Stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s SMBC
18 Sep 2025 CW Team
State Bank of India (SBI) has completed the sale of a 13.18 per cent stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for over Rs 8,889 crore. The divestment is part of a Rs 13,482 crore deal finalised in May with SMBC and seven private banks.
Following the transaction, SBI’s shareholding in Yes Bank stands at 10.8 per cent. The deal, involving 4,134.4 million shares at Rs 21.50 each, is the largest cross-border transaction in the Indian banking sector.
SBI Chairman C S Setty described the 2020 RBI-led rescue of Yes Bank as a pioneering public-private partnership, adding that SMBC’s entry as a strategic partner would complement Yes Bank’s turnaround.
Analysts said the proceeds from the sale would strengthen SBI’s other income in the September quarter, providing relief amid shrinking margins. SBI’s net profit in Q1FY26 rose 12.5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 19,160 crore, even as net interest margins declined due to rate cuts.