State Bank CGM J.K. Sinha in Calcutta on Saturday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta, Dec. 27: The State Bank of India will expand its branch network in the Bengal circle. Under the annual expansion plan for 2008-09, the SBI will add 142 branches out of which 102 will be in semi-urban and rural areas.

The Bengal circle comprises Bengal, Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The present number of branches is 859. While most of the branches are in this state, there are 26 branches in Sikkim and 18 in Bay Islands.

Jayant Kumar Sinha, SBI Bengal circle chief general manager, said the bank planned to add 40 ATMs during the same period.

At present, the country’s largest lender has 476 ATMS in this circle. By March 2010, SBI’s Bengal circle will have 1,100 ATMs, Sinha said.

Last week, the SBI launched mobile banking in the circle. This will help customers to carry out limited banking transactions such as funds transfer and balance enquiry.

The small and medium-scale sector is emerging as a major growth driver, Sinha said.