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India’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) on Saturday launched a $500 million (about Rs 4,597 crore) ‘Syndicated Social Term Loan Facility’ focused exclusively on women empowerment with a greenshoe option, which is a milestone for both the bank and the global ESG financing landscape.

The PSU bank said the facility is aimed at accelerating social impact by promoting gender equality and supporting initiatives that reduce the gender gap.

“It contributes to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 – ‘Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls’,” it said.

C.S. Setty, Chairman of SBI, said, “On this International Women’s Day, we are proud to announce this landmark social loan, reflecting our deep commitment to fostering women’s empowerment as a cornerstone of sustainable development”.

The SBI chairman also stated that true progress depends not only on economic growth but also on our ability to drive positive social change, empower women, and build an inclusive society for all stakeholders.

This is the first transaction of its kind by SBI, expected to be the largest gender-themed loan globally, underscoring India’s growing role in sustainable finance.

“The loan will support programs and projects promoting gender equality and inclusive economic growth across sectors,” the bank said.

According to the bank, MUFG has acted as the original Mandated Lead Arranger, Underwriter, and Bookrunner, as well as the sole social loan coordinator for the transaction.

SBI shares on Friday ended at Rs 1,139.80, down 2.5 per cent, on the NSE.

The SBI is one of the largest mortgage lenders in the country which has so far fulfilled the home buying dreams of around 30 lakh Indian families. The home loan portfolio of the bank has crossed Rs 9 lakh crore. As of December 31, 2025, the bank has a deposit base of over Rs 57 lakh crore with CASA ratio of 39.13 per cent and advances of more than Rs 46.8 lakh crore.

(With inputs from IANS)