SBI completes divestment of 13.18% stake in Yes Bank Limited (YBL) to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)

September: State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, today, announced the successful completion of the divestment of a 13.18% (approx.) stake in Yes Bank Limited (YBL) to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC). SMBC is a Japanese multinational financial services company belonging to the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) and is amongst the leading foreign banks in India. SMFG is the second largest Banking Group in Japan with Total Assets of US$ 2.0 trillion (approx.).

SBI became the largest shareholder of YBL in March 2020 under the Yes Bank Limited Reconstruction Scheme, 2020, as notified by the Central Government. Subsequently, SBI had also acquired additional shares as part of follow-on public offer by YBL in July 2020. Post the aforesaid divestment, SBI will continue to remain a shareholder in YBL with a shareholding of 10.8% (approx.) of YBL shares (Residual shareholding).

The partial stake sale by SBI and other shareholder Banks in YBL to SMBC represents the largest cross-border investment in the Indian banking sector. The transaction has received the necessary regulatory and statutory approvals including from the Reserve Bank of India and the Competition Commission of India.

SBI Chairman, Shri Challa Sreenivasulu Setty said, “Yes Bank restructuring plan by RBI in 2020 was an innovative, first of its kind public sector – private sector partnership that was fully supported and facilitated by Government of India. We are incredibly proud of the journey we have shared with Yes Bank in supporting their transformation since we came onboard as the major shareholder in 2020. This is perhaps the best example of protecting the customer interests of a large bank by collaborative efforts of SBI and other banks under the guidance of Government of India and RBI. We are excited to welcome SMBC, a marquee financial institution, as a strategic partner through the largest cross-border transaction in India’s banking sector. Their global expertise will be a great complement to Yes Bank’s ongoing progress and future ambitions”.

SBI and the other selling Shareholder Banks were advised by SBI Capital Markets Limited as their financial advisor and S&R Associates as their legal advisor.