SBI complaint escalation: the 4 levels, the nodal officer and RBI

Last checked: 28 October 2026

For State Bank of India customers in India whose complaint about an account, card, loan, digital transaction or branch service is unresolved, and who want SBI's own escalation levels before going to the RBI Ombudsman

Complain to SBI first at your branch, on crh.sbi.bank.in, by email or on 1800 1234. No reply in 10 days? Write to the AGM (Customer Experience) of your Local Head Office. After 20 days, the DGM (Customer Experience). After 30 days, file free with the RBI Ombudsman on cms.rbi.org.in.

SBI escalation levels: who to contact and when

1. Level 1: branch, contact centre, email or online

   Official contact

   Your branch (ask for the complaint book), the online complaint form, email customercare@sbi.co.in or contactcentre@sbi.co.in, or call toll free 1800 1234, 1800 2100, 1800 11 2211 or 1800 425 3800, or 080-26599990 (toll). You can also SMS UNHAPPY to 8008 20 20 20.

   Deadline

   SBI's 2026 policy says it acknowledges a complaint within 3 working days and resolves it within a reasonable period not exceeding 20 calendar days.

2. Level 2: AGM (Customer Experience), Local Head Office

   Official contact

   By email, call or letter, using the AGM (Customer Experience) list for your circle. Quote your Level 1 complaint number.

   Deadline

   If Level 1 did not satisfy you, or you had no response within 10 days of lodging the complaint.

3. Level 3: DGM (Customer Experience), Local Head Office

   Official contact

   By email, call or letter, using the DGM (Customer Experience) list.

   Deadline

   If Level 2 did not satisfy you, or you had no response within 20 days of lodging the complaint.

4. Principal Nodal Officer, Mumbai

   Official contact

   General Manager (Customer Experience), Customer Service Department, State Bank of India, State Bank Bhavan, 16th Floor, Madam Cama Road, Mumbai 400 021. Phone 022 22741216. Email gm.customer@sbi.co.in or pno@sbi.co.in. Quote your complaint number.

   Deadline

   SBI's policy says aggrieved customers can write to the Principal Nodal Officer quoting their complaint number. It gives no separate time limit for this step.

5. Level 4: RBI Ombudsman

   Official contact

   File online on cms.rbi.org.in, or write to the Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre, Reserve Bank of India, Central Vista, Sector-17, Chandigarh 160017, email crpc@rbi.org.in. Our RBI Ombudsman on the CMS portal guide has the full steps.

   Deadline

   If SBI has not resolved it, or has not responded within 30 days of your complaint. File within 90 days after that.

SBI complaint time limits at a glance

How long does SBI take to resolve a complaint?

SBI's Customer Rights, Grievance Redressal and Compensation Policy 2026 (Version 6) gives 20 calendar days to resolve a complaint and 30 calendar days for a final decision. In more detail: SBI acknowledges a complaint within three working days. It aims to resolve it within a reasonable period not exceeding 20 calendar days, and if it cannot, it should tell you the reasons. The final decision, including any review by SBI's Internal Ombudsman when the complaint is partly or fully rejected, should reach you within 30 calendar days of the date SBI received it. The policy counts days as calendar days unless it says working days. Separately, SBI's escalation page tells you to move to Level 2 after 10 days with no response, Level 3 after 20 days, and the RBI Ombudsman after 30 days. Keep the complaint number from the SMS or email SBI sends, because every later level asks for it.

Who is the SBI nodal officer?

SBI's Principal Nodal Officer is the General Manager (Customer Experience) at State Bank Bhavan, Mumbai, reachable on 022 22741216 or pno@sbi.co.in, per SBI's Contact Us page. The policy also names a Network Nodal Officer at each Local Head Office, who is the General Manager (Network). SBI publishes those names in its Network Grievance Redressal Nodal Officer list. For cases already with the RBI Ombudsman, SBI lists the officials who handle them at each circle in the Level 4 contact list. We link these lists instead of copying names, because SBI updates them. For the same ladder at another bank, see our HDFC Bank complaint escalation guide.

What if money was taken from my SBI account without my consent?

Report an unauthorised electronic transaction to SBI at once on toll free 1800 11 1109, on 94491 12211 (mobile, toll free), or on 080-2659 9990, as listed on SBI's escalation page. SBI's 2026 policy says these complaints are handled by a Customer Liability Identification Cell at each circle. If SBI does not resolve it within 30 days, take it to the RBI Ombudsman on the CMS portal.

Common problems and what to do

SBI closed my complaint without fixing it

Do not start again at Level 1. Write to the AGM (Customer Experience) of your Local Head Office with the complaint number and SBI's reply, then the DGM, using the Level 2 and Level 3 lists. If 30 days have passed since your first complaint, you can go straight to the RBI Ombudsman on the CMS portal.

I do not know my Local Head Office

The Level 2 and Level 3 lists group offices by circle city, for example Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai Metro, New Delhi and Patna. Pick the one covering the state where your branch is. Your branch can tell you which circle it belongs to.

I got no complaint number

SBI's policy says a branch complaint is returned with an acknowledgement, and the complaint number is sent by SMS or email. Ask the branch for it, or call the contact centre. Without a number, keep a dated copy of your letter or email as proof.

Escalation letter to SBI (Level 2 or 3)

Free to copy. Replace everything in [square brackets]. Send it to the AGM or DGM (Customer Experience) email from SBI's list, and keep a copy.

To: The [Assistant / Deputy] General Manager (Customer Experience)
State Bank of India, Local Head Office, [city]

Subject: Escalation of complaint no. [______], account ending [last 4 digits only]

I lodged the complaint above on [DD-MM-YYYY] through [branch / crh.sbi.bank.in / contact centre / email].
[I have had no response in [__] days. / SBI replied on [date] saying ____, which does not resolve it because ____.]

What happened:
[2 to 5 short lines, in date order, with amounts and transaction dates]

What I am asking for:
[refund of Rs. ____ / correction of ____ / closure of ____ / written reason]

If this is not resolved within 30 days of my first complaint, I will approach the RBI Ombudsman under the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme.

Attached: [copy of first complaint and acknowledgement, statement extract, SBI's reply]

Name: [your name]
Branch: [branch name]
Registered mobile: [number]
Date: [DD-MM-YYYY]

Do not send your full account number, card number, PIN, OTP or password.