SBI Opens Leadership Roles for Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence in Mumbai/Navi Mumbai The Citizen Advocate Summary: Declaring April 11 as Safe ePay Day
The Next Big Step for BFSI Cybersecurity: SBI’s CoE Recruitment
Proposing April 11 as Safe ePay
Day to mark UPI’s pilot launch on April 11, 2016, by NPCI with 21 banks,
initiated by Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan in Mumbai. This initiative celebrates UPI’s
seamless integration of banking and merchant payments.
April 11 – Declare ‘Safe ePay
Day’,
Yes,
April 11 is vacant in the UN Observance Day calendar
SBI’s Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence: Safeguarding India’s
Payments Future
Introduction 🌐💳
India’s digital payments revolution has rewritten the global
narrative.
In less than a decade, Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
has become the world’s fastest-growing payments system, recording over 10
billion monthly transactions in 2024.
But here’s a question worth asking:
👉 If India can process
billions of safe payments every month, can it also protect the ecosystem from
billions of potential cyber risks?
That is the challenge — and the opportunity.
Against this backdrop, the State Bank of India (SBI) —
awarded Best Bank in India 2024 by Global Finance — has announced a
decisive move: the establishment of a Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence
(CoE) in Mumbai/Navi Mumbai 📍.
This CoE will act as a lighthouse for BFSI cybersecurity,
focusing on:
- Policy
& capacity building 🏛️
- Research
& innovation 🔬
- Citizen
awareness & advisory 👥
To operationalize this vision, SBI is inviting applications
for 12 leadership roles. And here’s the unique lens of this post: each
role is mapped to a payment channel (Indian + global). Why? Because the
systems these leaders protect are the very rails that keep our economy moving.
📊 12 Roles
and Their Payment Channels at a Glance
|
Vacancy |
Payment
Channels |
Analogy |
|
Centre
Head |
RTGS
(India) + SWIFT (Global) |
High-value, mission-critical decisions |
|
SVP –
Policy & Academy |
NEFT
(India) + SEPA (Europe) |
Structured, rule-based frameworks |
|
SVP –
Advisory |
IMPS
(India) + FedNow (US) |
Always-on, agile responses |
|
SVP –
Innovation & R&D |
UPI
(India) + PIX (Brazil) |
Disruptive, collaborative innovation |
|
DVP –
Policy Hub |
BBPS
(India) + ACH (US) |
Standardization, recurring reliability |
|
DVP –
Cyber Academy |
RuPay
(India) + Discover (US) |
Indigenous strength, inclusivity |
|
DVP –
Innovation Lab |
AePS
(India) + PayNow (Singapore) |
Grassroots, experimental testing |
|
DVP –
Benchmarking Hub |
NACH
(India) + BACS (UK) |
Bulk efficiency, maturity models |
|
DVP –
Research |
e-RUPI
(India) + Apple Pay (Global) |
Targeted, precise research |
|
DVP –
Defense & Intel |
Card
Networks (RuPay/Visa/Mastercard) |
Fraud monitoring, resilience |
|
DVP –
Citizen-Centric |
UPI
Lite (India) + PayPal (Global) |
End-user focus, awareness |
|
DVP –
Advisory |
Cross-Border
Remittances |
Bridging domestic & global practices |
Leadership Roles as Payment Channels 💳🌍
1. Centre Head → RTGS
(India) + SWIFT (Global) ⚡
Analogy:
- RTGS
handles India’s high-value settlements in real time.
- SWIFT
connects global banks with secure messaging for trillions in flows.
Both symbolize trust and stability. That is the essence
of this role.
Role Amplification:
The Centre Head will lead strategy, align with regulators (RBI, SEBI), and act
as the RTGS of this CoE — making high-value, irreversible decisions.
👉 What
happens if the Centre Head falters? Just as RTGS delays can ripple across
markets, weak leadership could ripple across India’s payments trust.
Though the ad says “he must lead”, in reality he or
she could embody these qualities 🎯.
2. SVP – Cyber Policy
& Cyber Academy → NEFT (India) + SEPA (Europe) 🏛️
Analogy:
- NEFT
runs in structured batches.
- SEPA
harmonizes standards across Europe.
Both highlight rule-based systems.
Role Amplification:
This SVP will design cyber policies, align them with RBI’s frameworks, and
create academies to train bankers and students alike.
👉 If
UPI is the face of payments, isn’t policy its backbone?
While the notification says “he will lead policy design”,
policy frameworks thrive when guided by leaders of any gender. Whether he or
she, the expectation is clarity, structure, and foresight 🌍.
3. SVP – Cyber
Advisory → IMPS (India) + FedNow (US) ⏱️
Analogy:
- IMPS
delivers instant transfers, 24×7.
- FedNow does
the same in the US.
Both rails are about availability and responsiveness.
Role Amplification:
This SVP will lead advisory services, producing threat intelligence reports and
running citizen awareness programs.
👉 What
happens if advisory is slow? In payments, even a delay of seconds can cost
trust. Similarly, cyber advisory must be immediate.
The ad states “he will guide advisory”, but advisory is
strongest when guided by he or she, ensuring speed and clarity 🤝.
4. SVP – Cyber
Innovation & Research → UPI (India) + PIX (Brazil) 🚀
Analogy:
- UPI
transformed India’s economy through collaboration.
- PIX has
done the same in Brazil.
Both are icons of disruptive innovation.
Role Amplification:
This SVP will establish labs, manage research, and build partnerships with
academia and startups.
👉 What
if India’s next UPI-scale innovation is in cybersecurity?
Though the ad says “he must be visionary”, innovation
is never bound to gender. Whether he or she, the mission is the same: to
discover and scale 🔬.
5. DVP – Cyber Policy
Hub → BBPS (India) + ACH (US) 🏦
Analogy:
- BBPS
standardizes bill payments across India.
- ACH
ensures recurring payroll in the US.
Both reflect structure and reliability.
Role Amplification:
This DVP will maintain the policy hub, aligning frameworks and ensuring
compliance across SBI’s ecosystem.
👉 Would
NEFT or BBPS work without rules? Policies are the invisible rails that make
systems run.
The ad notes “he will guide policy”, but consistency in
governance can come from he or she 🧾.
6. DVP – Cyber Academy
→ RuPay
(India) + Discover (US) 🎓
Analogy:
- RuPay
gave India its own card identity.
- Discover
does the same for the US.
Both emphasize local identity and access.
Role Amplification:
This DVP will create courses, train thousands, and connect with universities.
👉 Can
cybersecurity scale without talent pipelines? The Academy ensures India
isn’t just importing talent, but creating it.
Though the job spec reads “he will build curricula”,
capacity building thrives when led by he or she 💡.
7. DVP – Cyber Innovation & Simulation Lab → AePS
(India) + PayNow (Singapore) 🧪
Analogy:
- AePS
brought biometric authentication to rural India.
- PayNow
enables transfers via mobile in Singapore.
Both reflect grassroots and experimental innovation.
Role Amplification:
This DVP will run cyber-attack drills and test resilience under stress.
👉 Would
you test a bridge without simulating a storm? Cyber defences are no
different.
The ad phrases it as “he will operate labs”. But
experiments can be run by he or she, provided creativity meets rigor 🛡️.
8. DVP – Cyber
Benchmarking Hub → NACH (India) + BACS (UK) 📊
Analogy:
- NACH
ensures reliable salary credits.
- BACS
runs payroll in the UK.
Both stand for metrics, benchmarking, and scale.
Role Amplification:
This DVP will design maturity models, track KPIs, and evaluate SBI’s posture
globally.
👉 How
do you know you’re secure if you don’t measure it?
Although the ad reads “he will benchmark”, performance
frameworks are universal — they can be built by he or she 📈.
9. DVP – Cyber
Research → e-RUPI (India) + Apple Pay (Global) 🔬
Analogy:
- e-RUPI
provides precise, use-case-specific vouchers.
- Apple
Pay is focused, sleek, and targeted.
Both are niche but impactful.
Role Amplification:
This DVP will conduct targeted research into threats and emerging technologies.
👉 What
if the next phishing technique is discovered too late? Research must
anticipate, not just react.
Though the ad notes “he will research”, intellectual
curiosity is a strength of he or she 🔎.
10. DVP – Cyber
Defense & Intelligence → Card Networks (RuPay/Visa/Mastercard) 🛡️
Analogy:
Card networks like Visa and RuPay continuously monitor global fraud, building
resilience across billions of transactions.
Role Amplification:
This DVP will oversee threat detection, run forensics, and manage SBI’s
intelligence-sharing framework.
👉 Would
you swipe your card if fraud wasn’t monitored? Similarly, defense must be
constant.
The notification says “he will defend”. Yet defense
belongs to he or she, equally 💳.
11. DVP – Cyber
Citizen Centric Initiative → UPI Lite (India) + PayPal (Global) 👥
Analogy:
- UPI
Lite simplifies transactions for everyday citizens.
- PayPal
democratized e-commerce globally.
Both emphasize end-user focus.
Role Amplification:
This DVP will lead customer education, design safety campaigns, and foster
citizen trust.
👉 What’s
the value of speed if citizens don’t feel safe? Awareness is half the
battle.
While the ad states “he will lead citizen programs”,
empathy and outreach are qualities for he or she 🌍.
12. DVP – Cyber
Advisory → Cross-Border Remittances 🌏
Analogy:
- Remittances
link domestic workers and global families.
- Advisory
roles link local systems with global standards.
Role Amplification:
This DVP will provide strategic advisory, bridging international practices into
India’s BFSI ecosystem.
👉 Would
remittances work if standards didn’t align? Advisory ensures bridges, not
gaps.
Though the notification says “he will advise”, advisory
leadership is open to he or she 🌐.
📍
Mumbai/Navi Mumbai Advantage
Why Mumbai/Navi Mumbai?
- RBI,
SEBI, and NPCI are close by.
- Talent
from IIT Bombay, NITIE, and NMIMS is within reach.
- It’s
already home to SBI’s Global IT Centre in CBD Belapur.
👉 Could
there be a better location to align policy, innovation, and talent pipelines?
Still, SBI has clarified only that roles are based in Mumbai/Navi
Mumbai, without yet confirming the exact part.
🌍 Global
Parallels
|
Function |
Indian System |
Global Parallel |
|
High-value settlement |
RTGS |
SWIFT |
|
Structured compliance |
NEFT |
SEPA |
|
Instant payments |
IMPS |
FedNow |
|
Disruptive innovation |
UPI |
PIX |
|
Bill payments |
BBPS |
ACH |
|
Card networks |
RuPay |
Visa, Mastercard |
|
Citizen-focused |
UPI Lite |
PayPal |
|
Simulation/testing |
AePS |
PayNow |
|
Bulk efficiency |
NACH |
BACS |
👉 India
has led in scale. Could SBI’s CoE help it lead in safety too?
🔔
Recruitment Snapshot
- Applications
open: Aug 25 – Sept 15, 2025
- Tenure: 3
years (extendable)
- Positions:
Centre Head, Senior VPs, Deputy VPs
- Requirements:
15–20 years BFSI cyber experience, certifications (CISSP, CISM, CISA, PMP)
👉 For
the right leader, isn’t this more than a job? Isn’t it a guardianship of trust?
🌐
Conclusion
India built the world’s fastest-growing payments stack.
The challenge now is to make it the safest.
By mapping each vacancy to a payment channel, we see how SBI’s
CoE will become a cyber shield protecting everything from RTGS
settlements to UPI micropayments, from RuPay cards to cross-border
remittances.
👉 If
payments are the arteries of our economy, isn’t cybersecurity the pulse that
keeps them alive?
📑
Disclaimer
This blog post is an independent interpretation of
SBI’s recruitment advertisement for the Cybersecurity CoE.
- The payment
channel analogies (RTGS, UPI, SWIFT, etc.) are illustrative only.
- The gender-neutral
reminders (he / she) reflect the blogger’s commentary; the
advertisement predominantly used “he.”
- This
blog is not affiliated with SBI. For official details, refer to SBI’s
official notification.
## Call to
Action
I urge
governments, financial institutions, businesses, and communities worldwide to
join hands in declaring April 11 as **Safe ePay Day**.
Let’s
celebrate UPI’s milestone by making **Safe ePay Day** a global movement for
secure, innovative fintech.
Together, we
can build a future where financial access is universal, and every e-payment is
safe—starting with **Safe ePay Day** in 2026.
No Vada Pav, not even one bite,
Till SafeePay Day takes off in flight.
Quirky vow with a Mumbai flair—
Announce the date, and I’ll be there!
Disclaimer: - The only Joy is
Safe ePayments. Nothing More – Nothing Less.
April 11 – Declare ‘Safe ePay
Day’.
Appeal to Declare April 11 as
Safe ePay Day
Driven by belief in UPI’s transformative power, this initiative—free of
personal gain—aims to celebrate India’s fintech legacy and spark a global
movement for secure, inclusive e‑payments.
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