MUMBAI, June 19 -- The board of State Bank of India (SBI), the country's largest lender, has approved a plan to raise up to Rs.60,000 crore in FY27 through various debt instruments, including Basel III-compliant bonds, to support business growth and strengthen its capital base, the bank said in an exchange filing on Thursday. The board approved fundraising in Indian rupees or other convertible currencies through public issues or private placements. The bank may also tap the market through additional tier-I and tier-II bonds. In FY26, SBI raised Rs.18,500 crore through domestic bond issuances. As of March 31, SBI's capital-to-risk weighted assets ratio stood at 15.40%, with its common equity tier-I (CET-1) ratio at 12.29% and overall tier-I ratio at 13.33%. The approval follows the bank's May 12 decision to raise up to $2 billion through overseas bond issuances in FY27 as part of efforts to diversify its funding base and broaden access to global investors. SBI last tapped overseas bond markets in September 2025, raising $500 million through a five-year dollar-denominated issue at a record-low coupon of 4.5%. For the quarter ended March, the state-owned lender reported a 17% year-on-year increase in gross advances to Rs.49.32 lakh crore, while deposits rose 11% to Rs.59.75 lakh crore. Despite a weaker-than-expected March-quarter performance and concerns over risks stemming from the ongoing West Asia conflict, SBI on 8 May retained its FY27 credit growth guidance of 13-15%. Speaking to reporters after the earnings announcement in May, chairman C.S. Setty said banking system credit growth is expected at 13-14% in the current fiscal year, while deposit growth is likely to be 11-12%. Setty said asset quality across the banking sector continues to remain "very well", though the full impact of the conflict has yet to emerge given potential second-order effects. He cautioned that a prolonged conflict lasting five to six months could affect the economy through higher fuel costs and supply-chain disruptions....