Arundhati Bhattacharya front runner for the post of SBI chief

Arundhati Bhattacharya is believed to be the front-runner for the post of chairperson of country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI), sources said.

Last week, a government appointed search panel had shortlisted names of two managing directors -- Bhattacharya and S Viswanathan -- for the top job at the SBI.

However, the final decision will be taken by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Bhattacharya is currently managing director of SBI.

Current Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri is set to retire at the end of this month.

As per the norms, a candidate for the post of Chairman is eligible for the interview if he/she has at least two years of service left before retirement.

Bhattacharya has also served as MD and Chief Executive of SBI Caps, the merchant banking subsidiary of SBI.