It is not often you come across leaders who have spent their entire professional career in the same organisation. Rajnish Kumar is part of that rare list. Having started out at the very bottom of the food chain, Kumar spent 4 decades at India’s largest bank, SBI to end at the very top.
The son of an irrigation department employee in Uttar Pradesh, Rajnish Kumar’s journey to becoming one of the most notable names in the Indian banking industry makes for a great movie script with a triumphant ending. Close encounters with the Bandit Queen, Phoolan Devi, run-ins with local mafia and tense negotiations with hard-core trade unionists, Rajnish Kumar has experienced much more than just hard-core banking during his 40 years of service.
From a Probationary Officer in a little-known town in Uttar Pradesh, to becoming the Chairman in 2017, Kumar has had first-hand experience in virtually every department of SBI. During his tenure as Chairman, the bank developed YONO, a digital platform, which has established the SBI as a global leader in the adoption of technology and innovation.
His influence and wealth of expertise in the banking industry has seen him earn a board seat at some of prestigious companies including Hero Motocorp, LTIMindtree, Ambuja Cements, Brookfield India Real Estate Trust and Larsen & Toubro. He is also Non-Executive Chairman of BharatPe, one of the fastest growing fintech companies in India.
Rajnish Kumar’s rise to prominence is proof that hard work and dedication, coupled with perseverance and a relentless drive to succeed, can turn a young boy from a small town in Uttar Pradesh into a leader the nation banks on.
We will be back next week with more insights from India’s top leadership.
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