8 Most Successful Women Bankers in India Who Inspire Us

Most Inspiring Women Bankers in India

Growing up in a society with many challenges, especially for women, strong role models are very important. In this article, we highlight some of the most successful and inspiring women leaders in the Indian banking sector. These women have broken barriers and proved that hard work and dedication lead to great success.

1. Arundhati Bhattacharya – Former Chairperson, State Bank of India (SBI)

Arundhati Bhattacharya became the first woman to lead the State Bank of India, a Fortune 500 company. Forbes named her the 25th most powerful woman in the world. She started as a probationary officer (PO) at SBI in 1977 at the age of 22. She introduced women-friendly policies like a two-year sabbatical for childcare or eldercare and free cervical cancer vaccination for female employees.

2. Chanda Kochhar – Former CEO & MD, ICICI Bank

Chanda Kochhar was the head of ICICI Bank, one of India’s largest private banks. She studied at Jai Hind College and later did her MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute, Mumbai. She is known for her leadership in retail banking and has been consistently ranked among Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women in the world.

3. Kalpana Morparia – Former CEO, JP Morgan India

Kalpana Morparia has been listed by Fortune as one of the ’50 Most Powerful Women in International Business.’ She worked with ICICI for 30 years before becoming the CEO of JP Morgan India. She is also a board member at top companies like Dr. Reddy’s Labs and has contributed to philanthropy through the Bharti Foundation.

4. Naina Lal Kidwai – Former CEO, HSBC India

Naina Lal Kidwai was the first Indian woman to graduate from Harvard Business School. She led HSBC India and also became the first woman to be President of FICCI. She was awarded the Padma Shri for her contributions to trade and industry.

5. Ranjana Kumar – Former Chairperson, NABARD

Ranjana Kumar began her banking career in 1966 as a PO in Bank of India. She became the first woman to lead a public sector bank in India when she was appointed Chairperson and MD of Indian Bank. She played a key role in turning around the bank when it was facing major financial losses.

6. Shanti Ekambaram – President, Consumer Banking, Kotak Mahindra Bank

Shanti Ekambaram heads the consumer banking division at Kotak Mahindra Bank. She is known for building a strong business and also for mentoring young women professionals to grow into leadership roles.

7. Shikha Sharma – Former CEO & MD, Axis Bank

Shikha Sharma did her Economics degree from Lady Shri Ram College and MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. She started her career at ICICI and later became the MD & CEO of Axis Bank in 2009. Under her leadership, Axis Bank’s value grew significantly.

8. Usha Ananthasubramanian – Former CMD, Bhartiya Mahila Bank

Usha Ananthasubramanian has worked in the banking sector for over 30 years. She was the first chairperson of Bhartiya Mahila Bank, India’s first women’s bank. Before that, she served as MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank. She has master’s degrees in Statistics and Ancient Indian Culture.

We hope that this post inspires you to reach higher up in your career without feeling bogged down by other things is life. If they can do it, why can’t you?

FAQs

Q1. Who was the first woman to head the State Bank of India?

Ans. Arundhati Bhattacharya became SBI’s first woman chairperson in 2013.

Q2. Which woman banker led ICICI Bank as its CEO and MD?

Ans. Chanda Kochhar served as CEO & MD of ICICI Bank.

Q3. Who was the first chairperson of Bhartiya Mahila Bank?

Ans. Usha Ananthasubramanian led India’s first women’s bank.