Indian women have always been perceived by the world as the quiet lady, with long hair, wearing saree and a lot of gold jewelry; they stay inside the home and are born to cook, clean the home, and take care of their families.
But, in every generation, Indian women have always broken the stereotypes and proven themselves to be strong, independent, and multi-faceted. From the great, Queen of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai to the beautiful Indira Gandhi, and kind-hearted Mother Tereasa.
In this article we will talk about some of the most influential women from Indian Banking; they have stood out in the race because of the presentation of women in the topmost positions.
Their dedication to their job, excellence in their work, and trailblazing approach have made them the superwoman nott just in Indian banking but on the global level.
The youngest and the first female chairperson of the State Bank of India, Arundhati Bhattacharya is a real role model to the women in her country.
Forbes listed her as the 36th most powerful woman in the world in 2014 and the 30th most powerful woman in the world in 2015. She started her career at SBI as a probationary officer at the age of 22 and has worked with the bank for over 4 decades.
Her sincere and loyal service to the country's largest lender made her an unforgettable name in the banking industry. She has also introduced a two-year sabbatical policy for women in the company that would help the women employees in the State Bank of India enormously.
Apart from her leading position in the largest private sector bank in India, Chanda Kochhar is widely-known for shaping the retail banking industry in the country.
She believes integrity and perfection are the two qualities that have helped her to be what she is today. She believes in recognizing a challenge in its entirety and taking it head-on.
For her accomplishments and works, Chanda has consistently been featured on the Forbes list of 'World's 100 Most Powerful Women'. Kochhar did her bachelor's degree from Jai Hind College, Mumbai.
She finished her graduation in cost accountancy and later acquired and Master's degree in management studies from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai.
The former Managing Director and CEO of Axis Bank, Shikha Sharma is renowned in the banking space. She started her career with ICICI Bank in the1980s and worked there for three-decade. In 2009, she was appointed as MD &CEO of Axis Bank and the bank's stock has gained 90% since.
Under her leadership, Axis Bank has been honoured with "Bank of The Year in India" in 2014 by The Banker Magazine, Financial Times. Sharma retired on 31 December 2018. She belongs from an army background. In academics, Shikha graduated from Delhi and then got an MBA from IIM- Ahmadabad.
Naina Lal Kidwai is another reputed name among the most inspiring women in the Indian banking sector. She was the first lady to guide the functioning of a foreign bank (HSBC) in India as Chairman of HSBC India. After working for 13 years, she retired from her position in 2015.
Naina's career perfectly exemplifies female excellence in the banking sector. Apart from her role in HSBC, she was also the first woman president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI).
Kidwai holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Delhi University; she also did an MBA from Harvard Business School made her the first Indian lady to graduate from Harvard Business School.
Another impressive and one of the most influential women in Indian banking, Shanti Ekambaram is a Charted Accountant by profession. She presides over Kotak Bank's corporate and investment banking unit in April 2014.
In her leadership, the bank's assets as well as customer base are going high. Business Today listed Shanti Ekambaram amongst the most Powerful Women in Indian Business in 2014.
These five women bankers have reached places, breaking every taboo and showing to the world nothing is impossible. Gender is no hindrance to them. If anything, it is their biggest strength.
Hope you find the article interesting. In case, we have left any name that you believe should be listed, please let us know in the comment below.
