Woman CEOs of Banks in India

To my remembrance, the first Woman Chief Executive (CMD) of any bank in India was Ms. Ranjana Kumar heading Indian Bank, Chennai over a decade back.  She started her career in Bank of India and was ED of Canara Bank. She was considered to be very skillful in turning around the Indian Bank.  She later handled NABARD as Chair-person and in the Vigilance Commission, Government of India.

Ms HA Daruwala was the next top woman executive to work as CMD of Central Bank of India in 2005. Woman CMD of Central Bank of India.  She was a Chartered Accountant by qualification, started her career in Union Bank of India as an Officer, later to become ED of Oriental Bank of Commerce. 

Both the above are successful women executives raising to the position of CMD in Public Sector Banks.  We have Ms Naina Lal Kidwai among Foreign Bank Country Heads. She started in ANZ Grindlays bank, moved to StanChart and later to HSBC Bank as MD.  She is always referred in terms of Beauty with Brain.  Also she is included in the who is who of Indian Entrepreneurs. Naina Lal Kidwai Profile.  One more important woman chief of a foreign bank is Ms. Kalpana Morparia of JP Morgan after serving ICICI Bank for long years.  Kalpana's appointment

And in recent times, two female bankers are hitting the head lines for their successful handling of top positions in ICICI Bank and Axis Bank.  They are Ms Chanda Kochhar and Ms Shikha Sharma.  Business India magazine, in its June 27, 2010 issue had extensively covered the leadership exhibited by Ms Kochhar (cover photo).  Similarly, in its July 25, 2010 issue Ms Shikha Sharma of Axis Bank has been discussed the way she is handling the bank most with high efficiency.  These two are role models for Women Executives not only in Banks but also the male dominated corporate world in the technology driven twenty-first century in India.

To add to the list of above executives in Foreign, PSBs and Private Sector Banks in India, are two more women Deputy Governors - Ms Shyamala Gopinath and Ms Usha Thorat.  These two form the think tank of the Regulator, Big Brother and Policy Maker of the Banking Industry assisting the Governor of RBI,  and associating with the two other Deputy Governors of India.  We should be proud of all these women.