Life Beyond Banking

When we met Naina Lal Kidwai at her luxuriously done farmhouse in Sultanpur, Delhi, she came across as warm, graceful, yet feisty and unapologetic when it comes to speaking her mind. Much before women empowerment became the buzzword, Kidwai was one of the iconic leaders India ever had. She was the first Indian woman to go to Harvard Business School, head a foreign investment bank and become the president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. At 61, retired from her role as a banker, she spends most of her time advocating for women issues and environment concerns. We visited her days after the release of her second book ‘Survive or Sink’. During the interaction, she spoke at length about issues which are close to her heart.

- Punita Sabhrawal and Sanchari Ghosh

Though many women have emerged as achievers in fields like banking, IT and also as CEOs, there are hardly any examples to be cited in entrepreneurship, why is that?

When women like my good friend Kiran (MazumdarShaw) were starting off, they faced problems despite their degrees and caliber. Today, India has come a long way, however, disparity still exists. At times, I get to hear women entrepreneurs complain about not having access to finance, not being taken seriously as investors or entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship should not be gender biased; it should be about the business you have. However, the acceptability is increasing. We just have to ensure that women keep trying and being successful. As we continue to inspire others, our credibility grows.

As a woman, you have achieved many firsts. How difficult was it to dominate an all-men arena?

I never saw myself as a woman leader, I was a leader. Since the time I was heading a bank, the concern was to do it well. I was, however, very conscious of the fact that I was a goldfish in a bowl and everybody was always looking at me with great curiosity. I feel very lucky that I worked in a field like investment banking, where you sink or swim depending on your performance.

Apart from talent and hardwork, it takes confidence to achieve such heights. From where did you draw such level of conviction?

It must have come from my family, because my sister too went on to become India’s leading golfer and an Arjuna awardee. I grew up in a very traditional north Indian family and no women (before me) pursued a career. Our parents, however, never held us back. When few family members reacted negatively it further made me more strong willed, rather than getting me down. I worked even harder.