THE WORD THAT perfectly describes Arundhati T Bhattacharya's cabin in Salesforce's Mumbai office is immaculate. There are no piles of papers or pending files on her spotlessly clean white desk. From a potted plant in the corner to a picture on the wall, everything is in the right place. The white walls and the all-around neatness manifest the clarity of purpose of the room's occupant. This focussed approach has been the hallmark of the former State Bank of India (SBI) chairman, who is now Chairperson & CEO of Salesforce India, the local entity of the San Francisco-headquartered $26.5-billion enterprise software company. Hence, it is no surprise that the jury of the BT-KPMG Best Banks and Fintechs Survey 2021-22 unanimously decided to confer on her the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Bhattacharya took charge of SBI-the country's largest lender-in 2013 and was the bank's first (and till date only) woman chairman. Her four-year tenure is remembered for the way she transitioned the 217-year-old state-owned lender into a digitalised enterprise. "It was a very well-entrenched organisation that I took over with everything from the power of the chairman, composition of the committees, to the periodicity of the board meetings [being] well-defined. It was also a legacy organisation that had inherited a lot of stuff that probably was in need of being updated to keep up with the changes," says Bhattacharya, 66, between sips of tea.
But it wasn't easy. For example, her efforts at creating a professionally-driven foundation to oversee the spending of 1 per cent of the bank's profits on CSR were rejected thrice by the Reserve Bank of India for the lack of such a provision in The Banking Regulation Act of 1949. "It was with a lot of effort and persuasion that we ultimately got permission for the foundation," she says.
Denne historien er fra February 05, 2023-utgaven av Business Today India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 05, 2023-utgaven av Business Today India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
"Moving to cloud helped us grow❞
What was the problem you were grappling with?
She's Got Time
MORE WOMEN ARE BECOMING WATCH CONNOISSEURS, SEEKING OUT BOTH JEWELLED AND TECHNICAL WATCHES FOR THEIR STYLE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP
RISING STAR
PARUL GULATI IS a name that's been steadily gaining prominence in the Indian entertainment industry after she appeared on season 2 of Shark Tank in 2023. She has become a multifaceted personality who effortlessly transitions between acting and entrepreneurship.
Building on a Legacy
WHEN ZAHABIYA KHORAKIWALA stepped into her role as Managing Director of Wockhardt Hospitals over a decade ago, she confronted formidable challenges that have since turned into achievements.
LEADER IN INNOVATION
AS FEDEX'S PRESIDENT (Middle East, Indian subcontinent and Africa), Kami Viswanathan has a lot on her plate.
WAITING IN THE WINGS
Here are those who missed out as they have not yet completed a year in office; they'll be strong contenders in 2025
A DECENT PROPOSAL
IN TODAY'S WORLD OF TRYING TO CREATE AN EQUITABLE SPACE, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR HOUSEHOLDS. WOMEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO HAVE THEIR OWN SAVINGS POOL AND INVESTMENT ROUTINE. GIVEN THIS, HOW SHOULD FUTURE BRIDES APPROACH FINANCIAL PLANNING?
Women and the STEM Bias
EMPOWERING WOMEN IN STEM WILL NOT ONLY BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS, BUT ALSO STRENGTHEN THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY, DRIVING INNOVATION AND PROGRESS.
ROCKET WOMEN
WOMEN IN INDIA ARE NOT ONLY VENTURING INTO SPACE BUT ARE ALSO STARTING TO SPEARHEAD THE COUNTRY'S EFFORTS IN THE GLOBAL SPACE RACE.
ONE STEP FORWARD
THE NUMBER OF WOMEN INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS IS GROWING STEADILY, BUT IT'S A LONG WAY FROM GENDER PARITY. MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO BREAK THE GLASS CEILING IN BOARDROOMS.
