HDFC BANK'S MERGER PANGS
Fortune India|March 2024
INDIA'S SECOND-BIGGEST BANK MAY NOT BE THE CYNOSURE OF INVESTORS AS THE MERGER WITH HDFC WEIGHS HEAVY, SHAVING OFF 16% OF ITS MARKET CAP. BUT WHO CAN AFFORD TO IGNORE THE 800-POUND GORILLA?
V. KESHAVDEV
HDFC BANK'S MERGER PANGS

Amid the beating of dhols and blowing of the tutari, a traditional trumpet associated with Maratha rulers, the bus doors swing open. Out steps the 55-year-old CEO of HDFC Bank, along with an entourage of senior officials. At the entrance, the hotel owner, who is also a customer of HDFC Bank, ceremoniously adorns Sashidhar Jagdishan, dressed in smart casuals, with a traditional Maratha pagdi (turban), resplendent in red and gold. Jagdishan, who joined the bank in 1996 and ascended through the ranks to become the CFO in 2008 and CEO in 2020, appears at ease despite the long winding journey from Kolhapur to Pune.

After savouring an all-veg lunch, the CEO is back on the bus, which will head to Nashik, rounding off a three-city bus trip spanning over five days. A refreshing blend of grassroot insight and top-tier management, the ‘meet-on-wheels’ excursions are now a regular feature on Jagdishan’s calendar. It’s a practice that not only distinguishes him from his predecessors, but also cements his desire to understand the opportunities and address the challenges in an ever-evolving financial landscape for the 28-year-old bank, which set up its first branch at Worli in Mumbai in 1995.

How the road trips have helped the bank tap into new opportunities is interesting. For instance, on a recent trip from Madurai to Kanyakumari, the CEO visited a local chilli mandi (wholesale market), only to find that a public sector bank was enjoying a virtual monopoly among traders. HDFC Bank didn’t have any business with these traders, who were typically intermediaries who bought produce from farmers and sold it in the market. Jagdishan advised his team to consider extending credit to these seasoned traders, some of whom have been in business for nearly a century.

Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av Fortune India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av Fortune India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.