INDIAN BANKING IS IN A GOLDILOCKS MOMENT"

THE BILLIONAIRE BANKER IS KNOWN FOR HIS CONSERVATISM, A STRATEGY THAT HAS WORKED VERY WELL FOR KOTAK MAHINDRA BANK.

- V. KESHAVDEV

"Risk” and “safe” are four-letter words and so is Uday. In the business of handling the money of others, the 64-year-old founder-CEO of the country’s third-largest private bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, has always preferred to play it safe, than be sorry. He chose to shun risk where he could sense one. That helped the bank avoid the pitfalls that plagued public sector and some private sector banks. Kotak Mahindra Bank today runs a ₹3.19 lakh crore loan book with net NPAs of 0.37%. For someone who has been involved hands-on with the growth of the bank since its changeover from an NBFC in 2003, Kotak will be hanging up his boots by the end of the year. Kotak did dwell on why he believes Indian banking is set for a golden decade amid growing ‘digicalisation’ and why it needs a regulatory overhaul to sustain growth and stability. 

Amid the stress on banks and failures around the world, how do you see the financial sector landscape in India? 

We are at a very interesting juncture both globally and in India. We have witnessed the events that unfolded in the U.S., involving Silicon Valley Bank and a few others. Similarly, we have observed developments in Europe, particularly in Switzerland, the home of global banking regulations. Basel serves as the foundation for industry norms, yet we witnessed the challenges faced by Credit Suisse! So, we are clearly seeing the importance of stability in the banking and financial sector globally.