Rajnish Kumar

Mr. Rajnish Kumar is former Chairman of State Bank of India (‘SBI’). He completed his 3 years term as Chairman in October 2020. He is credited with steering the bank successfully through very challenging times. During his tenure, SBI developed YONO, a digital platform, which has established bank as a global leader in adoption of technology and innovation.

Mr. Kumar is a veteran banker with nearly four decades of service with SBI. His expertise in corporate credit and project finance is well recognised. He served the bank in various capacities across the country including in the North East as Chief General Manager. He successfully managed UK operations of the Bank immediately after the crisis caused by the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Earlier he worked as Vice President (Credit) at Toronto.

Mr. Kumar was also the Chairman of SBI’s subsidiaries, important ones being, SBI Life Insurance Company Limited, SBI Foundation, SBI Capital Markets Limited, and SBI Cards & Payments Services Limited. He also served as Director on the boards of various organizations, viz. Export- Import Bank of India, Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, National Institute of Bank Management, Pune, Indian Banks’ Association, Khadi & Village Industries Commission, Indian Institute of Banking & Finance, among others. Mr. Kumar was also a member of the Hon’ble Chief Minister’s Advisory Council on Fintech of the Government of Maharashtra.

Mr. Kumar is currently a Director on the Board of Light House Communities Foundation and a member of the Board of Governors of Management Development Institute, Gurgaon. He is also a senior advisor to Barings Private Equity Asia Pte Ltd and an exclusive advisor of Kotak Investment Advisors Ltd.

Born in January 1958, Mr. Kumar has done M.Sc. in Physics from Meerut University and is also a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB). He holds PGCBM certificate from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

Mr. Kumar is an avid traveller and has visited several countries. He is passionate about sports and his favourite sport is badminton.