Game Changer

After building India’s second-largest bank, Aditya Puri is set to impact other sectors

- NEVIN JOHN

Career Graph

1992 Became CEO of Citibank, Malaysia

1994 Appointed MD of HDFC Bank

October 2020 Retired as MD of HDFC Bank

A decade ago, Aditya Puri, the former MD of HDFC Bank, tried to influence his daughter Amrita Puri to join advertising against her desire to pursue acting. Though he managed to convince her, she did not enjoy advertising and opted for acting. Puri’s daughter , who acted in movies like Kai Po Che and Aisha is making a career in Bollywood and serials. Today, Aditya Puri brims with pride over her achievements.

This has parallels with Puri’s life. In a banking career spanning 40 years, he never allowed himself to be influenced by anyone. Puri, who built HDFC Bank from scratch, opted to graduate in Commerce, though his father, an Indian Air Force officer, wanted him to study science. After completing his chartered accountancy in Delhi, he shifted to Mumbai in 1975 to work with Mahindra & Mahindra as an executive assistant to the finance director. But he was soon attracted by a flashy career in foreign banks. He got a job in Citibank. The training turned him from a finance professional to a generalist with knowledge of work culture, meritocracy and banking theories.