Playing the Long Game

For Shriram Finance's Umesh Revankar, sports and leadership are interconnected– pushing one's limits, risk-taking and a will to keep improving

- Nandini Keshari

Whether he’s swinging a golf club or leading one of India’s largest financial-services companies, Umesh Revankar brings the same competitive spirit and discipline to everything he does.

The executive vice-chairman of Shriram Finance has always had a deep love of sports—from playing cricket, hockey and football in college to joining his sons on the tennis court and now finding focus on the golf course. But for Revankar, sport is more than a way to just pass the time—it’s a philosophy. “Sport isn’t just about winning,” he says. “It's about measuring performance and tracking progress in business, leadership and even relationships.”

Born and brought up in Mangaluru, Karnataka, Revankar has lived across Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Each city has shaped his outlook and it’s the variety of cultures and the lessons they offer that continues to fascinate him.