Small finance banks hunt for peer talent to grow

SFBs are eyeing senior executives at larger banks in universal banking bid

- Shayan Ghosh & Devina Sengupta

AU Small Finance Bank, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, Suryoday Small Finance Bank and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank are looking to onboard senior executives.

(BLOOMBERG)

India's small finance banks (SFBs) are starting to think beyond their niche.

As a handful of these lenders prepare for a possible transition to universal banking, they are stepping up senior hiring from larger banks and non-bank financiers to strengthen leadership and scale businesses, said two people aware of the developments.

The move highlights how, over a decade after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) opened the door to small finance bank licences, parts of the sector are gearing up for a more complex phase of growth, one where talent depth and managerial capability could prove as critical as rapid balance-sheet expansion.