CROUCHING TIGER

THE UNASSUMING AMITABH CHAUDHRY HAS TAKEN ON AN AGGRESSIVE AVATAR, LEADING AXIS BANK TO HEIGHTS IT HAS NEVER REACHED BEFORE. A PEEK INTO HIS, AND THE BANK'S, REINCARNATION INTO A CHALLENGER OF INDIAN BANKING'S TOP GUNS

- ANAND ADHIKARI

Amitabh Chaudhry MD and CEO, Axis Bank

THE GAME PLAN

► BRING all the bank's businesses and subsidiaries under one umbrella for cross-selling

► FOCUS on high-rated corporates across large, medium and small enterprises

► DEPLOY an asset-led strategy in semi-urban and rural markets

► SEPARATE underwriting function in retail and wholesale from business function

► INCULCATE a culture of conservatism across verticals, and bring in a new management team with outside talent

► CARVE OUT separate verticals for mid-corporates and MNCs, Bharat banking and high-yield businesses

► CREATE a separate vertical for sourcing and servicing depositors; focus on granularity and premiumization

► FOCUS subsidiaries on attaining size and scale, and big jump in profitability

► UPGRADE core technology big-time to prepare for a digital world

► MOBILISE capital to strengthen the balance sheet

► ACQUIRE to grow in select areas; Citi's consumer banking acquisition is a big feather in its cap