Shanti Ekambaram, Whole-time Director at Kotak Mahindra Bank oversees Treasury, 811 and corporate functions including Human Resources, Group Marketing & Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, Vigilance, and Financial Inclusion. Shanti is part of the Bank’s Group Management Council that drives Kotak Mahindra Group’s growth charter.
Shanti has been associated with Kotak Mahindra Group for over 30 years and has been responsible for successfully setting up and running several business units.
Prior to her current role, Shanti led the Consumer Banking business at Kotak Mahindra Bank from April 2014 to May 2022.
Under her leadership, Kotak’s savings accounts base grew at an exemplary pace, probably the fastest in the Indian banking industry. Simultaneously, the focus of the business was on judiciously growing the retail loan book, both secured and unsecured. In addition, the consumer banking business drove its digital agenda across customer acquisition, customer adoption of banking, payments & e-commerce transactions, enhancing customer experience and deepening engagement.
Prior to this, Shanti was President – Corporate & Investment Banking for 11 years till April 2014, where she was responsible for ensuring delivery of comprehensive advisory and financial solutions to leading Indian Corporates, Public Sector Undertakings, Financial Institutions, Multinationals and the Government. Shanti was also Executive Director and CEO of Kotak Investment Banking earlier and, along with her team, steered the firm to a position of market leadership. She established a franchise recognised for executing innovative deals, including pioneering the first book-built IPO in India, which ushered global standards in the Indian capital markets. Shanti has rich and varied experience across retail and wholesale banking.
Before joining Kotak Mahindra Group, Shanti had a short stint with Bank of Nova Scotia – the Canadian International Bank, with their corporate banking and treasury division.
Shanti is on the board of Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore (IIM-B). She was a member of the FICCI National Committee on Banking for 2021-22.
Business Today, one of India’s leading business magazines, has recognised Shanti as one of the ‘Most Powerful Women in Indian Business’ from 2013-2017, in 2019 and in 2020. Fortune India has featured Shanti as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in India from 2016-2020. Shanti received the “CA Business Leader” award from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in the “Large Corporate – BFSI” category in 2020 and was also named “CA Woman Business Leader” in 2013. Further, the Ladies’ Wing of the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry recognised Shanti as “Woman of the Year 2013-14 in Banking and Financial Services. She was listed by ET x Femina among the Promising Women Leaders of India 2022.
Shanti is a certified Chartered Accountant and Cost Accountant.
Shanti is a philanthropist at heart and has been supporting several NGOs. She is a regular participant at various marathons in the country, and has raised pledges for causes close to her heart through the Mumbai Marathon for the past several years. She was recognised as the Highest Individual Woman Pledge Raiser in 2011 and 2016, and the Second Highest Individual Pledge Raiser in the Corporate Challenge category in 2013, 2014 and 2015. She has also been recognised as the highest fundraising change champion for SOPAN at the Mumbai Marathon 2017, and as a Change Icon at the Mumbai Marathon 2018, 2019 and 2020.
