YS Exclusive with SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar (and other top stories of the day)

There was a time when banking in India was synonymous to SBI - the State Bank of India. Historically, it is the oldest commercial bank of the country. Today, it has a customer base of 430 million and counting. So, getting up and close with its Chairman Rajnish Kumar is bound to be insightful, eventful, and inspiring.

Rajnish Kumar’s journey at SBI began exactly 39 years ago. And this journey bears all the hallmarks of the traits we envision driving new India. His consistency, hard work, perseverance, humility, and an unwavering, robust personal value system, and an inclusive, decisive leadership style have enabled his ascent to one of India’s most well-respected bankers. 

From a Probationary Officer (PO) at an SBI branch in a little-known town in Uttar Pradesh in 1980, Rajnish has since made the journey to becoming the Chairman of SBI, steering India’s largest lender into the new digital era.

In an exclusive interaction with YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma, the SBI Chairman gets candid about his personal journey and the qualities that helped his ascension to the top job at India's largest lender. He also shares his take on the Indian economy, on the various initiatives as part of SBI's transformation strategy, and his plans for driving engagement with innovative fintech startups.

Watch the full interaction for more.

Flipkart, Amazon India still making losses, but there’s a silver lining

Over the last four financial years, ecommerce biggies Flipkart and Amazon have consistently seen their revenues overshoot losses. The losses are likely to continue as both companies focus on expanding market share rather than eyeing profitability.

Rajnish Kumar on how India will become $5T economy by 2025

The economic slowdown cannot be downplayed, with signs showing up across industries and sectors. But while the numbers speak for themselves, there is little need to be pessimistic, says State Bank of India Chairman Rajnish Kumar.

Enterprise is a big focus in India: Coursera's Leah Belsky

In a conversation with YourStory, Leah Belsky, Senior Vice President of Coursera, the California-based edtech company, talks about its enterprise business and what makes India an exciting edtech market.

SBI banking on digital transformation to strengthen customer base

Speaking to YourStory, Rajnish Kumar, the Chairman of SBI, reveals how SBI has leveraged the trust Indians place in the bank and gone from strength to strength by adopting technology.

This Mumbai startup cleans oil spills and preserves marine ecosystems

Log 9 Spill Containment has developed graphene-based oil sorbent pads that have higher oil removal efficiency as compared to conventional products, are reusable, and safe to dispose or incinerate. It currently has clients in India, Singapore, and China.

Seven years after launch, Chaayos opens its first outlet in Bengaluru

Delhi-based Chaayos has opened three stores in Bengaluru to mark seven years of starting up. The startup, which is betting strongly on technology to ensure customisation and customer satisfaction, aims to capture the Bengaluru market with 15 stores by the end of this financial year.

This Chennai entrepreneur rented out 9,000 coworking spaces

Started by Gurbinder Rattha in 2016, Workafella follows a cautious approach to scaling up. It offers 9,000 coworking seats, in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. Learn about its business model here.

Now get the Daily Capsule in your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter today!