- Former Chairman, ICICI Bank Limited (Finance)
“If we are to be counted as a world-class economy in the decade, merely talking of 8 percent growth is not going to help us anywhere without a strong financial system to back it.”
Summary
In this interview, Narayanan Vaghul, former chairman of ICICI Bank Limited—also known as the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India—narrated his journey to becoming one of the most prominent figures in the Indian banking industry. He described how, early in life, he aspired to join the Indian civil service, but how serendipitous circumstances instead pulled him in the direction of the State Bank of India, where he would serve for 19 years. Vaghul reflected on some of his most important mentors during those years, who instilled in him the principles of humility, respect, and confidence—virtues that continued to serve him throughout his career.
After moving from a regional branch of the State Bank in Chennai, to the central office in Bombay, Vaghul encountered another fortuitous bend in the road. He took a sabbatical at the National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM), and after only two years there, had made such an impression for his hard work and diligence that he was offered the position of director of the institute. In this new role, he continued to stand out for his intellect and analytical problem-solving. Indeed, by the age of 39, he was offered the position of executive director of the Central Bank of India, where he served for only a few years before being appointed Chairman and Managing Director of the Bank of India in 1981—the youngest appointee in the bank’s history at the age of 44.
Vaghul went on to describe how the nature of the banking industry changed over time since he started his career in 1950. He explained that, at that time, “the banking reputation was very high, banking business was considered to be very safe. Even one loan becoming sour was a major issue for the bank—you were not supposed to let even one defaulter remain in the bank.” Things changed with the nationalization of banks in 1969, which had “the avowed objective of taking banks to the masses—from class banking…to mass banking.” At that time, Vaghul was still starting out his career at the State Bank, but he recalls how he believed in that agenda, and how he, along with his mentor Mr. Talwar, decided to finance cooperative banks, which would in turn lend to farmers. Although he believed in the underlying agenda, Vaghul also described his frustrations at government interference in bank management after the nationalization, and provides insights into how he navigated this period.
In 1985, Vaghul left Bank of India for a position at ICICI Bank Limited, one of three major development banks in India at that time. Founded in 1955, it was full owned by the government and its mission was to lend to private sector industries. In the interview Vaghul described some of the challenges he faced in this new role, including navigating the license raj and interacting with government officials, as well as selecting viable projects to receive loans. He also explained the factors that motivated him and others to launch a commercial arm of the bank in 1993, which operated in parallel to the original development bank until 1999-2000, at which time the two were merged.
Vaghul concluded the interview by discussing his management practices at ICICI Bank, and particularly his gender neutral hiring policy that made the bank a haven for women employees. He also reflected on his philanthropic activities in the areas of education, research, innovation and development.
Video Clips by Topic
Government & Business
Narayanan Vaghul, Former Chairman of ICICI Bank Limited, describes his views on the relationship of development banking institutions with the government upon joining ICICI in 1985 (Filmed October 26, 2017).
Gender
Narayanan Vaghul, Former Chairman of ICICI Bank Limited, discusses the bank's approach to gender neutrality in recruitment and outlines proactive measures that supported the advancement of more women in senior positions (Filmed October 26, 2017).
Social Impact
Narayanan Vaghul, Former Chairman of ICICI Bank Limited, recounts discovering and establishing strong financial backing for Pratham, an NGO that seeks to improve the quality of education for children throughout India (Filmed October 26, 2017).
Additional Resources
- "Interview with Madhav Chavan and Rukmini Banerji", interviewed by John J-H Kim, New Delhi, India and Boston, MA, USA, 4 May 2023, Creating Emerging Markets Oral History Collection, Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School.
- "Bank nationalisation a failure; NPA problem bigger" Money Control, August 15, 2015.
- Ira Dugal, "Many philanthropic ventures have a limited impact: Narayanan Vaghul," Live Mint, October 3, 2014.
- Jashoda Banerjee, "Narayanan Vaghul: The Corporate Philanthropy Catalyst," Forbes India, November 30, 2012.
- Narayanan Vaghul, "Redefine the Goals, Says Narayanan Vaghul," Economic Times of India, December 26, 2008.
- "ICICI Spearheads Consumer Boom" Live Mint, February 21, 2007.
Interview Citation Format
Interview with Narayanan Vaghul, interviewed by VG Narayanan, October 26, 2017. Creating Emerging Markets Oral History Collection, Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School.