It was celebration time once again, and the excitement at FE India’s Best Banks Awards was palpable. Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman set the tone, confirming the economy is in good shape. Addressing a gathering of leaders from the financial sector and industry, Sitharaman highlighted strong corporate tax collections and said it was a clear indication that private investment was rising on the promise of sustainable consumption demand. The minister also indicated continued support to exports, as “they are facing external constraints” and taking steps to attract more foreign investment. “We want to attract more foreign investments into India so that the pace of growth does not stop. We are definitely working on it,” said Sitaraman.
The assurance seemed to cheer up the mood for the rest of the evening, with bankers and traders agreeing that the government had done a good job of containing the pandemic.
HDFC Vice President and CEO Keki Mistry (L) with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Mistry received Lifetime Achievement Award
The excitement increased as soon as the prize distribution began. From fintech founders to CEOs of small finance banks (SFBs), non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and bankers, the winners received their trophies from the FM, and posed for photographs to applause from the audience. Performance in 2019-20 and 2020-21 acknowledged; There were people who were recognized for organizational efficiency and others for the success of a product. Over the years, the awards have commended individual performance. The jury selected Padmaja Chanduru, former MD & CEO, Indian Bank as the Banker of the Year for 2019-20, acknowledging her efforts to rejuvenate the lender. Accepting the honour, Chunduru credited Indian Bank’s turnaround to the team effort.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (left) with Indian Express Group Executive Director Anant Goenka
For the exemplary leadership of ICICI Bank, during the extremely difficult period, the jury selected Sandeep Bakshi as the Banker of the Year for 2020-21. Bakshi also acknowledged everyone’s contribution to the private sector bank.
Financial Express Editor Shyamal Mazumdar in an interactive session with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
HDFC Vice Chairman and CEO Keki Mistry received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his four decades of work in the mortgage space. “I am proud to receive the award from the Express Group which is known for its journalistic integrity. I am proud that HDFC, which was set up to facilitate home delivery to middle-income Indians, has grown into a financial conglomerate,” said Mistry.
Indian Express Group Chairman and Managing Director Vivek Goenka (left) with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
Earlier, welcoming the guests, Vivek Goenka, Chairman and Managing Director, The Indian Express Group said, The FE Best Bank Awards have become a benchmark for recognizing excellence in the financial sector. He said that the awards are not just to celebrate the success of the so called big boys of the field; They have also been about recognizing talent early. “FE was one of the first to recognize the disruption in the financial sector by honoring the excellent work done by NBFCs, fintechs and small finance banks. We are very proud to have been honored in the past,” Goenka said. Some people have joined the big leagues by doing phenomenal work.
