Arundhati Bhattacharya (DIN 02011213) was the first woman to chair the State Bank of India (SBI) from 2013 to 2017 in its 210 years.
She is a post graduate in English and an Associate Member of the Indian Institute of Bankers, with more than 40 years of rich and varied experience coupled with thorough insights of banking industry and its related technology. This has enabled her to leave her imprint on the Indian financial world, for which she has been globally acknowledged.
She is an internationally acclaimed banker who has won many International awards and recognitions, including 'World’s 100 Most Powerful Women' by Fortune and Forbes; Fortune’s 'World’s Greatest Leaders'; recognition for best satisfaction level of employee of SBI; Lifetime Achievement Award by Financial Express Group in 'Best Banker' Category; and Lifetime Achievement Award by Zee Marathi TV channel.
During her tenure as the Chairperson of SBI, she introduced sabbatical leave for women bank employees. She has been nominated by the Government to be a part of select committees, including the Lokpal Search Committee, Padma Awardees Selection Committee, SEBI's Mutual Fund Advisory Committee, and National Coal Index Committee.
Her interests include reading and travelling. She is also associated with initiatives and institutions for empowering persons with disabilities in order to integrate them better in society. Currently, she leads the India operations of Salesforce, a global leader in Customer Relationship Management software.
At Reliance Industries Limited, she is an Independent Director and a Member of the Stakeholders’ Relationship Committee and Environmental, Social and Governance Committee.