Rana Kapoor: The man behind the fastest growing bank of India

When one talks about the modern Indian Banking system, it is impossible to not bring up the name ‘Rana Kapoor’. Popularly known as the co-founder, former Managing Director and CEO of India’s fourth largest private sector bank- Yes Bank which ranks just below HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Hailing from a middle-class family, he earned his bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Delhi and went on to pursue his Masters in U.S.A. Dr Kapoor started working as an intern in the New York branch of the Citi Bank. This is where it all began, he saw a dream of launching such an advanced and modernized banking setup in India one day and years later, he realized his dreams. It took decades of untiring hard work, unwavering determination, uncountable strategies and hardcore investment that led to the inception of one of the most renowned private banks globally.

Some of his academic accomplishments include- an honorary fellowship from All India Management Association (AIMA), President's Medal from Rutgers University, and an honorary Ph.D. from GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology. Apart from academic excellence, in 2005, Kapoor was named Ernst & Young's Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year and by early 2017 he successfully became a self-made billionaire.

However, his success didn't begin with Yes Bank, he had earned a name for himself long before that. Rana Kapoor’s journey was a long and unstoppable one, filled with obstacles and hurdles all along. Being born in a privileged upper middle class family gave him a certain edge over others but it was all because of Dr. Kapoor’s brilliant hand at banking and years of service that made him what he is.

In 1980, He began as a management trainee at the Bank of America (BoA) and was later on presented the Eagle Pin by the chairman for consistency in performance excellence. He worked at BoA for 16 years during which he worked with world class corporates, governments and financial institutions. Eventually, he spearheaded the wholesale banking business of BoA till 1996, when he took over as the General Manager & Country Head at ANZ Grindlays Investment Bank (ANZIB).

Rana Kapoor always knew how and when to seize an opportunity to keep moving towards his ultimate goal. In 1998, he decided to embark on an entrepreneurial journey by founding Rabo India, a corporate finance and investment banking organization. As the main Managing Partner he successfully spearheaded Rabo India as a foreign joint venture in partnership with Rabobank and assiduously built the organization in India.

The success of Rabo India turned out to be the stepping stone towards his historic success and the modernization of the Indian banking setup. In 2003, he sold his shares in Rabo India Finance Pvt. Ltd. to Rabobank to start Yes Bank with his brother-in-law, Ashok Kapur. In 2004, they were granted the RBI license in their capacity as professional bankers; Yes, Bank is the only bank to receive a Greenfield Banking license issued by RBI.

He was well-networked in the corporate sector and he found his niche in companies that were facing difficulties in getting financing from other existing lenders. When India faced economic recession and the market was down in 2008-09, Kapoor opened Yes Bank’s doors and offered loans to each one in need. He became a hero for many and Yes Bank reached new heights as it became the ‘lender of choice’. He was the only one who showed faith in the Indian Business community and extended his support as he saw opportunity in adversity and had the willingness to bet on the revival and growth of the Indian economy.

Under his term as the Managing Director and CEO, Yes bank thrived consistently. Famous for being a man of detail, Dr. Kapoor didn’t believe in wasting even a second of his time. His impeccable leadership skills and a financial mastermind helped him turn his mere thought into the vision that is known as one of the largest private banks in India. In 2018, Yes Bank crossed significant milestones of ?3 Trillion in Total Assets and US$2.5 Bn in IBU Total Assets. Advances and Deposits in excess of ?2 Trillion each. The Net Profit grew by 29.0% y-oy (?11794 Mn) for Q4FY18, and 26.9% y-o-y (?42,246 Mn) in FY18.

He has been a visionary and an institution builder having provided employment opportunities to over 24,000 people across India, and his name is undoubtedly synonymous with entrepreneurship in Indian Banking.

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