This banker’s memoir recounts his journey from a junior officer to executive director

By mid-1991, I decided to continue working within the banking industry. I, therefore, had to plan and decide on the necessary steps for career progression. The basic step was the pursuit of courses for personal and professional enrichment from an academic perspective, which I believed was required as I am a firm believer in the adage “Knowledge is power”.

I started at the Indian Institute of Bankers, Mumbai – now known as the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance, Mumbai – with a certification (CAIIB), which I obtained in 1993. This course provided me with basic knowledge of the banking domain coupled with two advanced increments in the form of financial incentives. From June 1991 to June 1994, I was posted at the semi-urban branch of Madhya Pradesh, which exposed me to a peculiar cultural festival known as the Bhagoria Festival of the Bhil and Bhilala tribes of that region. This was a semi-urban medium-sized branch situated in a tehsil with diversified businesses, such as agriculture; micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs, then known as community banking); and retail, which gave me holistic exposure to branch banking.

Since my daily routine consisted of normal banking work with some leisure hours in the morning and evening, I pursued...

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