Our Leadership Team

Anubrata Biswas, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Payments Bank, is an industry stalwart with over two decades of experience in banking and financial services. In his current role, he has been instrumental in shaping the Bank's journey in India's digital banking landscape.

Under his leadership, Airtel Payments Bank has emerged as the largest Payments Bank in the country. The Bank has built a strong portfolio of businesses, with sustained profitability since FY22. Today, the Bank is the fastest-growing digital bank. With its strong retail network of over 500,000 banking points, the Bank is serving deep rural pockets of India. Airtel Payments Bank is also the largest micro-cash B2B player, digitizing billion dollars of cash monthly with over 4,000 corporate partners. 

Anubrata started his banking career with ICICI Bank in 2001, where he led several national and overseas assignments, including building the ICICI Bank brand in the USA and the Middle East, establishing retail banking for ICICI Bank in London and heading the international retail business for ICICI Bank, comprising of NRI business and remittances. In his last assignment with ICICI Bank Ltd, he worked as the Retail Business Head for South India.

He serves on leading industry bodies and is currently the chair of the Payments Bank committee by the Payments Council of India (PCI) and a member of the FICCI National Committee on Fintech and CII National Committee on Banking. In the past, Anubrata has been the co-chair of the CII Financial Inclusion and Fintech Committee for FY24 and the Co-Chair of the CII Task Force on Fintech for FY 21.

Anubrata is an alumnus of Jadavpur University and has completed his degree in Business Administration (PGDBM) from IIM, Ahmedabad.

Ganesh Ananthanarayanan is the Executive Director - Business Operations at Airtel Payments Bank. In this role, he spearheads the Bank’s operational strategy and execution to drive sustainable growth and operational excellence in India’s dynamic banking ecosystem. Under his leadership, the Bank has strengthened its digital banking capabilities and built the largest network of banking points in the country to deliver safe, seamless, and accessible financial services to millions of customers across the country.

Championing over 25 years of experience in driving transformation and growth across diverse industries, Ganesh leads initiatives that optimize operations, strengthen digital banking capabilities, and expand service offerings. He heads strategic partnerships and ecosystem collaborations that accelerate innovation and broaden the Bank’s portfolio of financial products.

Prior to joining Airtel Payments Bank, he served as Executive Vice President leading the Central Distribution Team at Bharti Airtel for over five years. Ganesh began his career at Hindustan Unilever, where he spent 12 years in various roles across Marketing and Sales, contributing significantly to the growth of some of India’s leading consumer brands.

Ganesh completed his BTech from IIT Kharagpur and is a Management Graduate from S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR).

Anuj Bansal is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Airtel Payments Bank, and in this capacity, he is responsible for leading the Bank’s overall financial strategy. In this role, Anuj oversees corporate financial planning, budgeting, investor relations, supply chain, treasury management, legal and secretarial functions ensuring alignment with the Bank’s growth objectives and financial goals.

With close to 25 years of extensive experience across financial services and other sectors, including the automotive industry, Anuj’s expertise spans business planning, strategy formulation, global financial operations, finance and accounting management, and treasury management. He has been recognised amongst the ‘Top 100 finance professionals’ across India by CFO India in December 2020.

Anuj is a Chartered Accountant and an alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, from where he acquired his Bachelor of Commerce Degree.

Shruti Thakral is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Airtel Payments Bank. She is instrumental in fostering a positive work culture and empowering employees to achieve the Bank's mission and vision.

As CHRO, Shruti is committed to making Airtel Payments Bank an exceptional workplace, building an environment that attracts, nurtures, and inspires top talent across the country. Under her leadership, the Bank has been recognised as ‘Great Place To Work’.

Shruti has extensive experience as a leader within the Airtel group, particularly in talent management, executive leadership development, and organizational competencies.

Pinak Chakraborty is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Airtel Payments Bank and he is responsible for driving the Bank's technology strategy, overseeing the design and delivery of its products, and ensuring the operational stability of its IT systems. Pinak also leads initiatives to implement robust technical governance and introduce world-class systems, all aimed at propelling the bank into its next phase of growth.

With over 22 years of experience in engineering leadership and applied research, Pinak has a strong track record of building innovative software products that provide seamless, responsive, and personalized experiences for users. He holds 14 patents granted by the US Patent Office, primarily in the fields of machine learning and natural language processing.

Pinak did his Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering from NIT Silchar, a Postgraduate Certificate from IIIT-Hyderabad, and completed a General Management Programme at IIM-Calcutta.

Pranav is the Chief Sales & Distribution Officer at Airtel Payments Bank. He leads the design and execution of the Bank's comprehensive sales and distribution strategy. With a sharp focus on digital financial inclusion, Pranav’s strategic vision and dynamic leadership drive the Bank’s efforts to expand its market presence, forge impactful partnerships, and deliver innovative solutions that cater to a diverse customer base.

With over 20 years of expertise across sales, marketing, and product management, Pranav has a proven track record of successfully building and scaling business operations. His ability to identify growth opportunities, optimize sales channels, and lead high-performing teams has played a key role in the Bank’s ongoing success and its commitment to expanding financial access.

Pranav is an alumnus of INSEAD, where he completed his Executive Leadership Program, and holds an MBA in Marketing.

Deepak Ahuja is the Chief Internal Auditor for Airtel Payments Bank. He plays a pivotal role in overseeing and enhancing the Bank's Internal Audit function. In this capacity, he ensures robustness of the Bank's governance, risk management, and internal control frameworks, identifying and mitigating potential risks across both business and IT processes.

With over two decades of diverse banking experience, Deepak has a proven track record in audit management, risk oversight, regulatory compliance, banking operations, branch banking, customer acquisitions and process optimization. He has held key positions at leading Indian and International financial institutions, including Royal Bank of Scotland and IndusInd Bank, where he contributed significantly to strengthening risk management strategies, optimizing operational efficiencies, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

Deepak is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) from The Institute of Internal Auditors Inc. (USA).

Amar Kumar Kakarlapudi is the Chief Compliance Officer of Airtel Payments Bank. In this role, he plays a crucial part in further strengthening the Bank’s compliance framework and ensuring seamless alignment with regulatory and statutory requirements. Amar serves as a key partner for the Bank in meeting core and non-core compliance requirements, and acts as a  significant interface between the bank and regulatory authorities, while establishing a strong compliance and regulatory framework.

Amar has over 24 years of experience in the banking sector and has worked across verticals including branch banking, AML, Regulatory Compliance & Privacy Compliance in different  Banks. He has  held prominent positions in various financial institutions including Canara Bank, Axis Bank, JP Morgan Chase & State Bank of India. Prior to joining Airtel Payments Bank he was heading regulatory compliance in Utkarsh Small Finance Bank. He served in the Indian Air Force for six years, further enriching his leadership and discipline.

Known for his deep expertise in compliance, regulatory reporting, AML/KYC, and data protection, Amar is a fellow of Information privacy & holds  postgraduate degree from SMU.  He has professional certifications, including CBCP, CAMS, CFE, CAIIB, ISO 27001, and others.

Honey Madaan is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of transformative experience across Digital Banking, telecom and Telco SaaS. In her current role as the Business Process Head, Honey leads Customer Experience, Banking Operations and Business Controls at Airtel Payments Bank. She leverages her expertise to drive innovation, efficiency, and a customer-centric culture. With a proven track record of spearheading initiatives that enhance service delivery, boost operational performance, and empower teams, Honey is a strategic thinker with a passion for customer delight. Her leadership style is characterized by turning insights into meaningful actions, ensuring every process and policy is designed with the customer in mind.

Prior to joining Airtel Payments Bank, Honey served as Global Head of Customer Experience at Circles.life, based in Singapore, where she successfully built and delivered full-fledged service setups for new markets in Asia Pacific and global roaming product. This experience not only honed her skills in scaling customer experience functions but also demonstrated her ability to drive growth and excellence in diverse markets.

Honey has completed her executive education from ISB, NIIT. She has also held senior leadership positions at Bharti Airtel, setting standards for service excellence. With her expertise, Honey remains committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences and building future-ready organizations.

Pooja Sablok is the Chief Marketing Officer at Airtel Payments Bank. She brings over 15 years of diverse experience across telecom, digital content, and consumer technology sectors, along with international exposure that enriches her strategic perspective.

In her role, Pooja leads the Bank’s brand strategy, customer engagement, product & growth marketing, and communication efforts. She plays a pivotal role in building a trusted, purpose-led brand that resonates with millions of customers across India. Her focus remains on driving awareness, adoption, growth and sustained engagement with the Bank’s digital-first offerings.

Pooja is known for her strategic thinking, data-led approach, and ability to create high-impact campaigns that align business objectives with evolving customer needs. She works closely with cross-functional teams to deliver integrated marketing, growth and communication programs that support the Bank’s mission of advancing digital banking and financial inclusion in the country.

Prior to joining Airtel Payments Bank, Pooja held several leadership roles at Bharti Airtel, where she was instrumental in shaping and executing the brand and growth strategy for key business verticals including Airtel Black and Connected Homes.

Pooja is an alumna of INSEAD, where she completed her Executive Leadership Program and is a Management graduate from SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR). She was recognized as an Economic Times Young Leader in 2016.

Pooja Singh leads the Risk function at Airtel Payments Bank, where she spearheads strategic risk management by integrating risk assessment and creating mitigation plans for potential risk areas.

With over 15 years of cross-functional experience spanning risk management, product management, and organizational compliance in the banking industry, Pooja blends strategic insight with hands-on execution. Her leadership focuses on mitigating financial, operational, and cyber risks while enabling innovation and fostering customer trust in the digital banking landscape.

Pooja brings broad experience across product and people management to her role as Chief Risk Officer at Airtel Payments Bank, where she has been part of the organization for over six years. She is committed to strengthening risk awareness and controls that align closely with the bank’s business objectives.

Pooja holds an MBA degree from the Management Development Institute.