UdayKotak (born 15 March 1959) is an Indian banker; the executive vice chairman and managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank. In early 1980s, while India was still a closed economy and economic growth was muted, UdayKotak decided to start out on his own, refusing a lucrative job option from a multinational.[2] Over the next few years, he diversified his business into various areas of financial services, establishing a prominent presence in bills discounting, stockbroking, investment banking, car finance, life insurance and mutual funds. On 22 March 2003, Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd. became the first company in India’s corporate history to receive a banking license from Reserve Bank of India.[3] India Today magazine ranked him #8th in India's 50 Most powerful people of 2017 list.[4] Forbes estimated his wealth to be $4.1 billion in 2012.[5] In 2006 he ended a 14 year partnership with Goldman Sachs by acquiring its 25% stake in two subsidiaries for $72 million.[6] In June 2014, he was named Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year 2014.[7]

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THE INDIAN BANKER: UDAY KOTAK
VARUN KESAVAN, RESEARCH SCHOLAR, E – MAIL ID –
varunkesavan@yahoo.com
UdayKotak (born 15 March 1959) is an Indian banker; the executive vice chairman and
managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank.
In early 1980s, while India was still a closed economy and economic growth was muted,
UdayKotak decided to start out on his own, refusing a lucrative job option from a
multinational.[2] Over the next few years, he diversified his business into various areas of
financial services, establishing a prominent presence in bills discounting, stockbroking,
investment banking, car finance, life insurance and mutual funds. On 22 March 2003,
Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd. became the first company in India’s corporate history to
receive a banking license from Reserve Bank of India.[3] India Today magazine ranked
him #8th in India's 50 Most powerful people of 2017 list.[4]

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Forbes estimated his wealth to be $4.1 billion in 2012.[5] In 2006 he ended a 14 year
partnership with Goldman Sachs by acquiring its 25% stake in two subsidiaries for $72
million.[6] In June 2014, he was named Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year
2014.[7]
EARLY LIFE
Kotak was raised in an upper middle class Gujarati Lohana joint-family [8] household
with 60 persons sharing a common kitchen under one roof. The family was originally
into cotton trading. He called this "Capitalism at work and Socialism at home".[9]
His two pastimes had been cricket and playing the sitar. In a 2014 interview
with NDTV he admitted that he was no longer pursuing his playing of the sitar.[9]
His talent in mathematics influenced his choice of career. He obtained his Bachelor's
Degree from Sydenham College and completed his post graduation in management
studies in 1982 from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.
CAREER
After completing his MBA, Kotak started Kotak Capital Management Finance Ltd. (which
later became Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd.) From a seed capital of less than US$80,000
borrowed from family and friends, he converted a bill-discounting start-up into a financial
services conglomerate with assets of US$19 billion (as of March 31, 2014), and the
fourth largest private bank by market capitalization in India with over 600 branches.[11][12]

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During 2014, Kotak almost doubled his wealth as shares of his Kotak Mahindra Bank hit
an all-time high after he sealed a $2.4 billion deal in November 2014 for rival ING Vysya
Bank, partly owned by Dutch financial services group ING.[13]
In 2015, Kotak enters the general insurance business and is partnering telecom
magnate Sunil Mittal's Bharti Airtel to start a small payments bank.[13]
Kotak has reduced his stake in the Kotak Mahindra Bank to 40% as he is required to
bring down his holding to 30% by 2016
MEMBERSHIPS
Kotak is a member of the Government of India’s High Level Committee on Financing
Infrastructure, the Primary Market Advisory Committee of the Securities & Exchange
Board of India, Member of the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Securities
Markets and ICRIER. He is also Governing Member of the Mahindra United World
College of India, and Member of National Council of CII.[citation needed] Kotak is also a
member of the strategic board which advises the national law firm, Cyril
AmarchandMangaldas.
PERSONAL LIFE
He is married to PallaviKotak, has two children and lives in Mumbai.[1] He was the sole
Indian Financier to feature in Money Masters: The Most Powerful People in The
Financial World, by Forbes magazine, USA (May 2016)[