Setting a record as a Banking Maverick – Rana Kapoor’s journey as an Entrepreneurial Banker

Leading light to the ways how ‘progressive entrepreneurship’ aspires, works and wins, the exemplary leadership of Rana Kapoor, as the founder and former CEO of YES Bank demonstrates a journey of toiling tirelessly towards triumph.

The world of grand achievements belongs to the ones with grander aspirations. As the founder of the sensational banking success, YES Bank, Rana Kapoor is one such visionary leader and professional entrepreneur who embodied this mantra of big dreams and gallant goals throughout his triumphant career. Leading the bank through its flourishing performance period as its former CEO, he leaves behind a visible legacy to display how inspiring leadership is the master-stroke to unlocking unimaginable potential.

Angling strategic initiations to raise funds from the market, YES Bank entered the Indian banking space with an energetic initial public offering.  Rana Kapoor’s bank soon netted Rs 315 crore with the issue oversubscribed 30 times, and the Bank went on the list of stock-exchanges by year 2005. Just a year after the establishment of the Bank, Rana Kapoor was conferred with the Ernst & Young’s “Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year”. Achievements followed as The Bombay Management Association felicitated Rana Kapoor as “the Entrepreneurial Banker of the Decade 2000-2010”, recognising him as India’s first professional to have successfully set up a greenfield banking venture in the country.

Rana Kapoor, who began with the motive of “Building the finest quality Large Bank of the World in India”, is a stalwart master of finance and banking himself, with over 17 years of expertise in the executive role for a predominant part of his professional career, including at the prestigious Bank of America . Rana Kapoor demonstrated his strength as an exceptional institutional builder who envisioned success much beyond market expectations, and worked tirelessly and sincerely, leading by example, to achieve his vision.

His institution had steadily moved towards becoming the “Professionals’ Bank of India”, with a highly qualified and experienced professional team and institutionalised processes.  This was evidenced through the superior business and financial outcomes in the financial results since inception. In recognition of the remarkable working environment, the Asia Pacific HRM Congress facilitated the Bank with “Organization with Most Innovative HR Practices Award” in 2007. The bank also introduced Strategic Government Advisory (SGA) division as part of its initiative to empower field experts and integrate their acumen with knowledge and service delivery.

The road to steady progress under Rana Kapoor highlights the Bank’s run to be the largest “small-bank” in India in 2010, within 6 years of its formation. In the FY13, the total assets stood at Rs 99,104 crores and they mounted upwards of the 3-lakh crore milestone by year 2018, at Rs 3,12,446 crores.

Beyond being a banker, Rana Kapoor has also taken active role in ushering positive changes to the Indian economy at large, as a change maker for communities and businesses that exist. He further engaged with core national institutions like the Board of Trade, Ministry of Finance, Indian Banking Association, Board of Governors of IICA, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and others, to participate in the important development of country’s public and social policy.

Having served as a member of Prime Minister’s Trade & Industry advisory council and as the President of ASSOCHAM, he has put his entrepreneurial venture at the forefront to be able to harbour social responsibilities, as he championed an innovative framework of “Knowledge banking” and “Responsible Banking” as the core of YES Bank.  He set a record by employing more than 24,000 Indians all over the country as Yes bankers during his tenure.

The bank’s market capitalisation increased manifold during this period to reach a peak of Rs 1 lakh crore by the August of 2018.  In the same year, YES Bank became India’s 4^th largest Private sector bank with a network spanning across all the states and the Union Territories of the country, including an IBU at GIFT City, and a Representative Office at Abu Dhabi.

Being a visionary entrepreneur himself, Mr Rana Kapoor lent his wings to help the nation’s emerging business-builders with an underlying entrepreneurial spirit, to join his march of revolutionary entrepreneurship through credit support from YES Bank. In recognition of his efforts, he had been accorded with the title of “Extraordinary Contribution in the Field of Finance in India” by IIM Indore. Taking forward his entrepreneurial venture to a major one-stop financial service provider, his exemplary contributions as a leader who stirred innovation within Indian minds shines light on how ‘progressive entrepreneurship’ wishes, works and wins.