V. Vaidyanathan

Indian Businessman

V. Vaidyanathan

Vaidyanathan in 2023

Born|  (1968-01-02) 2 January 1968 (age 57)
Nationality| Indian
Alma mater| Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra
Occupation(s)| Founder and Chairman of Capital First Ltd.
MD & CEO of IDFC First Bank[1]
Awards| Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, 2022

V. Vaidyanathan (born 2 January 1968) is an Indian banker and entrepreneur, currently serving as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IDFC First Bank,[2] formed after the merger of IDFC Bank and Capital First. Prior to assuming this role, he held the position of Chief Executive Officer at ICICI Prudential Life Insurance and was a member of the Board of Governors at ICICI Bank since 2006.[3]

After a decade-long stint at ICICI, Vaidyanathan acquired a stake in an existing listed non-bank financial institution and guided it through a transformation into Capital First, ultimately merging it with IDFC Bank to form IDFC First Bank in 2018.[4][5]

In 2022, he was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.[6]

## Early life and education

[edit]

Vaidyanathan was born in Chennai. As a child, he studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan's Pathankot school.[5] Subsequently, he chose to enroll in the National Defence Academy and took the Pilot Aptitude Test. As a result, he participated in the Services Selection Board interview, but his medical examination revealed his disqualification due to an eye-related problem.[7]

Vaidyanathan enrolled in the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra,[8] but ran out of money to buy train tickets. His mathematics teacher then lent him 500 rupees to take a train to help him appear for an interview at Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra.[5] Vaidyanathan searched for him for over 30 years but could not find him. Later, ICICI staff skip-traced his teacher in Agra[9] and Vaidyanathan gifted him one lakh equity shares, amounting to ₹30 lakh (US$35,000) at the time of transfer.[10]

Later, he attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.[11]

## Career

[edit]

Vaidyanathan began his career at Citibank, and worked there from 1990 to 2000 in consumer banking. During 1999-2000, he transitioned to ICICI to lead their retail lending operations as they expanded beyond project lending. His responsibilities involved setting up the businesses, including all key functions related to strategy, team building, business relationships, credit policy, credit administration and risk management.[12][13]

He joined ICICI when it was a Domestic Financial Institution (DFI) known for project financing, and helped the transition of ICICI from a DFI to a universal bank. He was appointed MD and CEO of ICICI Personal Financial Services (PFS) Limited at 32. In 2002, ICICI Limited merged with its subsidiary ICICI Bank and with ICICI PFS Limited. Post-merger, he became the Head of Retail Banking in charge of both Lending and Retail Liabilities in the merged entity, ICICI Bank Limited. He also built the ICICI Bank's SME business in 2003, and managed the Rural Banking Business after 2007.[14]

He was appointed Executive Director on the board of ICICI Bank at the age of 38 and became the MD and CEO of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance at 41.[15] He was also the chairman of ICICI Home Finance Co. Ltd, and served on the Board of ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company, CIBIL - India's first Credit Bureau, and SMERA- SIDBI's Credit Rating Agency.[16]

In 2010, he quit ICICI Bank to acquire a 10% stake in an NBFC and establish Capital First Ltd.[17] Later in 2012, he secured an equity backing of Rs. 8.10 billion from Warburg Pincus and expanded the operation.[18][19][20][21]

On 13 January 2018, IDFC Bank and Capital First announced a merger. IDFC Bank issued 139 shares for every 10 shares of Capital First, and Vaidyanathan took over as the MD and CEO of the combined bank.[22][23] To secure a commercial banking license, Vaidyanathan agreed for the merger and assumed control of the bank's management.[24] He had always wanted to set up a bank. In fact, it took him just two sittings to finalise the merger of Capital First into IDFC Bank, and the regulator backed him. And although virtually all the top private equity firms dismissed his plans for Capital First as unrealistic, he soldiered on.[25]

In September 2023, Vaidyanathan sold 5.07 crore shares of IDFC First Bank for ₹478.7 crore (US$57 million) to US-based GQG Partners through a block trade transaction.[26][27] From the revenue generated, ₹229 crore (US$27 million) was allocated for the subscription of new shares in IDFC First Bank, ₹240.5 crore (US$28 million) designated for personal income tax settlement, and ₹9.2 crore (US$1.1 million) directed towards supporting pre-established charitable causes[28] such as support for the National Association of Blind to empower and rehabilitate visually impaired individuals, contributions to the Birla Institute of Technology Scholarship Program, and assistance to the Rukmini Trust.[29]

On 19 September 2024, the Reserve Bank of India approved his re-appointment as IDFC First Bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for three years, effective from 19 December 2024.[30]

## Philanthropy

[edit]

In January 2018, he announced that he had donated half a million shares of Capital First, valued ₹40 crore (US$4.7 million), to Rukmini Foundation which is a social welfare trust to support activities providing education and healthcare support for economically underprivileged children. Some of the initial beneficiaries of the trust are Genesis Foundation which works on the healthcare of children, Samparc who works on the rehabilitation and education of children, and Apnalaya which works in the area of education of slum children in Mumbai.[31]

In November 2018, Vaidyanathan gifted 4.29 lakh shares, valued ₹20 crore (US$2.4 million), to drivers, maids, present, as well as former colleagues and family members.[32][33][34] V Vaidyanathan has gifted ₹68 crore (US$8.0 million) of his wealth.[5]

## Personal life

[edit]

He was born into a family of four siblings. His siblings joined the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army like their father. Vaidyanathan, on the other hand, was the first to join the private sector.[35]

Vaidyanathan is an active marathoner. He ran 8 marathons and 22 half marathons. In his spare time, he plays guitar.[7]

He lives in Mumbai with his family, consisting of his father, wife, and three children.[13][36][37]

In February 2022, Vaidyanathan gifted shares worth ₹4 crore (US$470,000) to five of IDFC First's employees, including help and a driver. In May 2021, he gave away 4.3 lakh shares, worth over ₹2.4 crore (US$280,000) to three persons from IDFC First Bank to help them buy a house.[38]

## Awards and recognition

[edit]

* "CEO of the year 2018"[39] by Businessworld
* "Outstanding Corporate Transformation India 2018" by Capital Finance International[40]
* "V Vaidyanathan: Most Inspirational Management Buyout India 2018" by Capital Finance International[40]
* "Game Changers of India" – The Economic Times Global Business Summit 2018 [41]
* "Entrepreneur of the Year Award"[42] at APEA 2017
* "Economic Times Most Promising Business Leaders of Asia" at the Asian Business Leaders Conclave 2016, Malaysia[43]
* "Outstanding Entrepreneur Award"[44] in Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2016
* "Leaders Under 40" from Business Today in 2009[45]
* CNBC Awaaz Entrepreneur of the year 2020[46]
* Most Promising Entrepreneur of the Year in the Editorial Board Category- CNBC Awaaz CEO Awards 2019 [47]
* Most Harmonious Merger Award, MD & CEO India – The European Magazine (CFI) 2018[48]
* 2022 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Financial Services)[49][50]
* 2024 The Financial Express' Banker of The Year.[51]

## Publications

[edit]

### Book chapters

[edit]

* Bandhopadhya, Tamal (2023). "V Vaidyanathan". Roller Coaster: An Affaird With Banking. New Delhi: Jaico Publishing House. p. 340\. ISBN 9789393559586.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Mr.Vaidyanathan will be the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the merged entity". livemint. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
2. ^ Kayastha, Anshika (8 August 2023). "Want to stay on the pitch for long, not hit sixes and fours: IDFC First Bank MD". BusinessLine. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
3. ^ Prasad, Dev (15 October 2013). Pitch It!: Inspirational Stories from the Cricket Dressing Room to the Corporate Boardroom. Random House India. ISBN 978-81-8400-494-6.
4. ^ sundarajan, Priya (13 January 2018). "IDFC Bank to take over Capital First in share swap deal". BusinessLine. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
5. ^ a b c d Shetty, Mayur. "Why is this banker giving away his money?". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
6. ^ "V Vaidyanathan". www.ey.com. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
7. ^ a b Bandyopadhyay, Tamal (9 January 2023). "The guitar-strumming CEO: How IDFC First Bank's boss V. Vaidyanathan changed India's NBFC space". Business Today. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
8. ^ "Birla Institute of Technology Mesra Alumni Association". alumni.bitmesra.ac.in. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
9. ^ "India is a land of amazing opportunities: V Vaidyanathan, Chairman, Capital First". The Economic Times. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
10. ^ Banerjea, Aparna (17 March 2022). "IDFC First Bank MD Vaidyanathan gifts 5 lakh shares to kin of deceased colleague". businesstoday.in.
11. ^ "V Vaidyanathan, Capital First Ltd: Profile & Biography". Bloomberg. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
12. ^ "There are risks, but there are opportunities too: V Vaidyanathan". timesofindia-economictimes. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
13. ^ a b "V Vaidyanathan | VCCircle Events". events.vccircle.com. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
14. ^ "Celebrity Photo Gallery, Celebrity Wallpapers, Celebrity Videos, Bio, News, Songs, Movies". in.com. Archived from the original on 23 August 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
15. ^ Chaudhary, Ruchira (25 January 2021). Coaching: The Secret Code to Uncommon Leadership. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5305-294-2.
16. ^ "V Vaidyanathan - The Strategist". IndiasGreatest.com.
17. ^ Madhukalya, Anwesha (22 February 2022). "Meet V Vaidyanathan, who gifted 9 lakh equity shares to his staff". Business Today. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
18. ^ "RBI not getting carried away by expectations: V Vaidyanathan, Capital First". timesofindia-economictimes. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
19. ^ "The Economic Times". economictimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
20. ^ ":: Brickworks Ratings upgrades credit ratings of Capital First ::". www.indiainfoline.com. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
21. ^ "Capital First - Corporate presentation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2017.
22. ^ Rangan, MC Govardhana. "How Rajiv Lall and Vaidyanathan of IDFC Bank and Capital First stitched up project 'Idli-Dosa'". The Economic Times. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
23. ^ Competition Power February 2019 Monthly eBook (English ed.). Adda247 Publications. p. 90.
24. ^ Saha, Manojit (13 January 2018). "'Capital First sees high value in bank licence'". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
25. ^ Subramanian, Shobhana (28 October 2024). "Fortune favors the bold: Vaidyanathan transforms IDFC First Bank". Financialexpress. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
26. ^ Agarwal, Nikhil (11 September 2023). "GQG picks 5 crore shares of IDFC First Bank from CEO Vaidyanathan". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
27. ^ "GQG buys over 5 crore shares from IDFC First Bank's V Vaidyanathan". cnbctv18.com. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
28. ^ Varier, Aathira (12 September 2023). "IDFC First Bank's MD and CEO V Vaidyanathan to raise stake in bank". Business Standard. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
29. ^ Ramanathan, Ajay (11 September 2023). "GQG buys nearly 51 million shares from IDFC First Bank's Vaidyanathan". Financialexpress. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
30. ^ Varier, Aathira. "RBI approves re-appointment of V Vaidyanathan as IDFC First Bank's MD & CEO". www.business-standard.com. Archived from the original on 22 November 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
31. ^ "Announcements". www.bseindia.com. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
32. ^ Sonavane, Ravindra (2 November 2018). "Capital First chief's gift makes millionaires of maids, drivers, family". Mint. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
33. ^ "Capital First founder gifts Rs 20 crore worth of shares to maids, drivers, colleagues, family". financialexpress.com. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
34. ^ "Capital First chairman gifts shares worth Rs 31 lakh to drivers and maids - Business News". www.timesnownews.com. 4 November 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
35. ^ nazerry. "Vaidyanathan Vembu". Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
36. ^ "A month to the marathon - Livemint". www.livemint.com. 15 December 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
37. ^ "India Inc: Get, set, go". timesofindia-economictimes. Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
38. ^ Agrawal, Shaleen (22 February 2022). "IDFC First Bank MD Vaidyanathan gifts Rs 4 crore shares to 5 staff to buy houses, and it's not the first time".
39. ^ "V Vaidyanathan, A Big Match Player". Retrieved 1 September 2018.
40. ^ a b "Capital First: Outstanding Corporate Transformation India 2018 & Most Inspirational Management Buyout India 2018 - CFI.co Awards - Capital Finance International Awards". cfi.co. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
41. ^ "Game Changers of India".
42. ^ "Vaidyanathan Vembu — Enterprise Asia". Retrieved 1 September 2017.
43. ^ "Outlook Business: Smart Enterprise". se.outlookbusiness.com. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
44. ^ "APEA Press Release". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
45. ^ "Meet V Vaidyanathan, who gifted 9 lakh equity shares to his staff". Business Today. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
46. ^ "IDFC First Bank Ltd board approves reappointment of Mr. V Vaidyanathan as MD and CEO". EquityBulls. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
47. ^ "CNBC-AWAAZ CEO Awards 2019 – Celebrating India's Outstanding Leaders | CNBC TV 18". IndiaMART. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
48. ^ "India's banking innovator". The European Magazine. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
49. ^ "EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2022 Winners". www.ey.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
50. ^ "JSW Group chairman Sajjan Jindal wins EY entrepreneur of the year award 2022". The Times of India. 23 February 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
51. ^ "Finance Minister to give away FE Best Banks awards today". Financialexpress. 28 October 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2025.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Mishra, Urvashi (3 April 2025). "V. Vaidyanathan spills the beans on how IDFC First Bank's digital-first approach is changing modern banking". Fortune India. Retrieved 4 April 2025.

* Karthik, Hamsini (24 May 2024). "IDFC First Bank is being built on strong unit economics: V Vaidyanathan, MD & CEO". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
* Shukla, Piyush (29 April 2024). "Target over 30% deposit growth in FY25: IDFC First Bank's CEO". Financial Express. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
* Ray, Suchetna; Sinha, Nidhi (1 March 2024). "Awareness, Guidance Key to Retirement Planning: V. Vaidyanathan". Outlook Business. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
* Ramanathan, Ajay (31 October 2023). "NPAs in loan against property will reduce meaningfully: IDFC First Bank MD". Financial Express. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
* Angre, Alekh (25 July 2023). "IDFC First Bank's Vaidya is an 'atomic habit' in motion. Investors need to trust his instincts". The Economic Times. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
* "RBI approves re-appointment of Vaidyanathan as IDFC FIRST Bank chief". Business Line. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
* Kapur, Mansi (5 November 2010). "The School of Bankers". Fortune India. Retrieved 4 April 2025.