Anil Khandelwal
Anil Khandelwal | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 16, 1948 Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Occupation(s) | Author, keynote speaker, corporate consultant, board director |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Known for | Chairman and managing director of Bank of Baroda; author of Dare to Lead; leadership in public sector banking reforms |
Anil Khandelwal (born March 16, 1948) is recognized as an author, keynote speaker, corporate consultant, and board director. Presently, he holds a directorship at Gail (India) Limited, a Maharatna-status public sector enterprise, and acts as a senior advisor at KPMG. Additionally, he is a board member of the Centre for Micro Finance, an initiative supported by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, and serves on the governing council of the National Institute of Securities Market (SEBI).
His former appointments include chairman and managing director of Bank of Baroda, a prominent public sector bank, as well as chairman of Baroda Pioneer Asset Management Company from 2008 to 2011.
Early life
Originating from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Khandelwal earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Agra College in 1966 and completed a chemical engineering program at Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur, in 1970. He attained an MBA with a specialization in Human Resources from University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, graduating top of his class. Furthermore, he acquired postgraduate diplomas in labor laws and personnel management from the University of Rajasthan and in training and development from the Indian Society for Training and Development. He also completed a PhD in management under the guidance of Dr N R Sheth at IIM Ahmedabad.
Career
Khandelwal launched his professional journey as a probationary officer at Bank of Baroda in 1971. Between 1980 and 1992, he was part of the senior core faculty specializing in HR at the bank’s Apex Staff College located in Ahmedabad. In 1993, he advanced to principal before transitioning to the corporate headquarters in Mumbai. Following roles including deputy general manager of HRM and general manager responsible for operations across West Bengal and northeast India, he was elevated to executive director at Bank of Baroda in September 2000.
In 2004, he briefly served as chairman and managing director of Dena Bank before reassuming the chairman and managing director position at Bank of Baroda. His leadership roles extend to serving as president of the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance and deputy chairman of the Indian Banks Association. His international credentials include consulting for Tanzania’s banking commission under UNDP in 1989 and acting as visiting professor at the Asian Institute of Management in Manila during 2008.
Awards and recognition
Khandelwal has been honored with multiple awards throughout his career. Most notably, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Asian Banker, Singapore—making him the sole Indian recipient to date of this prestigious accolade within the Asia Pacific & Gulf banking sectors. This distinction acknowledged his instrumental contribution to rejuvenating Bank of Baroda, earning him worldwide respect in financial circles. The award selection process was led by David Eldon, former chairman of HSBC Asia Pacific.
Additional honors include:
- HRD Excellence Award Lifetime Achievement Award (2012)
- Skoch Challenger Person of the Year Award (2008)
- Outstanding Contributions to HRD National HRD Award (2000)
Transformation of BoB
Under Khandelwal’s stewardship, Bank of Baroda, one of India’s largest public sector banks, underwent a swift transformation through adoption of advanced technology, rebranding efforts, and introduction of Gen-Next branches. He spearheaded innovative retail and SME loan factories—comprehensive loan service centers—and revamped human resource practices with employee-focused programs such as conclaves, Sampark (a CMD hotline), Samadhan (counseling services), and Khoj (talent scouting). By directly engaging employees and promoting idea exchange via idea-online at bankofbaroda.com, he cultivated a culture of innovation.
During his tenure, the bank’s business volume doubled within three years while technological upgrades enabled seamless online banking access anytime and anywhere alongside expansion of ATM infrastructure. This turnaround has been highlighted in the Harvard Business Review article Leadership Lessons from India (2010) as well as in The India Way, authored by Wharton faculty. Khandelwal further elaborated on these leadership principles in his publication Dare to Lead (Sage 2011).
Khandelwal Committee
In 2009, the Government of India designated Khandelwal as the head of a committee focused on implementing HR reforms within public sector banks. The Khandelwal Committee provided pivotal suggestions that significantly advanced the modernization of HR frameworks in PSBs. Later, during 2011–12, he led the Ministry of Finance’s advisory panel on HRD, playing a key role in furthering reforms in public sector banking.
Books and articles
- HRD, OD, AND INSTITUTION BUILDING: Co-editor, SAGE (2016)
- CEO, Chess Master or Gardener, Oxford University Press (2018)
- Dare to Lead – The Transformation of Bank of Baroda, SAGE Publications (2011)
- Alternative Approaches and Strategies of Human Resource Development, Rawat Publications Jaipur (1987)
- Handbook on Personnel Management and Industrial Relations for Rural Banks, Rawat Publications (1987)
- Human Resources Development in Banks (Editor), Oxford & IBH Publication, New Delhi
- Industrial Relations in Banks Co-Author, OM-AMEYA PRAKASHAN (1986), Mumbai
- The Crucible Project (People Matters – 15 January 2013)
- Missing Link of HR (People Matters – 5 December 2012)
- Leading with Care (People Matters – 2 August 2012)
- CEO Morning Meeting (People Matters – 3 July 2012)
- CEO – Next Destination of the HR Professional (People Matters – 27 June 2012)
- The Reflective Leader (People Matters – 27 June 2012)
- CEOs- the first 100 days (People Matters – June 2012)
- Wisdom is in the field respect it (People Matters – May 2012)
- Board Leadership (People Matters – April 2012)
- The Disciplined Leader (People Matters – 7 February 2012)
- An HR Hero (LRP Publications – 25 June 2007)
- Splitting the Chair in PSU Banks – Public sector banks must be board-driven (The Economic Times)
- Human Resource Development International: Enhancing performance, learning and integrity (Routledge Taylor & Francis Group – Vol. 10, No. 2, pp.203–213, June 2007)
- Microfinance Development Strategy for India (Economic and Political Weekly – Vol. XLII, No. 13, pp.1127–1136, 13 March 2007)
- Universal Banking: Solution for India's Financial Challenges? (Economic and Political Weekly – Vol. XLI, No. 11, pp.969–974, 18 March 2006)
- Criticality of HR Reforms for Public Sector Banks in the New Era (Economic and Political Weekly – Vol. XL, No. 12, pp.1128–1136, 19 March 2005)