Mumbai, February 2026: Citigroup has appointed Behzad Merchant as its Business Execution Lead for India, reinforcing its focus on strengthening governance, operational efficiency, and risk management across the country. With more than 25 years of experience spanning banking, operations, technology, and risk, Merchant brings deep domain expertise to the role at a time when financial institutions are increasingly prioritising robust controls and regulatory alignment.
In his new position, Merchant will lead a wide range of strategic and business critical initiatives for Citi in India. His mandate includes driving execution of key transformation programmes, strengthening enterprise governance frameworks, and enhancing the bank’s overall risk and controls architecture. The role is also expected to play a pivotal part in ensuring regulatory compliance while supporting Citi’s long term business objectives in one of its key growth markets.
Merchant has built a strong track record over his career, working across multiple leadership roles in banking and financial services. His experience in operational strategy, technology led transformation, and risk governance positions him well to manage complex, large scale initiatives and deliver sustainable outcomes for the organisation.
The appointment comes as global banks continue to invest in strengthening internal controls, improving operational resilience, and accelerating digital transformation in response to evolving regulatory expectations and rapidly changing market dynamics. By placing an experienced leader in this strategic role, Citi aims to further enhance execution discipline and reinforce its commitment to maintaining strong governance standards in India.
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With Merchant at the helm of business execution, Citi is expected to advance key strategic priorities, streamline processes, and strengthen its risk management framework, supporting the bank’s continued growth and stability in the Indian market.
