Transfers & Postings · BFSI
The HDFC Bank board has appointed former Chief Election Commissioner and 1984-batch IAS officer Rajiv Kumar as part-time chairman and additional independent director, subject to RBI approval.
✦ AI SUMMARY 30-second read
- HDFC Bank's board named Rajiv Kumar part-time chairman and additional independent director for a three-year term on 29 June 2026.
- The appointment is subject to approval from the Reserve Bank of India.
- Kumar, a 1984-batch IAS officer, previously served as Finance Secretary and later as the 25th Chief Election Commissioner of India.
Why it matters: The appointment brings to HDFC Bank a former Finance Secretary who led the consolidation of 27 public sector banks into 12 entities.
This summary was generated by AI. Editors may review and update it.
The Board of Directors of HDFC Bank on 29 June 2026 named Rajiv Kumar as part-time chairman and additional independent director of the bank. The appointment is for a period of three years and remains subject to approval by the Reserve Bank of India.
Kumar is a retired 1984-batch IAS officer who most recently served as Chief Election Commissioner of India from 2022 to 2025. Before his role at the Election Commission, he held senior positions in the financial sector administration, including Finance Secretary of India.
Background
Kumar served as Finance Secretary of India from August 2019 to February 2020, having headed the Department of Financial Services from September 2017 to February 2020. During that period, he led the consolidation of 27 public sector banks into 12 entities, a significant structural reform in India's banking sector.
After retiring from civil services, Kumar joined the Election Commission of India as Election Commissioner on 1 September 2020 and assumed charge as the 25th Chief Election Commissioner on 15 May 2022. His tenure of 4.5 years at the Commission included the conduct of elections in 31 states and union territories, the Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections of 2022, and the Lok Sabha elections of 2024.
Among the initiatives associated with his time at the Commission were the launch of ERONET 2.0 for voter roll management and the introduction of a myth versus reality register during the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 to address misinformation on social media platforms.
About the officer
Rajiv Kumar
| Service | Indian Administrative Service · 1984 batch |
|---|---|
| New post | Part-Time Chairman and Additional Independent Director, HDFC Bank |
| Previous post | Chief Election Commissioner of India |
| Career so far | He served as Finance Secretary of India from August 2019 to February 2020, heading the Department of Financial Services from September 2017 to February 2020. He joined the Election Commission of India as Election Commissioner on 1 September 2020 and served as the 25th Chief Election Commissioner from 15 May 2022 to 2025. |
| Notable work | As Finance Secretary, he led the consolidation of 27 public sector banks into 12 entities. |
