S1EJEAS BUSIAESS SCHOOL

CORPORATE LEADER
KOTAK MAHINDRA BANK LTD
MR.UDAY KOTAK







SUBMMITED TO
JATIN CHRISTIE



SUMMITTED BY
HITESH MARADIYA
(Roll no.7)



Mr. Uday Kotak, the executive vice-chairman and Managing Director oI the Kotak Mahindra
Bank, holds the distinction oI being the original Indian innovator oI the Indian Iinancial services,
a Iield that is dominated largely by international and global Iinancial service providers. At the
age oI 52, Kotak is India's only selI-made billionaire banker and a key player in launching India
on the global scenario as a major Iinancial Iorce during the coming years.
Uday was born in Mumbai and was an outstanding student oI the Sydenham College and Bajaj
Institute oI Management Studies. His Iather, Suresh Kotak, Iounded the company Kotak & Co.
Ltd. Ior commodity trading business, which he eventually passed on to his son. Uday began his
career as an entrepreneur on November 21st, 1985, when he established the Kotak Capital
Management Finance with assistance Irom his Iather`s company, Kotak & Co, along with Mr.
Sydney Pinto (who proved to be a worthwhile asset owing to his years oI invaluable experience
as a senior manager in Iirms such as the ANZ Grind lays and ICI). In 1986, the Iirm was joined
by late Mr. Harish Mahindra and Mr. Anand Mahindra (the tractor tycoon) and was thus
renamed Kotak Mahindra Finance Limited (KMFL).
The KMFL started as a provider oI a single Iinancial product with a capital base oI 30.88 lakhs
and gradually diversiIied into an array oI Iinancial services to emerge as a noteworthy Non
Banking Financial Corporation. Under the able guidance oI Uday Kotak, the company gradually
expanded its operations not only in India, but also made its presence Ielt on an international scale
by establishing Iull-Iledged Iinancial institutions in Mauritius, New York, London and Dubai.
The need to expand and grow brought with it the essentiality oI establishing a global reputation
which in turn led to Iorging partnerships with reputed international establishments like Old
Mutual Ior liIe insurance, Goldman Sachs Ior investment and brokering and Ford Credit Ior auto
Iinance. Through its subsidiaries, the KMFL provided a wide range oI Iinancial services like
retail Iinance, investment banking, stock-broking, liIe insurance, mutual Iunds and equity
products.
"A dramatic change has taken place in India. This nation oI savers has turned into a nation oI
investors and spenders. That's an exploding opportunity Ior a banker.
The rapid progress and Iaith in the country`s economy led Uday Kotak to part ways with his
long-standing global strategic partner in investment and brokering, Goldman Sachs in 2006,
which, over a period, proved to be a liberating rather than a restricting move.
'Uday's never been one to Iollow the beaten track and has a sixth sense about spotting hidden
opportunities.
During his eighteen years oI experience in the Iinancial market, Uday Kotak has had to Iace his
share oI Iailures as well. The stumbling blocks occurred in Iorm oI investments gone sour when
companies like ABCL, the Matrix InIormation Services and a publishing business Iailed to
deliver. But such was the resilience oI the entrepreneur that it took him merely a Iew years to
recover Irom the incurred losses and regain his position as the top Indian banker oI his era. Uday
Kotak has been single-handedly instrumental in the rise oI the Indian Iinancial sector and is even
expected to carve out a niche Ior his country in the global Iinancial market. Amongst a plethora
oI reasons contributing to his success, the one reason which has over-shadowed all the others is
his ability to harness the talents oI his work Iorce to the maximum possible beneIit oI the
organization. The staII loyalty is apparent through the Iact that most oI his Iirst and second rung
managers are the ones who have been with him right Irom the start. Uday Kotak`s inspirational
leadership qualities have not escaped even his competitors as is evident Irom the Iollowing quote
Irom an awestruck competitor:
''We all know that Kotak is street smart, but one oI his biggest achievements is to succeed in
making the entire organization think that way``.
This successIul 48 year old Indian banker is ranked as the 44
th
richest person in the world and
lives in Mumbai with his wiIe and two children. Inspite oI his tremendous accomplishments,
Uday Kotak has laid cognizance oI his humble beginnings by establishing the Kotak Education
Foundation along with his wiIe to cater to the educational needs oI the under-privileged children.
'The overseas approach was to Iocus on Indian products and Indian customers, Mr. Kotak said.
Kotak`s Iocus on nurturing talent was clear: Give people elbow room to create their own destiny,
but convey to them that it has to be done ethically. It has not been about simply handing out Iat
cheques. 'In any case, money has never been an adequate compensation Ior unhappiness. And
when you see Uday`s team, you know they enjoy what they do, says Mahindra.