Arundhati Bhattacharya made history in 2013 when she became the first woman to be appointed Chairman of State Bank of India — the country's largest and oldest bank, with assets of over $400 billion and over 500 million customers.
During her four-year tenure, she oversaw the merger of five of SBI's associate banks into the parent company — creating one of the 50 largest banks in the world. She also launched major digital transformation initiatives and expanded SBI's international presence.
Her appointment broke significant barriers in Indian corporate leadership and demonstrated that women could reach the very top of India's most prestigious institutions. Since leaving SBI, she has served as CEO of Salesforce India. She was included in Fortune magazine's list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.