THE VAULT

October 1985, the first of the month—a date etched in the golden annals of ambition. The hallowed grounds: State Bank of India Training Centre, Pataliputra Colony, Patna. This was the dawn of our odyssey, the sacred threshold where we, the eager probationary officers of the 1985 batch, gathered to ignite the flame of our professional voyage. A whirlwind of 25 luminous days lay ahead—immersion in knowledge’s forge—before we ventured forth to our inaugural branches, armed with the alchemy of theory transformed into practice. Amid the sea of unfamiliar visages that sparkled with promise, a few beacons of familiarity pierced the horizon: Aditya Nath Jha, Mithileshwar Jha, Prabhash Kumar, and the late Mohan Lal Gupta. Aditya, a childhood comrade woven into the tapestry of family ties, I hailed by his intimate moniker, Mukund—a whisper from yesteryears that bridged the chasm of time. Mithileshwar and Prabhash were echoes from Netarhat’s verdant classrooms, fellow travelers on academia’s wind...

In the relentless sprint of modern professional life, the siren call of the “fast track” beckons with promises of swift success, towering titles, and overflowing bank accounts. It’s the career equivalent of hopping aboard a gleaming bullet train: sleek, efficient, and hurtling toward the destination at breakneck speed. But as the scenery blurs into an indistinguishable streak outside the window, a nagging question arises— what are we sacrificing in our haste?  This is the essence of the “Fast Track Trap,” a mindset that prioritizes endpoints over the rich tapestry of the journey. As one observer poignantly notes, “Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.”   Yet, in our ambition-fueled era, too many of us board that high-speed express, only to arrive at the platform feeling strangely unfulfilled. Drawing from the timeless analogy of train travel, consider the bullet train versus its slower, meandering counterpart. The bullet train embodies the ...

The assertion that Indian workplaces, rather than women themselves, must evolve to foster true equality is spot on. Despite rapid economic growth and increasing female education levels—where women now outnumber men in higher education enrollment—systemic barriers rooted in patriarchal structures, unconscious biases, and outdated norms continue to sideline qualified women. Indian workplaces remain predominantly male-dominated, with men holding about 80-85% of leadership roles across sectors like IT, finance, and manufacturing. This creates an environment of resistance, where women encounter negativity, microaggressions, and the infamous “glass ceiling”—an invisible barrier preventing advancement despite merit. Even when women demonstrate competence and sincerity, they face skepticism about their commitment (often tied to family responsibilities), exclusion from informal networks, and higher scrutiny on performance. These issues aren’t about women’s shortcomings but about workplaces fail...

As the festival of Deepawali—more commonly known as Diwali—illuminates homes and hearts across the world on October 20, 2025, the air fills with the scent of sweets, the crackle of fireworks, and the warm glow of countless diyas. These small clay lamps, fueled by a simple wick and oil, are the unsung heroes of the celebration. Symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil, the diya isn’t just a ritualistic flame—it’s a profound metaphor for leadership. In a world where leaders grapple with uncertainty, division, and burnout, the humble diya offers timeless wisdom. On this auspicious night of new beginnings, let’s draw five enduring leadership lessons from the diya, reminding us that true guidance emerges not from grand gestures, but from quiet, steadfast luminosity. 1. Burn Brightly, But Burn for Others: The Art of Selfless Service At the heart of every diya is a paradox: it consumes itself to illuminate the world. The wick chars away, the...

In India’s rapidly evolving banking and insurance sectors, which serve over 1.4 billion people and contribute significantly to the economy through credit disbursement, risk management, and financial inclusion, leadership plays a pivotal role in fostering a resilient and customer-centric ecosystem. The assertion that leaders at all levels must prioritize effective communication, respectful behavior, and empathy is not merely aspirational but essential for mitigating operational inefficiencies and human costs. These traits form the bedrock of emotional intelligence (EI), which directly influences employee morale, retention, and service delivery. Unfortunately, their absence has led to pervasive stress among workforce, eroding trust and hampering growth. This elaboration draws on sector-specific insights to highlight the consequences, supported by empirical data, before outlining actionable leadership interventions for middle and senior management to avert escalation. The Core Traits and ...

As someone who’s seen the demanding realities of India’s banking sector through experiences and also by observation as an insider, I view work-life balance as more than a trendy phrase—it’s a systemic issue that’s pushing skilled professionals away, particularly from public sector banks (PSBs). From a Gen Z perspective, where we emphasize mental health, adaptable schedules, meaningful roles, and technology-driven productivity over relentless hustle, the industry often seems outdated and draining. We’ve been raised on digital innovations that promise more freedom, yet banking frequently locks workers into cycles of exhaustion. Based on recent data and trends, here’s my perspective on the core problems and realistic ways to address them to make the sector more attractive to younger talent. The Stark Challenges: Why Work-Life Balance Remains Elusive in Indian Banking India’s banking sector, especially PSBs, is known for its intense demands, treating employees more like cogs in a machine t...