About HDFC Life

Mr. Keki M Mistry 

Non-Executive Director, Chairman

Mr. Keki M Mistry has been associated with the Company since December 2000 and is currently acting as Non-Executive Director, Chairman.

Mr. Mistry is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Mr. Mistry was the Vice Chairman & CEO of Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC Ltd.). With the amalgamation of HDFC Ltd. with and into HDFC Bank Limited, Mr. Mistry superannuated from HDFC Ltd. and has been appointed as Non-Executive Director on the Board of HDFC Bank Limited, Promoter of the Company. He is also a Director on the Boards of several other prominent companies.

Mr. Mistry is a member of the Primary Market Advisory committee (PMAC) constituted by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He is also a member of the Expert Committee constituted by SEBI for facilitating ease of doing business and harmonisation of certain SEBI Regulations and is the Chairman of Working Group 1 of the said Expert Committee. Mr. Mistry is also a member of the Standing Committee on Primary Markets, which has been constituted by the International Financial Services Centres Authority [IFSCA].

Mr. Kaizad Bharucha

Non-Executive Director, Nominee of HDFC Bank Limited

Mr. Kaizad Bharucha is as a Non-Executive Director (Nominee of HDFC Bank Ltd.) of our Company. He has been on our Board since November 28, 2023. He is the Deputy Managing Director of the HDFC Bank Ltd. He is a career banker with more than 35 years of experience. He has been associated with HDFC Bank since 1995 and is currently responsible for Wholesale Banking covering areas of Corporate Banking, PSUs, Capital & Commodities Markets, Financial Institutions, Custody, Mutual Funds, CSR & ESG, Global Capability Centre & Financial Sponsors coverage and Banks coverage. Prior to joining HDFC Bank Ltd., he worked in SBI Commercial and International Bank in various areas including Trade Finance and Corporate Banking Ltd. He has rich and extensive experience in Risk Management, Credit Management, Banking and Business Management, and has represented HDFC Bank Ltd. as a member of the working group on banking related committees. Mr Bharucha holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce (B. Com) from the University of Mumbai.

Mr. Sumit Bose

Independent Director

Mr. Sumit Bose is an Independent Director of our Company. He has been on our Board sinceJuly 19, 2016. He holds a degree of master of science in Social Policy and Planning in developing countries from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, UK. He also holds a masters’ degree in Arts (History) from University of Delhi. He was a member of Expenditure Management Commission set up to review the allocative and operational efficiencies of Government expenditure to achieve maximum output. He was also the Union Finance Secretary and Revenue Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

Mr Ketan Dalal

Independent Director

Mr. Ketan Dalal is an Independent Director of our Company. He has been on our Board since July 17, 2017. He is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, having qualified in 1981. In 1997, he (along with 3 other professionals) founded RSM, an Indian Tax practice, which merged into PwC in April 2007. He has recently founded a boutique structuring and tax firm, Katalyst Advisors LLP. He was a member of the ‘Working Group on Non-resident taxation’ formed by Ministry of Finance in 2003. He is a member of the Managing Committee and the Chairman of the Direct tax Committee of IMC. He has been a member of several SEBI Committees including SEBI’s High Powered Advisory Committee on consent orders and compounding and Group of experts to advise SEBI on matters relating to Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission

Ms. Bharti Gupta Ramola

Independent Director

Ms. Bharti Gupta Ramola is an Independent Director of our Company. She has been appointed on our Board on February 12, 2019. She is PG Diploma in Management from the IIM, Ahmedabad and B.Sc Physics (Hons) from St Stephen's College, University of Delhi. She was a partner at PwC during 1984-2017. She currently, inter-alia, serves on the Governing Body of Lady Shriram College, Advisory Council of Transform Rural India (a Tata Trust initiative), Advisory Committee of Centre of Excellence for Research on Clean Air (CERCA) at IIT Delhi.

Dr. Bhaskar Ghosh

Independent Director

Dr. Bhaskar Ghosh is an Independent Director of our Company. He has been on our Board since April 26 2023. Dr. Ghosh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Calcutta University. He is also a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration from Utkal University. He is an expert in information technology, data analytics, digital platform, cyber security, consumer behaviour, sales & marketing, risk management and strategic thinking. He has vast experience in information technology sector. He is the Chief Strategy Officer of Accenture and is responsible for Accenture’s strategy and investments, including ventures and acquisitions and Accenture research. Dr. Ghosh has been awarded six patents in the area of software engineering and platform development.

Mr. Venkatraman Srinivasan

Independent Director

Mr. Venkatraman Srinivasan is an Independent Director of our Company. He has been on our Board since April 18, 2024. Mr. Venkatraman is a practicing Chartered Accountant, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He has over 40 years’ experience in auditing of accounts of large public limited companies, nationalized banks, insurance companies and indirect tax & corporate advisory planning.

Ms. Vibha Padalkar

MD & CEO, HDFC Life 

Vibha Padalkar is the MD & CEO of HDFC Life. Under her stewardship, the Company continues to deliver across key metrics - a consistent, predictable and sustained performace across business cycles, ending with an AUM of Rs 2.9 Tn. as on March 31, 2024. She also spearheaded the first M&A in the Indian life insurance industry. Vibha joined the Company in 2008 and prior to assuming charge as the MD & CEO in 2018, Vibha was the ED & CFO and instrumental in the successful listing of HDFC Life in 2017. She is also a member of the Executive Committee (EC) of the Life Insurance Council.

Vibha qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales in 1992 and is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Over the years, Vibha has been the recipient of various awards which includes the 'CA Business Leader - For Large Corporates - BFSI' at the 15th ICAI Awards by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. She has also been felicitated with awards by ET Prime Women Leadership Awards and IMA India. She featured in the Top 30 Most Powerful Women in Business list by Business Today for six consecutive years (2018 to 2023). In 2021, Fortune International recognised Vibha as one of the 'Most Powerful Women in Business'. Vibha has been featured in Fortune India's list of 'Most Powerful Women' for 2021, 2022 and 2023. She also has been featured in the Most Valuable CEOs list by Business World for 2022 & 2023 and in their list of 'Most Influential Women in Business' for 2022. In 2024, Vibha has been recognised with the SKOCH CEO's Choice Award as the 'CEO of the Year' in the insurance sector by SKOCH Forums. Vibha has also been featured in India Today's prestigious 'The She List' in 2024.

Mr Suresh Badami

Deputy Managing Director

Suresh has been associated with HDFC Life since October 2013. Prior to joining HDFC Life, he was associated with Dunlop India Limited, ICI India Limited, Cogensis Networks Private Limited, Max Ateev Limited and ICICI Bank Limited. Suresh has 29 years of experience in sales & business across varied industries, including 20+ years in banking & financial services.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science from Bangalore University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar.

Mr. Niraj Shah

Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer

Niraj has been associated with HDFC Life since February 2019 and oversees Finance, Product development and Process excellence. He has over two decades of experience in financial services, primarily in life insurance, corporate finance advisory and audit. Prior to joining HDFC Life, Niraj was associated with PNB MetLife, ICICI Prudential Life, EY and BNP Paribas.

He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Ms. Vibha Padalkar

MD & CEO, HDFC Life 

Vibha Padalkar is the MD & CEO of HDFC Life. Under her stewardship, the Company continues to deliver across key metrics - a consistent, predictable and sustained performace across business cycles, ending with an AUM of Rs 2.9 Tn. as on March 31, 2024. She also spearheaded the first M&A in the Indian life insurance industry. Vibha joined the Company in 2008 and prior to assuming charge as the MD & CEO in 2018, Vibha was the ED & CFO and instrumental in the successful listing of HDFC Life in 2017. She is also a member of the Executive Committee (EC) of the Life Insurance Council.

Vibha qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales in 1992 and is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Over the years, Vibha has been the recipient of various awards which includes the 'CA Business Leader - For Large Corporates - BFSI' at the 15th ICAI Awards by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. She has also been felicitated with awards by ET Prime Women Leadership Awards and IMA India. She featured in the Top 30 Most Powerful Women in Business list by Business Today for six consecutive years (2018 to 2023). In 2021, Fortune International recognised Vibha as one of the 'Most Powerful Women in Business'. Vibha has been featured in Fortune India's list of 'Most Powerful Women' for 2021, 2022 and 2023. She also has been featured in the Most Valuable CEOs list by Business World for 2022 & 2023 and in their list of 'Most Influential Women in Business' for 2022. In 2024, Vibha has been recognised with the SKOCH CEO's Choice Award as the 'CEO of the Year' in the insurance sector by SKOCH Forums. Vibha has also been featured in India Today's prestigious 'The She List' in 2024.

Mr. Suresh Badami

Deputy Managing Director

Suresh has been associated with HDFC Life since October 2013. Prior to joining HDFC Life, he was associated with Dunlop India Limited, ICI India Limited, Cogensis Networks Private Limited, Max Ateev Limited and ICICI Bank Limited. Suresh has 29 years of experience in sales & business across varied industries, including 20+ years in banking & financial services.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science from Bangalore University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar.

Mr. Niraj Shah

Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer

Niraj has been associated with HDFC Life since February 2019 and oversees Finance, Product development and Process excellence. He has over two decades of experience in financial services, primarily in life insurance, corporate finance advisory and audit. Prior to joining HDFC Life, Niraj was associated with PNB MetLife, ICICI Prudential Life, EY and BNP Paribas.

He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Mr. Prasun Gajri

Chief Investment Officer

Prasun has been associated with HDFC Life since April 2009 and heads Investment. Prior to joining HDFC Life, he was associated with Citibank N.A. and Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst from CFA Institute, USA.

Mr. Narendra Gangan

General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer & Company Secretary

Narendra is associated with HDFC Life since July, 2017 and heads Legal, Compliance and Secretarial functions. He carries more than 29 years of experience in the financial services industry. He brings across the expertise of leading teams within the BFSI domain including Banking, Non-Banking, Investment Banking, Equities, Alternate Asset Management etc., in the areas of Legal, Compliance, Governance and controls, as well as, working closely with Regulators.

Prior to joining HDFC Life he was associated with IDFC Ltd as Senior Director – Compliance. His prior assignments include DSP Merrill Lynch, IL&FS, Baskin Robbins and 20th Century Finance Corporation Limited. He is a qualified Company Secretary and Law Graduate with a Master’s Degree in Financial Management from NMIMS. 

Mr. Vibhash Naik

Chief Human Resource Officer

Vibhash is the Chief Human Resource officer and leads the Human Resources, Learning and Development and the Administration function.  He has been associated with HDFC life since July 2011 and carries more than 25 years of experience across the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance industries.
 
Vibhash is a strong Human Resource professional with expertise in Organizational Development, Performance Management, Compensation and Benefits and Talent Acquisition. He has been responsible for designing and evaluating various modern, productive and inclusive HR interventions and crafting people strategies that meet the business goals. Prior to joining HDFC Life, Vibhash worked with Lehman Brothers, Religare Macquarie Wealth Management and Atos Origin. He holds a Masters degree in Labour Studies from University of Mumbai.

Mr Vineet Arora

Chief Operating Officer

Vineet has been associated with the HDFC Life since November 2022. He brings over 26 years of rich & diverse experience across industries like FMCG, consumer durables, banking, wealth management, life & general insurance where he was instrumental in scaling up and leading the businesses. Prior to joining HDFC Life, Vineet was associated with Paytm Payment Bank, Paytm General Insurance, Aegon Life Insurance, ICICI Securities, ICICI Prudential, Godrej and Marico.

He holds a Post Graduate Degree in Finance & Marketing from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi college of Engineering.

Rangarajan B N

Chief Risk Officer

Rangarajan has been associated with HDFC Life since October 2022. Prior to joining HDFC Life, he was associated with life insurance domain companies including erstwhileExide Life Insurance Company Ltd, LIC of India, GE Capital and Met Life.

Rajan has over 29 years of experience in actuarial role alongwith oversight of the Risk Management, Legal, Compliance, Secretarial and Product functions.

He is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Actuaries of India and Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, UK. Rajan also has a Master’s degree in Statistics from the Universityof Mysore.

Ms. Eshwari Murugan

Appointed Actuary

Eshwari has been associated with HDFC Life since November 2006 and has been our Appointed Actuary since July 2021. With over three decades of experience in the Life Insurance Industry, she has worked in both public and private sectors. Prior to joining HDFC Life, she was associated with Life Insurance Corporation of India.

Eshwari has vast experience across various domains in Life Insurance, including Actuarial, Underwriting, Claims, and Information Technology. As the Appointed Actuary, she manages Pricing, Product Development, Reinsurance, Regulatory Reporting, Shareholder Value Tracking, and Business Planning. She played a key role in the IPO of the company, helped build robust systems and processes for regular, consistent disclosures, as well as in evaluating various M&A opportunities.

Eshwari is a Qualified Actuary (Fellow of Institute of Actuaries of India) and a Fellow of Insurance Institute of India. Her expertise in various functions, along with her vast experience, has made her an invaluable asset to HDFC Life.

Ms. Vibha Padalkar

MD & CEO, HDFC Life

Vibha Padalkar is the MD & CEO of HDFC Life. Under her stewardship, the Company continues to deliver across key metrics - a consistent, predictable and sustained performace across business cycles, ending with an AUM of Rs 2.9 Tn. as on March 31, 2024. She also spearheaded the first M&A in the Indian life insurance industry. Vibha joined the Company in 2008 and prior to assuming charge as the MD & CEO in 2018, Vibha was the ED & CFO and instrumental in the successful listing of HDFC Life in 2017. She is also a member of the Executive Committee (EC) of the Life Insurance Council.

Vibha qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales in 1992 and is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Over the years, Vibha has been the recipient of various awards which includes the 'CA Business Leader - For Large Corporates - BFSI' at the 15th ICAI Awards by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. She has also been felicitated with awards by ET Prime Women Leadership Awards and IMA India. She featured in theTop 30 Most Powerful Women in Business list by Business Today for six consecutive years (2018 to 2023). In 2021, Fortune International recognised Vibha as one of the 'Most Powerful Women in Business'. Vibha has been featured in Fortune India's list of 'Most Powerful Women' for 2021, 2022 and 2023. She also has been featured in the Most Valuable CEOs list by Business World for 2022 & 2023 and in their list of 'Most Influential Women in Business' for 2022. In 2024, Vibha has been recognised with the SKOCH CEO's Choice Award as the 'CEO of the Year' in the insurance sector by SKOCH Forums. Vibha has also been featured in India Today's prestigious 'The She List' in 2024.

Mr. Suresh Badami

Deputy Managing Director

Suresh has been associated with HDFC Life since October 2013. Prior to joining HDFC Life, he was associated with Dunlop India Limited, ICI India Limited, Cogensis Networks Private Limited, Max Ateev Limited and ICICI Bank Limited. Suresh has 29 years of experience in sales & business across varied industries, including 20+ years in banking & financial services.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science from Bangalore University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar.

Mr. Niraj Shah

Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer

Niraj has been associated with HDFC Life since February 2019 and oversees Finance, Product development and Process excellence. He has over two decades of experience in financial services, primarily in life insurance, corporate finance advisory and audit. Prior to joining HDFC Life, Niraj was associated with PNB MetLife, ICICI Prudential Life, EY and BNP Paribas.

He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Mr. Prasun Gajri

Chief Investment Officer

Prasun has been associated with HDFC Life since April 2009 and heads Investment. Prior to joining HDFC Life, he was associated with Citibank N.A. and Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst from CFA Institute, USA.

Ms. Eshwari Murugan

Appointed Actuary

Eshwari has been associated with HDFC Life since November 2006 and has been our Appointed Actuary since July 2021. With over three decades of experience in the Life Insurance Industry, she has worked in both public and private sectors. Prior to joining HDFC Life, she was associated with Life Insurance Corporation of India.

Eshwari has vast experience across various domains in Life Insurance, including Actuarial, Underwriting, Claims, and Information Technology. As the Appointed Actuary, she manages Pricing, Product Development, Reinsurance, Regulatory Reporting, Shareholder Value Tracking, and Business Planning. She played a key role in the IPO of the company, helped build robust systems and processes for regular, consistent disclosures, as well as in evaluating various M&A opportunities.

Eshwari is a Qualified Actuary (Fellow of Institute of Actuaries of India) and a Fellow of Insurance Institute of India. Her expertise in various functions, along with her vast experience, has made her an invaluable asset to HDFC Life.

Mr. Narendra Gangan

General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer & Company Secretary

Narendra is associated with HDFC Life since July, 2017 and heads Legal, Compliance and Secretarial functions. He carries more than 29 years of experience in the financial services industry. He brings across the expertise of leading teams within the BFSI domain including Banking, Non-Banking, Investment Banking, Equities, Alternate Asset Management etc., in the areas of Legal, Compliance, Governance and controls, as well as, working closely with Regulators.

Prior to joining HDFC Life he was associated with IDFC Ltd as Senior Director – Compliance. His prior assignments include DSP Merrill Lynch, IL&FS, Baskin Robbins and 20th Century Finance Corporation Limited. He is a qualified Company Secretary and Law Graduate with a Master’s Degree in Financial Management from NMIMS. 

Mr. Vibhash Naik

Chief Human Resource Officer

Vibhash is the Chief Human Resource officer and leads the Human Resources, Learning and Development and the Administration function.  He has been associated with HDFC life since July 2011 and carries more than 25 years of experience across the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance industries.
 
Vibhash is a strong Human Resource professional with expertise in Organizational Development, Performance Management, Compensation and Benefits and Talent Acquisition. He has been responsible for designing and evaluating various modern, productive and inclusive HR interventions and crafting people strategies that meet the business goals. Prior to joining HDFC Life, Vibhash worked with Lehman Brothers, Religare Macquarie Wealth Management and Atos Origin. He holds a Masters degree in Labour Studies from University of Mumbai.

Mr Vineet Arora

Chief Operating Officer

Vineet has been associated with the HDFC Life since November 2022. He brings over 26 years of rich & diverse experience across industries like FMCG, consumer durables, banking, wealth management, life & general insurance where he was instrumental in scaling up and leading the businesses. Prior to joining HDFC Life, Vineet was associated with Paytm Payment Bank, Paytm General Insurance, Aegon Life Insurance, ICICI Securities, ICICI Prudential, Godrej and Marico.

He holds a Post Graduate Degree in Finance & Marketing from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi college of Engineering.

Rangarajan B N

Chief Risk Officer

Rangarajan has been associated with HDFC Life since October 2022. Prior to joining HDFC Life, he was associated with life insurance domain companies including erstwhileExide Life Insurance Company Ltd, LIC of India, GE Capital and Met Life.

Rajan has over 29 years of experience in actuarial role alongwith oversight of the Risk Management, Legal, Compliance, Secretarial and Product functions.

He is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Actuaries of India and Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, UK. Rajan also has a Master’s degree in Statistics from the Universityof Mysore.