Kotak Mahindra Bank Announces Senior Management Changes in Technology Leadership
Kotak Mahindra Bank has announced significant changes in its technology leadership following CTO Bhavnish Lathia's resignation on February 9, 2026, due to personal reasons. The Board of Directors approved two key appointments effective February 10, 2026: Nilesh Chaudhari as new Chief Technology Officer and Aravamudham (Vijay) Narayanan as Head of Innovation and AI. Chaudhari brings 29 years of experience from global financial institutions including JPMorgan, Barclays, and Citigroup, while Narayanan contributes 24 years of technology leadership from organizations like Goldman Sachs and Amazon. These appointments reflect the bank's commitment to maintaining strong technology capabilities and advancing AI innovation initiatives.
*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.
Kotak Bank has announced major leadership changes in its technology division, with Chief Technology Officer Bhavnish Lathia resigning from his position effective February 9, 2026. The bank disclosed these developments through a regulatory filing pursuant to Regulation 30 of the SEBI Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations, 2015.
Lathia submitted his resignation due to personal reasons, specifically citing his need to return to the United States. In his resignation email, Lathia expressed confidence in the technology platform's current state, noting that "our technology platform is in the best shape it has ever been" and that "the technology leadership team is stable, mature, and ready for broader responsibilities."
Leadership Transition Details
The bank's Board of Directors convened on February 9, 2026, at 6:38 p.m. IST to address the leadership transition. Two key appointments were approved, both taking effect from February 10, 2026:
| Position | Appointee | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Technology Officer | Nilesh Chaudhari | Senior Management Personnel |
| Head – Innovation and AI | Aravamudham (Vijay) Narayanan | Senior Management Personnel |
New CTO Profile and Experience
Nilesh Chaudhari brings extensive technology leadership experience spanning 29 years across global and Indian financial institutions. His career includes senior positions at prominent organizations such as JPMorgan, Barclays, Citigroup, and IDFC First Bank before joining Kotak Mahindra Bank.
Chaudhari's previous roles demonstrate his broad expertise in financial technology:
- CIO – Global Payments at Barclays
- Head of Retail Banking Technology at JPMorgan
- Head of Asia Banking Technology at JPMorgan
- CTO for Corporate and Wholesale Banking at IDFC First Bank
His technical expertise encompasses payments, core banking, treasury, cash management, digital solutions, data management, and lending across more than 20 countries. An engineering graduate from the University of Poona, Chaudhari is recognized for building high-performance engineering organizations and leading complex modernization programs.
Innovation and AI Leadership
Aravamudham (Vijay) Narayanan assumes the newly created role of Head – Innovation and AI, bringing 24 years of technology leadership experience. His background includes positions at leading global organizations including Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Medscape WebMD, and Merrill Lynch.
Narayanan holds both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Information Systems from Drexel University. His expertise covers:
- High-performance software engineering
- Application resilience and cloud services
- CICD and API platforms
- Infrastructure-as-code implementation
- Developer productivity enhancement
At Kotak Mahindra Bank, Narayanan has been instrumental in driving technology initiatives focused on physical distribution channels and software platform development, including the deployment of the Transaction Authorization System (TAS) across the bank's branch network.
Strategic Technology Focus
The appointments reflect Kotak Mahindra Bank's continued emphasis on technology transformation and innovation. Chaudhari currently plays a key role in advancing strategic technology initiatives across multiple business segments including Wholesale Bank, Commercial Bank, Treasury, Gift City operations, and Assurance and Enabling Functions.
The creation of a dedicated Head of Innovation and AI position underscores the bank's commitment to artificial intelligence adoption and technological innovation as core business drivers. Narayanan's appointment specifically highlights the bank's focus on AI strategy implementation and advanced technology deployment.
These leadership changes ensure continuity in the bank's technology operations while positioning the organization for future growth and innovation in the rapidly evolving financial services landscape.
Historical Stock Returns for Kotak Bank
| 1 Day | 5 Days | 1 Month | 6 Months | 1 Year | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +1.19% | -1.15% | -1.30% | +3.79% | +6.13% | +8.67% |
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