NEW DELHI: Memoirs of Rajnish Kumar, former chairman of State Bank of India (SBI), will hit the stands on October 18, announced publishing house Penguin Random House India (PRHI) on Thursday.
"The Custodian of Trust", published under Penguin's 'Viking' imprint, is currently available for pre-order on all major e-commerce websites.
Debuting as a writer, Kumar's through his memoir shares his "incredible journey" as a banker -- from being a probationary officer in SBI to becoming its chairman in 2017 -- capturing the many changes he witnessed in India's banking sector during his career.
"I am pretty excited to share my journey of 40 years with SBI and offer glimpses of my personal life. SBI is considered a proxy to the Indian Economy. In that sense the book is also an account of the tremendous progress made by the country as well as the banking and financial system in the last four decades," said the 63-year-old Kumar about the book.
"The removal of poverty has been the biggest challenge (in the country) and banks have played a critical role in the fight against poverty. There are many untold and unknown stories in the book, which I am sure readers will find interesting and inspirational," he added.
Kumar, who served as the chairman of the SBI from October 2017-October 2020, joined the bank as a probationary officer in 1980.
Prior to his appointment as chairman, he was Managing Director (National Banking Group) at the bank overseeing the retail business and digital banking.
Recounting his experiences about the aftermath of demonetization; challenges in Yes Bank; the crisis in Jet Airways and NPAs, the book, according to the publishers, is "anecdotal, engaging and thought- provoking, and will attract a wide spectrum of readers".
"Rajnish Kumar, former chairman of SBI, assumed the responsibility to lead the country's biggest commercial bank at a critical time when India's financial sector was going through a turmoil. The Custodian of Trust opens a window to these times. We, at Penguin House Random House India, are excited to publish Kumar's memoir," said Premanka Goswami, executive editor at PRHI.
Notably, the book has been receiving endorsements from the stalwarts of India Inc and the banking industry.
While Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus, Tata Sons, called the book "a chronicle of contemporary economic history"; Uday Kotak, ceo, Kotak Mahindra Bank, said the book has the potential to be a "Bollywood blockbuster".
Kumar currently works as a director on the boards of HSBC Asia Pacific, L&T Infotech Ltd and Lighthouse Communities Foundation.