
India's wealth boom sparks a talent war for relationship managers
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The fight for India’s fast-growing wealth pool has led to a battle for frontline talent. Relationship managers (RMs), as they are popularly called in banking parlance, are among the most sought-after professionals in the financial sector.
Both private lenders and wealth management firms on an expansion spree want a larger number of high-net-worth clients on their books. To cater to this frenzied demand, a severe poaching war has engulfed the sector, with RM attrition at banks often rising to as high as 40% over the past couple of years. “We have around 2,000–3,000 RMs, and this base has been growing steadily.
Demand for RMs remains strong as the number of high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) continues to rise. RMs remain integral to our business, as relationship-building with clients is a nuanced skill that cannot be replaced by AI (artificial intelligence)," said Rajkamal Vempati, group executive and head – human resources at Axis Bank. “Given the competitive talent landscape for client-facing roles, we continue to invest in building a strong and sustainable RM pool." Numbers tell the story of India's affluence surge.
As per Waterfield Advisors, HNIs in India—those with assets of over $1 million—crossed 8.5 lakhs in 2024 and is set to nearly double to 16.5 lakhs by 2027. While UHNIs—those with assets above $30 million—is around 13,600 and is expected to increase by 50% by 2028. It is in this context that relationship managers at banks and wealth management firms step in.
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