IndusInd Bank shares plunge as RBI trims extension for CEO
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. IndusInd Bank Ltd’s shares dropped to their lowest in nearly three years after the Reserve Bank of India cut the lender’s proposed three-year extension for managing director and chief executive officer Sumant Kathpalia to one year. This isn’t the first time RBI has disagreed with banks on the tenure of their top chief.
In 2023, the regulator approved a two-year extension for Kathpalia whereas IndusInd Bank’s board had approved his reappointment for three years. In 2021, the regulator allowed a year’s extension for RBL Bank Ltd’s MD and CEO Vishwavir Ahuja as against the board’s approval of his reappointment for three years. Ahuja had led RBL Bank for more than a decade at the time.
Kathpalia has been with IndusInd for more than a decade, and in the CEO position for five years. “Given RBI’s preference for an external CEO in case of recent appointments, the odds of an external CEO at IndusInd after Mr. Kathpalia (exits) are high," said analysts from Nuvama Research.
“Should this happen, near-term earnings visibility—already impacted by a weak MFI (microfinance institutions) cycle—will become lower." At 1.24pm on Monday, IndusInd Bank shares were down 3.33% at ₹905.50 each after having dropped to ₹881.10 earlier in the day, which the benchmark indices Nifty 50 and Sensex were slightly higher than Friday's close. IndusInd Bank’s performance has been noteworthy under Kathpalia, who took over as MD and CEO during the initial covid curfews in March 2020. He had to deal with asset quality concerns and governance issues related to the bank’s lending practices, which included the evergreening of loans.
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