Expanding Access to Cross-Border Payments for Asia’s SMEs

Shekhar Bhandari, President and Business Head of SME Banking at Kotak Mahindra Bank since November 2023, has served the Kotak Group for over 28 years. His digital-first strategy has grown corporate SME advances by 31% year-over-year, earning Kotak the 2025 National MSME Impact Silver Award.

Throughout his career, Bhandari has led diverse banking functions including global transaction banking, cash management, risk management, foreign exchange, and treasury. He previously scaled Kotak's Global Transaction Banking, launching India's first omni-channel corporate portal (Kotak FYN) and pioneering blockchain-based trade finance solutions.

A Chartered Accountant by training, Bhandari's leadership has been recognized with awards including 'Transaction Banker of the Year - Asia Pacific' (2019) and 'CA Business Leader – Large Corporates—BFSI' (2021). He regularly speaks at RBI, FICCI, and India SME forums, advocating for digital innovation to expand formal finance access for India's MSMEs.