Narayanan Vaghul

Who is Narayanan Vaghul?

Narayanan Vaghul is an Indian banker. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in the Trade and Industry category in 2010.

Born in 1936 in a remote village in South India, he was second in a family of eight children. He studied at Ramakrishna School, Chennai and graduated from Loyola College, Madras University in the late 1950s.

As he was under age for the IAS examination when he graduated, he joined the State Bank of India as an officer. He served in State Bank of India's branches in Trichi and Madras before moving to Bombay in the 1960s.

As an Officer in the Personnel Department in the State Bank of India at Bombay, his people management and problem solving abilities impressed then State Bank of India Chairman R K Talwar.

After Mr Talwar's retirement, Mr. Vaghul resigned from the State Bank of India and took up a teaching position at the National Institute of Bank Management. Within two years, he became its Director.

In 1978, he became the Executive Director at Central Bank of India and served for two years there.

Appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of the Bank of India in 1981, he became one of India's youngest Chairman of a nationalised bank at the age of 44. He was the Chairman of the Bank of India till 1984.