Board of Directors

Mr. Gobinda Chandra Pattanaik Managing Director

Mr. Pattanaik is a pioneer in the field of microfinance with over two decades of experience; he has always been in the forefront of implementing developmental activities and building microenterprises. He is well known in the development sector for his thoughtful and innovative approach. He has been entitled with being the initiator of several shelter homes and rehabilitation centres for women and children in Odisha. His strong urge and will power towards creating means to sustainable livelihood for women has led him to establish Annapurna Finance Pvt. Ltd.  He is an advisor to many District Administrations and has played a key role in setting up various community based institutions.

Mr. Dibyajyoti Pattanaik Director

Mr. Pattanaik has over 15 years of experience in microfinance, micro-enterprise development and development sector consulting. He has worked with Public and Development Sector institutions in various roles before joining Peoples’ Forum as Program Head & CFO in 2007. His experience and expertise played a crucial role in the transformation of mission Annapurna to Annapurna Finance Private Limited, which under his guidance and leadership is now one of the top MFIs in India. He was the Vice President of MFIN (Microfinance Institutions Network), where he contributed to the overall issues pertaining to the financial inclusion sector. He also serves as the President of OSAFII (Orissa Association of Financial Inclusion), and is actively involved in the financial inclusion forum of the state. He holds a post-graduate degree in management from EDII, Ahmedabad, and a management certificate in finance from Boulder Institute of Management, USA.

Mr. Ashok Ranjan Samal Independent Director

Mr. Samal has rich experience of more than 31 years in development banking with diverse and long association with Microfinance sector. He was serving as General Manager at SIDBI’s Head Office Lucknow looking after SIDBI Foundation for Microcredit (SFMC). He has extensive experience of dealing with NBFC-MFI by virtue of his long association with SFMC for more than 12 years as Deputy General Manager and General Manager. Mr. Samal is a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB) and Post Graduate in English from Utkal University.

Mr. Arup Kumar Nominee Director, SIDBI

Shri Arup Kumar is the Chief General Manager of SFMC and NBFC Vertical.  He is an Engineer by education and after working with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited in earlier years, has been with SIDBI for the last 27 years. He has handled direct finance operations in different capacities in many geographies, besides stints in policy verticals relating to Credit, Risk Management and Stressed & NPA Management. He has also headed the Treasury and Resources Management of the Bank.  Spearheaded SIDBI’s initiative called Prayaas to support the micro entrepreneurs in the missing middle segment in the rural as well as urban space through partnerships with both Financial as well as Non-Financial intermediaries.  At present, extending support to Microfinance and NBFC sectors for their funding and other needs.

Mr. Venkiteswaran. M.R Nominee Director, Oikocredit

Venkiteswaran. M.R is a Banker with 34 years of experience, during which time he played important senior level roles in some of the largest Banks in India. He has rich experience in Rural lending, Agricultural Finance, Microfinance and lending to Micro Enterprises & SMEs. He is well versed in handling several high impact projects of significant size, from planning to execution. He has around 12 years of experience in heading major SBU of agriculture lending and microfinance (9 years in Axis Bank and 3 years in Jana Small Finance Bank) with consistent growth in top line and P&L.

Venkiteswaran.M.R has rich experience in building and nurturing several business lines of strategic importance like Farmer Finance, Tractor Finance, Agri Value Chain Funding, lending against Agri commodities, farmer gold loans, lending to Agri enterprises as well as wholesale and retail microfinance. In all these business lines, he has experience of developing strategy, products, processes, distribution architecture and delivery channels to ensure overall business excellence. He also has expertise in identifying key focus geographies, product & process innovations, credit risk & operational risk. He has rich experience in streamlining & improving existing systems/processes, innovating and envisioning new methodologies, identifying future trends and devising suitable strategies. He also has rich insight into the compliance and risk management aspects of commercial banks and Small finance Banks (SFBs) in India.

Mr. Sunit Vasant Joshi Nominee Director, Asian Development Bank

Mr. Sunit Vasant Joshi is rank-holder Chartered Accountant with thorough knowledge of Indian banking industry, including regulatory aspects, as also extensive international exposure, especially to financial markets in the UK . Retired from SBI as Chief General Manager supervising over 2,000 direct and indirect reports and managing a portfolio of over Rs.1,00,000 crore.

Presently he is a member of the Board of Directors in a capacity of Independent Director at IFCI Financial Services Limited and a member in the Board of Trustee as Canara Robeco Mutual Fund. Mr. Joshi has more than 42 years of rich experience in banking, finance & investment sector. Mr Joshi is a Chartered Accountant (CA); and hold other degrees such as CAIIB, M.Com, B.Com.

Ms Radhika Shroff Nominee Director-Nuveen

Ms Radhika Shroff works in Impact Investing for Nuveen real assets and is responsible for identifying, executing and managing direct private equity investments in key thematic impact sectors in both developed and developing market.

Prior to joining the in 2020, Radhika was a deputy Chief investment officer of Accion Global Investments, responsible for leading global equity investments and managing a portfolio of equity investment in over 20 Financial Institutions and innovative financial service providers that supports underserved population of emerging markets. Before Accion , she spent 15 years in various investment, advisory and operational roles including Latin America investment banking , global consumer and commercial banking and microfinance principal investing at financial service institutions including UBS, Citi, Wells Fargo and Peruvian Development group.

Radhika Graduated with a B.S in Economics, B.A in Psychology from the university of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the Warton School and MA in International Studies with a concentration in Latin America, from the Lauder Institute. She is a former Luce Scholar with the Thai Ministry of Finance, sits on the board of Yuva Pragati, a non-profit focused on child health and wellness in rural India and is fluent in Spanish and Gujrati.

Mr. Abhishek Agrawal Nominee Director, Accion & DEG

Mr. Abhishek Agrawal is Accion’s Chief Regional Officer for South Asia, based out of India, and is responsible for overseeing Accion’s operations in the region. A key region for Accion in its mission to advance financial inclusion, several features of the region and countries within it – such as an enabling regulatory environment, startup ecosystem, and entrepreneurial culture – make it a prime market for inclusive fintech innovation.

As an Accion representative, Abhishek serves on the boards of SubK, DVARA – KGFS, Vindhya E-Infomedia, and Saija Finance. Abhishek also served as CFO for more than 12 years in several countries, including at Swadhaar Microfinance starting in 2010, in his capacity as global staff for Accion. He comes to Accion with extensive experience in financial management, strategy and business planning, and microfinance operations.

In earlier roles, Abhishek worked with FINCA International as CFO in different affiliates. Prior to that, he acted as an advisor to the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAI), where he worked on number of projects in Municipal reforms and financial management for local municipal bodies. Abhishek has a Ph.D. in municipal financial reforms and Chartered Accountant (FCA) from ICAI. He did his MBA with a specialization in finance at Rai International University.

Mr. Ajay Bhaskar Limaye Nominee Director, Oman India Joint Investment Fund II (OIJIF)

Mr. Ajay Bhaskar Limaye is a Private Equity Fund Manager at Oman India Joint Investment Fund, bringing approximately 30 years of experience in Venture Capital and Private Equity. Throughout his tenure at OIJIF-MC, he has excelled in steering various venture capital and private equity funds, showcasing a successful track record across diverse investment strategies. He has also served on the boards of companies across varied sectors and represented the Fund on the Boards of HBL Batteries Limited and Data Patterns Ltd (a 100% subsidiary of Indus Teqsite). Before joining OIJIF-MC, Mr. Limaye contributed to the Private Equity team at Tata Capital. He holds a CFA, BE, and MBA degree and has professionally managed the business of overseeing Private Equity Funds focused on investing in the mid-market segment in India.

Mr. Prateek Shrivastava Independent Director

With a 30-year track record of driving efficiency through technology in 39 countries globally, Mr. Prateek Shrivastava brings a proven ability to build sustainable digital strategies. He is the co-founder of EMpact, a venture studio dedicated to innovating agricultural value chains. In addition, he advises impact investors on digital transformation and is a mentor to startups at the Miller Center in Silicon Valley. Over the last three decades, Mr. Shrivastava has built seven startups, served on the boards of banks and fintechs, and managed projects for organizations like the World Bank, IFC, USAID, Mastercard, Accion, UNSGSA Queen Maxima, and the White House. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, a member of the Institute of Directors, UK, and has published several papers in books and journals on technology and development. With a Chief Digital Officer Diploma from MIT, Executive Education from Harvard, an MBA from Henley Business School, and foundational degrees in Computer Science from Australia, Mr. Shrivastava’s qualifications reflect a dedication to excellence.

Mr. Naval Jawaharlal Totla Nominee Director- Piramal

Mr. Naval Jawaharlal Totla has been serving as Co-Head at Piramal Alternatives Private Limited (formerly known as Piramal Asset Management Private Limited) since October 2022. In this role, he oversees the fund’s management, ensuring alignment with its core strategy and investment thesis. With over two decades of experience in fund management, structured finance, and corporate financing, he has a proven track record of managing multiple funds and handling all aspects from fundraising to deployment, portfolio monitoring, managing exits, and ensuring compliance. His extensive background includes leadership roles where he provided strategic and operational guidance, significantly growing business portfolios.

Mr. Govinda Rajulu Chintala Independent Director

Mr. Govinda Rajulu Chintala, the former Chairman of NABARD (India’s Apex Development Bank, retired in July 2022), has had a remarkable career in the field of development finance spanning several decades. His exceptional leadership and expertise have had a transformative impact on various financial institutions. During his tenure at NABARD, Mr. Chintala played a pivotal role in driving rural development, fostering financial inclusion, and empowering the underserved sections of society. He was extensively involved on the boards of various financial and academic institutions other than NABARD (e.g., BIRD Lucknow, IIM-A, IRMA, Agri-Insurance Corporation of India, Sa-dhan, and Many Regional Rural Banks). He has served on the boards of multiple organizations, leveraging his insights to enhance governance, risk management, and strategic planning.