ESAF Small Finance Bank has unveiled a refreshed board with three director moves approved at its 10th Annual General Meeting, signaling a push to strengthen governance as it continues to scale its retail and financial inclusion agenda. The bank appointed Hari Velloor as a Non-Executive Director for a three-year term commencing September 1, 2026, with the office to retire by rotation. Velloor brings more than three decades of banking and retail-channel leadership to the table, including a track record of steering retail strategy and nationwide channel operations during his tenure at ESAF itself.
In addition, Ashok Tukaram Dhamankar was named Non-Executive Independent Director for a three-year term starting September 1, 2026. Dhamankar arrives with a wealth of experience spanning finance, fintech, and SME lending, currently leading as Founder and CEO of FinBridge Access to Capital Aggregators Private Limited. His background includes senior financial leadership roles in large corporate and financial services groups, underscoring a governance lens that blends capital access with sustainable finance and rural financing.
The bank also reinforced its governance with the re-appointment of Biju Varkkey as Non-Executive Independent Director for a three-year term beginning August 17, 2026. A long-standing academic and practitioner, Varkkey has spent more than 26 years as a faculty member at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and has held various board roles in listed and private entities across HR and strategic governance. These moves accompany ESAF’s ongoing emphasis on inclusive growth, risk-aware finance, and ESG-aligned leadership across its board.
Taken together, the changes reflect ESAF Small Finance Bank’s focus on strengthening board-level oversight and strategic leadership to propel its retail expansion, credit delivery, and sustainable finance initiatives in the years ahead.