Aditya Puri is known as a tough taskmaster who built the private sector HDFC Bank into the country’s second-largest bank from scratch. In a three-decade period, the bank saw sustained growth in revenues, profits, deposits, and advances without any disruption. Be it global financial meltdown or economic slowdown, the bank delivered 20 per cent plus growth in all parameters year after year. On a personal level, he managed to strike a work-life balance. In fact, he always stayed away from evening networking parties. “There are so many facets to Aditya’s character that it is difficult for me to put it all in one book,” writes Anita Puri in her book Adityanama-The Man Behind the Banker Revealed. Here are some qualities of Aditya Puri penned by his wife:
Nothing is impossible for him. “I remember numerous instances when the situation at work seemed very difficult. People would tell him that there was no solution to a problem. He always kept the faith, be it a professional or a family crisis. And his standard phrase is that there is no magic wand, but there is light at the end of the tunnel,” she writes.
It may seem like two very different qualities. “How, you may ask, can a man be both?” she writes. Aditya is not afraid to take big risks, be it in the form of big projects with the bank, his career, or our plans for the future. But at the same time, he is not a risk-taker. He does enough research before taking a big step. He keeps things simple, is grounded and down to earth at work and at home.
Aditya’s rule is never to give a loan to someone who cannot pay it back. He has stuck to this all his life, and once he does give a loan, he works hard to ensure that they keep their commitments to the bank. This attitude has helped him and the bank perform well, consistently, year after year. “In our personal lives too, he pays attention to our investments and does not fall for rash promises,” she says.
Aditya has never put on airs or made a lot of noise about his achievements. And whenever people congratulated him on the great heights that HDFC Bank had achieved, he had just two things to say: one is that this is not my work alone, it is because of the team. And secondly, ‘hum to naukar hai bank ke (I merely serve the bank along with my colleagues).”
All through his working life, Aditya always believed that the bank was able to achieve the great heights that it did because they had a good team. He respected his teammates and has always given credit where it is due. This has earned him the lifelong loyalty of those who have worked with him. “At many places that we have travelled together, people would come up to him with stories about how he had changed their life, and he would always say that this is not his doing alone, but that together they have built the HDFC Bank brand and that is why they have all benefited,” she writes, adding, “I would always ask him how so many people loved him so much even when he was known to be blunt, someone who never hesitated to tell people when they were wrong.” The reason is quite simple; it is because Aditya is a fair person. He does not bear grudges, and, he makes sure that everyone gets credit for a job well done.
Aditya’s parents and grandparents instilled a lot of values and principles in him. They taught him to respect everyone and be humble, but there are so many other things too that I can’t list all of them here. They told him, you must never put your hand out with your palm facing upward, like you are asking for something. Always put your palm facing down, as if you are giving away something. “He believes in this and is extremely generous, to this day,” she says.
He is a man with infinite passion. Ask his colleagues and friends, and everyone will tell you that he is so deeply committed to his vision of the bank that nothing could keep him away from his work. “Even when he was about to retire, during the lockdown, he was living, eating, and breathing the bank. That is what makes him different,” she writes.
“When our daughter Amrita is out late, he is the one who stays up until she is home. When Amit has a problem, Aditya is the first one he turns to,” she says. The most relaxing thing for him is to spend an evening at home, sharing stories and listening to music. His favourite song, the one we danced to for our thirtieth wedding anniversary, is ‘Uden jab jab zulfein teri, kunwariyon ka dil machle’ (With every flick of your hair, you force the hearts of all young men to miss a beat). It never fails to make him smile.”
“He is an extremely romantic husband, leaves no opportunity to surprise me, and is very sensitive to my desires,” she writes. She says, “The two of us share a love for music and one song that Aditya sings for me is an old ghazal that was sung by Pankaj Udhas, Chandi jaisa rang hai tera Sone jaise bal Ek tu hi hai dhanwaan gori Baaki sab kangaal (You look as if you are covered in silver and your hair is all gold, true wealth is yours alone, the rest are all broke.)”