Avanse Financial Services appoints Anila Rajneesh as Chief People Officer

Avanse Financial Services, an education-focused non-banking financial company (NBFC) in India, has appointed Anila Rajneesh as its Chief People Officer (CPO), effective October 2026. 

Rajneesh brings more than 25 years of experience in human resources, organisational development and cultural transformation across the financial services sector.

Based at the company's Mumbai head office, Rajneesh will lead Avanse's human resources function, focusing on aligning people strategies with business priorities, strengthening employee engagement and building a collaborative workplace. 

HR leadership and strategy

In her new role, Rajneesh will focus on developing employee-centric policies and strengthening talent management practices to support Avanse's organisational growth.

Her responsibilities will include building high-performing teams, developing talent pipelines and integrating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities, and workforce analytics into HR frameworks.

She will also work to foster a workplace that supports employees' professional development and performance, while aligning workforce priorities with the company's broader business objectives.

Alongside her HR responsibilities, Rajneesh will oversee Avanse's CSR initiatives, with a focus on aligning community programmes with the organisation's environmental and sustainability commitments.

People-centric growth

Commenting on the appointment, Amit Gainda, Managing Director and CEO of Avanse Financial Services said, “We are delighted to welcome Anila to our leadership team. Her extensive experience across leading financial institutions positions her to drive business transformation through people, culture, and technology.”

He added, “At Avanse, people-centricity remains at the core of our strategy. As an organisation, we will always focus on fostering a symbiotic environment for our employees that enhances their learning curve, resulting in ‘Return on Intelligence’ while enabling ‘Return on Capital’ for stakeholders. 

“We are confident that Anila’s leadership will empower us to bring innovative perspectives and strategies to boost our HR function with a focus on growth, diversity, equity, and inclusion,” he also noted.

Experience across financial services

Rajneesh joins Avanse after nearly eight years at Fedbank Financial Services Ltd. (Fedfina). Her career also includes senior leadership positions at Fino Payments Bank, CIMB and HDFC Securities.

Her experience spans HR transformation, organisational development and cultural strategy, with a focus on supporting business growth through talent development, employee engagement and technology-enabled HR practices.