NatWest Group India appoints Ritu Tushir as Head of HR

NatWest Group India has appointed Ritu Tushir as Head of Human Resources for its India operations, strengthening its leadership team as the bank expands its talent and innovation capabilities in one of its largest global workforce hubs.

In her new role, Tushir will lead the organisation’s people strategy across India, aligning local workforce priorities with the group’s global human resources vision. India hosts NatWest Group’s largest employee base outside the United Kingdom, making the HR leadership role critical to the bank’s global talent strategy.

The appointment was announced in a company statement reported by BW Businessworld.

Focus on future-ready workforce

Tushir will oversee initiatives aimed at building a future-ready workforce, with particular emphasis on strengthening capabilities in data, artificial intelligence, cloud technologies and engineering.

The bank said she will also accelerate reskilling programmes designed to equip employees with digital and technology capabilities required in the evolving financial services industry.

Beyond skills development, her mandate includes advancing cultural priorities such as employee recognition, wellbeing and experimentation, while reinforcing the organisation’s diversity, equity and inclusion agenda.

As a member of the India Leadership Committee, Tushir will contribute to shaping the strategic direction of NatWest Group’s operations in the country.

Extensive global HR leadership experience

Tushir brings more than 25 years of experience in global human resources leadership across multinational companies and financial services organisations.

Her previous roles include leadership positions at American Express, Genpact and Whirlpool, where she worked on talent strategy, organisational development and workforce transformation.

Most recently, she served as Head of HR for Asia-Pacific Servicing Centres at Northern Trust Corporation, where she led regional talent strategy and organisational transformation initiatives.

Her experience includes managing large, globally distributed workforces and supporting companies navigating digital transformation and evolving skills requirements.

Strengthening India’s role as a talent hub

NatWest executives said the appointment reflects the growing strategic importance of the bank’s India operations.

Ruchika Panesar, Country Head for India and Chief Digital and Information Officer for Group Functions at NatWest Group, said Tushir’s experience in building and scaling talent across global organisations would help strengthen India’s role within the group.

Panesar said Tushir’s leadership would support the bank’s ambition to develop India as a key innovation and talent hub for the organisation.

HR strategy amid technological change

Tushir said NatWest India already has a strong base of specialised talent and that her focus will be on strengthening future capabilities and deepening the bank’s talent strategy.

She added that organisations must balance technological advancement with human-centric leadership as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into business operations.

Her priority will be to build a culture where inclusion, accountability and experimentation support both technological progress and workforce wellbeing.

Expanding role of HR in banking transformation

Banks worldwide are increasingly investing in digital capabilities, data platforms and AI-driven services. As a result, HR leaders are playing a larger role in preparing employees for new operating models and skill demands.

For institutions like NatWest, developing future skills and reskilling the workforce has become central to long-term competitiveness, particularly as financial services firms compete with technology companies for talent.

With Tushir’s appointment, NatWest aims to strengthen its people strategy in India as it continues to expand its global technology and operations footprint in the country.