AU Small Finance Bank elevates COO Yogesh Jain as Deputy CEO

AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) has elevated Yogesh Jain, its Chief Operating Officer, to the role of Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Deputy CEO), effective 25 July 2026, following approval from the bank's Board of Directors.

The appointment comes at a significant stage in the lender's growth journey. AU SFB, India's largest Small Finance Bank, recently became the first institution in more than a decade to receive in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for its proposed transition into a universal bank.

According to the bank, the leadership move is intended to strengthen its executive structure as it expands its business, advances its technology transformation and pursues long-term strategic objectives.

A long-serving executive steps into a broader leadership role

A Chartered Accountant with more than 20 years of experience in financial services, Yogesh Jain has spent over 16 years at AU, contributing to the organisation's transformation from a non-banking financial company (NBFC) into India's largest Small Finance Bank.

Over the course of his tenure, he has led several key business and operational functions, including:

• Capital mobilisation
• Treasury management
• Financial institutions
• Strategic planning
• Operations
• Technology
• Digital banking
• Credit cards
• Customer experience
• Unsecured lending

The bank said his experience across these functions has played an important role in building capabilities required to support its long-term expansion.

Technology transformation remains central to the strategy

As Chief Operating Officer, Jain has overseen AU SFB's enterprise transformation initiatives, with responsibility for technology modernisation, digital innovation and operational excellence.

According to the bank, his leadership has helped develop scalable technology platforms, improve customer experience and support AU's evolution into a technology-driven, customer-centric financial institution.

The elevation also reflects the increasing importance of technology leadership as banks continue investing in digital capabilities and operational efficiency.

Supporting the next phase of growth

In his new role, Jain will continue working closely with Sanjay Agarwal, Founder, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, to drive enterprise-wide execution.

According to AU SFB, his responsibilities will include:

• Strengthening operational excellence
• Accelerating digital transformation
• Supporting enterprise-wide execution
• Advancing the bank's long-term growth strategy

The appointment also reinforces the bank's emphasis on leadership continuity as it prepares for its next stage of growth.

Leadership aligned with long-term ambitions

The announcement comes as AU SFB positions itself for a larger role in India's banking sector following the RBI's in-principle approval for its proposed transition to a universal bank.

According to the bank, strengthening leadership capabilities remains an important part of building a future-ready organisation capable of delivering sustainable growth while expanding its technology, operations and customer offerings.