Memoirs of Rajnish Kumar, Former Chairman of State Bank of India (State Bank Of India), will hit the stands on October 18, announced the publishing house Penguin Random House India (PRHI) on Thursday. “custodian of trust“, published under the ‘Viking’ imprint of Penguin, is currently available for pre-order on all major e-commerce websites.

Debuting as a writer, Kumar shares his “incredible journey” as a banker through his memoir – from being a probationary officer at SBI to becoming its chairman in 2017 – during his career. Capturing the many changes seen in the banking sector.

“I am very excited to share my 40-year journey with SBI and offer a glimpse of my personal life. SBI is considered a proxy for the Indian economy. In this sense, this book is a reflection of the tremendous progress made by the country. As well as the banking and financial system over the past four decades,” 63-year-old Kumar said of the book.

“Eradication of poverty has been the biggest challenge (in the country) and banks have played an important role in the fight against poverty. There are many untold and unknown stories in the book, which I am sure readers will find interesting and inspiring,” he added .

Kumar, who served as the chairman of SBI from October 2017-October 2020, joined the bank in 1980 as a probationary officer. Prior to his appointment as Chairman, he was the Managing Director (National Banking Group) in the bank overseeing the retail business. and digital banking.

Recalling his post-demonetisation experiences; Challenges in Yes Bank; According to publishers, Jet Airways and the crisis in NPAs, the book is “anecdotal, engaging and thought-provoking, and will attract a wide spectrum of readers”.

“Former SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar assumed the responsibility of leading the country’s largest commercial bank at a critical time when India’s financial sector was going through turmoil. The Custodian of the Trust opens a window to these times. We, House India at Penguin House Random, are excited to publish Kumar’s memoir,” said Premanka Goswami, Executive Editor, PRHI.

Notably, the book is getting endorsements from India Inc and the banking industry giants.

While Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons, called the book a “chronicle of contemporary economic history”; Kotak Mahindra Bank CEO Uday Kotak said the book has the potential to be a “Bollywood blockbuster”.

Kumar currently serves as a Director on the Boards of HSBC Asia Pacific, L&T Infotech Limited and Lighthouse Communities Foundation.