Saloni Narayan: From Banking Leadership To Board And Governance Roles

Saloni Narayan is a banking and finance professional with nearly four decades of experience at State Bank of India (SBI). During her career with the bank, she held several senior positions across finance, operations and retail banking before serving as Deputy Managing Director (Finance). Since retiring from SBI in November 2025, she has taken up board and advisory responsibilities across financial services and related sectors.

Narayan joined SBI in December 1988 and spent 37 years with the institution. Her career included responsibilities across different areas of banking, giving her experience in financial management, retail business, operations, technology, risk management and customer-facing services.

Before moving into her final role at SBI, Narayan served as Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer. In this position, she was responsible for operational functions and business continuity across the bank. Her tenure in the role also coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, when banking operations had to continue despite restrictions and changes in the way customers accessed financial services.

Narayan also served as Deputy Managing Director for Retail Business at SBI. In this role, she was responsible for the bank’s retail lending operations, including a loan portfolio of approximately ₹10 trillion, of which around ₹5 trillion comprised home loans. Her responsibilities covered areas such as digital transformation, loan collections, customer experience and the development of SBI’s digital banking ecosystem.

Her experience in technology-led banking included working on the adoption of digital processes and services within retail banking. She was also involved in initiatives related to customer service and the management of loan portfolios as banking increasingly moved towards digital channels.

Narayan subsequently served as Deputy Managing Director (Finance), where her responsibilities covered several areas of the bank’s financial operations. These included financial planning, investor relations, regulatory compliance, asset-liability management, financial reporting and governance.

During this period, she was associated with SBI’s ₹25,000-crore Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP). The capital raising exercise formed part of the bank’s financial strategy and required work across financial planning, regulatory processes, reporting and investor communication.

After retiring from SBI in November 2025, Narayan moved into board and advisory roles. Her current professional responsibilities include positions associated with financial services, housing finance, credit assessment and digital lending. These include roles with Aditya Birla Capital, Grihum Housing Finance, Infomerics Ratings and Onura.

In 2026, Narayan was appointed as an Independent Director of BalanceHero India. The role adds digital lending and fintech governance to her existing experience in banking and financial services. As an independent director, her responsibilities include participating in board-level discussions and oversight in areas relevant to the company’s operations and governance.

The process associated with her appointment was supported by World Development Corporation Directors’ Institute – World Council Of Directors through its Global Community for Board Directors. The institute works with professionals and organisations involved in board-level appointments and governance.

Narayan’s career has covered different functions within banking, from retail business and operations to finance and corporate governance. Her move into board positions after retiring from SBI marks a transition from executive banking responsibilities to roles focused on board oversight, governance and strategic discussions across financial services.