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A Bank for The Buck, The Story of HDFC Bank
THE NEW BANK MOVEMENT & the untold story of THE MAKING OF INDIA S MOST VALUED BANK This is the story of the birth and growth of India s most valued Bank HDFC Bank Ltd against the backdrop of the new bank movement in India that started in 1994 when the Reserve Bank of India opened up the sector to introduce competition and to force banks to be efficient and more productive. Many books have tried to give meaning to India s recent history, to put it in the larger context of a complicated and confounding society, but this effort stands out because it does something that has been difficult to attempt retelling the story of modern India through the lens of business. Given the author s familiarity with bankers, policy makers and central bankers, this fast-paced, jargon-free book, written for a wide audience, brings to life an engrossing and sweeping tale of 21st century India, with all its foibles and charms.
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372 pages, Paperback
First published November 24, 2012
117 people are currently reading
952 people want to read
About the author
Tamal Bandyopadhyay
18 books56 followersTamal Bandyopadhyay is an Indian business journalist, known for his weekly column on banking and finance Banker's Trust published in Mint, an Indian business daily brought out by HT Media Ltd. He has authored four books namely From Lehman to Demonetization: A Decade of Disruptions, Reforms and Misadventures Bandhan: The Making of a Bank, Sahara: The Untold Story and A Bank for the Buck.
He is popular for his weekly column on banking and finance called Banker's Trust which is published every Monday. His frequent blog Banker's Trust Real Time on livemint.com analyses major developments in the financial sector.
Between April and November 2011, he ran a 32 episode series on Bloomberg India TV, called Banker's Trust, where senior central bankers, commercial bankers, and economists were interviewed every week.
Releasing Tamal's first book, A Bank for the Buck, in November 2012, then finance minister P Chidambaram said, "In a period of great financial illiteracy, it's refreshing to have a book written by somebody very literate about matters relating to finance". In his foreword to the book, former governor of Reserve Bank of India, Y. Venugopal Reddy, wrote, "It's a sort of recent oral history of a financial institution. Tamal has set a new trend in the dissemination of knowledge."
Tamal's second book, Sahara: The Untold Story, details the beginnings and the current day working of the secretive Sahara India Parivar. Well researched, with umpteen interviews with people concerned including Subrata Roy, the book was also cause of a stay order later requested by the Sahara group. In December 2013, the Sahara India Pariwar, moved Calcutta High Court, got a stay on the publication of the book and filed a Rs 2 billion defamation suit against the author and its publisher, Jaico Publishing House.[8] In April 2014, both the parties reached an out of court settlement following which the book carries a disclaimer by Sahara which says, among other things, the book has "defamatory content" --something unprecedented in Indian publishing history, as narrated in Sue the Messenger by Subir Ghosh, with Paranjoy Guha Thakurta. [9]
He has also published a book of poems in Bengali Anupam Meenrashi in January 2014.
He is popular for his weekly column on banking and finance called Banker's Trust which is published every Monday. His frequent blog Banker's Trust Real Time on livemint.com analyses major developments in the financial sector.
Between April and November 2011, he ran a 32 episode series on Bloomberg India TV, called Banker's Trust, where senior central bankers, commercial bankers, and economists were interviewed every week.
Releasing Tamal's first book, A Bank for the Buck, in November 2012, then finance minister P Chidambaram said, "In a period of great financial illiteracy, it's refreshing to have a book written by somebody very literate about matters relating to finance". In his foreword to the book, former governor of Reserve Bank of India, Y. Venugopal Reddy, wrote, "It's a sort of recent oral history of a financial institution. Tamal has set a new trend in the dissemination of knowledge."
Tamal's second book, Sahara: The Untold Story, details the beginnings and the current day working of the secretive Sahara India Parivar. Well researched, with umpteen interviews with people concerned including Subrata Roy, the book was also cause of a stay order later requested by the Sahara group. In December 2013, the Sahara India Pariwar, moved Calcutta High Court, got a stay on the publication of the book and filed a Rs 2 billion defamation suit against the author and its publisher, Jaico Publishing House.[8] In April 2014, both the parties reached an out of court settlement following which the book carries a disclaimer by Sahara which says, among other things, the book has "defamatory content" --something unprecedented in Indian publishing history, as narrated in Sue the Messenger by Subir Ghosh, with Paranjoy Guha Thakurta. [9]
He has also published a book of poems in Bengali Anupam Meenrashi in January 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
November 22, 2017
I always wondered why aren't there startup success stories in India. Was it the case that there has been lack of documentation of these stories? Or simply there aren't any big enough? My past reading pattern also suggests that there have been a plenty of stories on successful companies of American origin. So is it the case that Indians lack what it takes to make it big? Well this has been answered once and for all by Mr Tamal Bandyopadhyay as HDFC bank turns out to be one of the best success stories I have ever read. This is the second book of the author which I have completed and he, without a doubt has reserved his place as one of the best Indian authors I have come across. The read is very smooth and the story-telling capability is exceptional and rife with wisdom nuggets especially on banking
HDFC has been a unique institution from the start. Deepak Parekh was the puppet master of the show as far as initial recruitment was concerned. It was his dream to create a bank which addressed the volume of funds required by the private firms and also the service quality of the foreign banks. He decided that the lynch pin of the group will be Mr Aditya Puri. Mr Puri was working in Citibank then with salary and facilities that HDFC had no way to match. Mr Parekh was straightforward about the pay and made it clear from the start that he had nothing to offer apart from stock options. He also invoked a sense of patriotism by asking Aditya to come and do something for the country. As Mr Puri came aboard he requested for minimum interference by Deepak and the parent company and let him build a bank. From there on, the reins were transferred to Mr Puri. He single handedly managed to recruit the next 12 employees who would become the pillars upon which the bank would stand
While going through the story, I came across the real difference in the working of HDFC and HDFC bank. HDFC, the parent company is a mortgage company whereas the subsidiary is a bank. Mortgage companies issue loans against securities and HDFC, as the name suggests, used to provide finance for housing. They raise funds by securitising the property papers. There were also discussions upon the issue that whether HDFC should hand over its housing finance to the bank and itself should become a holding company. If it would've proceeded with the idea, all the subsidiaries including the bank, insurance and asset management company would've paid dividend to the holding company. But because of the tax laws and the independent existence of both the entities, HDFC still continues to provide housing finance with a deal on place that whatever products they sell, HDFC bank can buy 70% those loans. It is commendable that the relation between the parent and the kid is still cordial as it can be easily blamed that the kid has encroached upon the brand name. It could've easily resulted in feud or a deal similar to TATA's in which all the subsidiaries would've to pay licensing fee for using the brand name but no such thing happened
Deepak Parekh, even after being the originator of the idea of the whole bank has never been an official part of this bank in any capacity be it being a board member, or non-executive chairman etc. He has always been a guiding force to the bank through various other boards of which he is an influential member including the board of the bank's parent HDFC. He helped the bank from outside by cajoling the initial corporate firms to bank with HDFC which provided with with the much needed funds to issue advances
At first glance, it might seem that everything in this bank is all about either Deepak Parekh or Aditya Puri, but the the A-team(The dirty dozen as Aditya likes to call them) was the one which pulled off this amazing stories. Many of those members have left the bank but they they did their job and did it diligently. Legend has it that Aditya still comes everyday at 9 in the morning and leaves at 5 30 and was when asked about the truth, he flatly says: 9 hours are enough to do the job
As far as numbers are concerned, i would really suggest people to go to moneycontrol.com and check out the historical graph of the company since it has been listed. Seldom one sees the discipline with which the company has posted a 25-30% growth in advances, number of accounts and profits quarter after quarter. It has got mention in the famed book of Mr Jim Collins(Great by choice) which has aptly codified the motto followed in the company:
"Doing ordinary things extraordinarily is what makes the difference"
HDFC has been a unique institution from the start. Deepak Parekh was the puppet master of the show as far as initial recruitment was concerned. It was his dream to create a bank which addressed the volume of funds required by the private firms and also the service quality of the foreign banks. He decided that the lynch pin of the group will be Mr Aditya Puri. Mr Puri was working in Citibank then with salary and facilities that HDFC had no way to match. Mr Parekh was straightforward about the pay and made it clear from the start that he had nothing to offer apart from stock options. He also invoked a sense of patriotism by asking Aditya to come and do something for the country. As Mr Puri came aboard he requested for minimum interference by Deepak and the parent company and let him build a bank. From there on, the reins were transferred to Mr Puri. He single handedly managed to recruit the next 12 employees who would become the pillars upon which the bank would stand
While going through the story, I came across the real difference in the working of HDFC and HDFC bank. HDFC, the parent company is a mortgage company whereas the subsidiary is a bank. Mortgage companies issue loans against securities and HDFC, as the name suggests, used to provide finance for housing. They raise funds by securitising the property papers. There were also discussions upon the issue that whether HDFC should hand over its housing finance to the bank and itself should become a holding company. If it would've proceeded with the idea, all the subsidiaries including the bank, insurance and asset management company would've paid dividend to the holding company. But because of the tax laws and the independent existence of both the entities, HDFC still continues to provide housing finance with a deal on place that whatever products they sell, HDFC bank can buy 70% those loans. It is commendable that the relation between the parent and the kid is still cordial as it can be easily blamed that the kid has encroached upon the brand name. It could've easily resulted in feud or a deal similar to TATA's in which all the subsidiaries would've to pay licensing fee for using the brand name but no such thing happened
Deepak Parekh, even after being the originator of the idea of the whole bank has never been an official part of this bank in any capacity be it being a board member, or non-executive chairman etc. He has always been a guiding force to the bank through various other boards of which he is an influential member including the board of the bank's parent HDFC. He helped the bank from outside by cajoling the initial corporate firms to bank with HDFC which provided with with the much needed funds to issue advances
At first glance, it might seem that everything in this bank is all about either Deepak Parekh or Aditya Puri, but the the A-team(The dirty dozen as Aditya likes to call them) was the one which pulled off this amazing stories. Many of those members have left the bank but they they did their job and did it diligently. Legend has it that Aditya still comes everyday at 9 in the morning and leaves at 5 30 and was when asked about the truth, he flatly says: 9 hours are enough to do the job
As far as numbers are concerned, i would really suggest people to go to moneycontrol.com and check out the historical graph of the company since it has been listed. Seldom one sees the discipline with which the company has posted a 25-30% growth in advances, number of accounts and profits quarter after quarter. It has got mention in the famed book of Mr Jim Collins(Great by choice) which has aptly codified the motto followed in the company:
"Doing ordinary things extraordinarily is what makes the difference"
April 8, 2016
An interesting read. Very insightful indeed. In the Indian context, the biography of a bank set against the liberalization of the economy gives a rich historical perspective of how the banking business has evolved over the last two decades.
March 18, 2022
Interesting book to understand HDFC bank's journey from inception to 2012.
June 22, 2016
This is a "lengthy advertisement" about a bank in the form of a book!
A futile and preposterous attempt to show one-upmanship by trying to tarnish the image of competition who are well placed and well ahead in many aspects! To put it in a nutshell, for all positives, this bank is portrayed as pioneer; the negatives? Well, the author says "WE ARE NOT ALONE".
For the author, regulatory requirements are mere "so-called". To name a few:
so-called Priority Sector Farmers
so-called Loan melas
so-called MOA & AOA
so-called priority sector lending norms
so-called bottom-of-the-pyramid borrowers or otherwise called the low income group which the bank royally ignores
so-called know-your-customer norms
At many places this wannabe author tries to play down the importance of regulatory requirements. Probably that's how the so-called legacy of a so-called bank could be portrayed through the imaginary prism.
I must admit this author started well, but lost his way in the maze of facts which he tried hard to hide. He completely downplayed the Demat Scam which culminated in the ban of this bank from opening new branches for some donkeys' years since no fresh licenses were issued. I also must appreciate the thorough "proof-reading" done by the bank staffers to ensure that the complete blame is shifted to scamsters who could open fake demat accounts with this bank. What an irony, in this part of the world, scamsters clap with one hand!
This book also is more like biography of a person than the history of an organization that borrowed a famous name to run its business. The author writes extensively about who was hired. What about people who left the bank in bad taste? Mergers of Times Bank & Centurion Bank of Punjab made many a stalwart to throw their towel to this dominating management.
To sum it up in a single word... ATROCIOUS!
A futile and preposterous attempt to show one-upmanship by trying to tarnish the image of competition who are well placed and well ahead in many aspects! To put it in a nutshell, for all positives, this bank is portrayed as pioneer; the negatives? Well, the author says "WE ARE NOT ALONE".
For the author, regulatory requirements are mere "so-called". To name a few:
so-called Priority Sector Farmers
so-called Loan melas
so-called MOA & AOA
so-called priority sector lending norms
so-called bottom-of-the-pyramid borrowers or otherwise called the low income group which the bank royally ignores
so-called know-your-customer norms
At many places this wannabe author tries to play down the importance of regulatory requirements. Probably that's how the so-called legacy of a so-called bank could be portrayed through the imaginary prism.
I must admit this author started well, but lost his way in the maze of facts which he tried hard to hide. He completely downplayed the Demat Scam which culminated in the ban of this bank from opening new branches for some donkeys' years since no fresh licenses were issued. I also must appreciate the thorough "proof-reading" done by the bank staffers to ensure that the complete blame is shifted to scamsters who could open fake demat accounts with this bank. What an irony, in this part of the world, scamsters clap with one hand!
This book also is more like biography of a person than the history of an organization that borrowed a famous name to run its business. The author writes extensively about who was hired. What about people who left the bank in bad taste? Mergers of Times Bank & Centurion Bank of Punjab made many a stalwart to throw their towel to this dominating management.
To sum it up in a single word... ATROCIOUS!
January 26, 2021
Story of HDFC Bank. A private sector bank which almost acts without any fuss like a psu. This book details about the history of Indian banking and how private banks grew post 1991 liberalisation with the lens on HDFC Bank. Good introduction to how banks work and are critical to the country’s growth. Goes into more details than necessary but informative read.
December 29, 2013
The story of the birth and growth of HDFC Bank and the leadership culture that has helped maintain stability is brought out through interesting insights, anecdotes and inside stories by Tamal.
There are interesting anecdotes like celebrating the tenth birthday of the calculator that throw light on the prudent practices and culture in the Bank.
The different leadership styles of the top management team, the work life balance of Aditya Puri, the story of the different mergers are enriching read for a banking professional.
Non bankers might find some parts of the book too heavy/uninteresting as the author goes too much into details.
It is an interesting read for people in the banking industry while there are very useful insights for entrepreneurs as well.
There are interesting anecdotes like celebrating the tenth birthday of the calculator that throw light on the prudent practices and culture in the Bank.
The different leadership styles of the top management team, the work life balance of Aditya Puri, the story of the different mergers are enriching read for a banking professional.
Non bankers might find some parts of the book too heavy/uninteresting as the author goes too much into details.
It is an interesting read for people in the banking industry while there are very useful insights for entrepreneurs as well.
March 20, 2017
This book is the story of how HDFC bank was setup and grew over the years.
I have banked with HDFC in the past and was curious to know about their story.
It was interesting to learn how they setup the bank, how the team was formed and how they grew the business.
The bank is also known for its steady growth and consistent stock growth.
There is some insight into how they manage this.
However it was intriguing to see from there how they got to a current state where they push / upsell unrelated products to their customers and charge dubiously for irrelevant services.
Maybe somebody should write an after story.
I have banked with HDFC in the past and was curious to know about their story.
It was interesting to learn how they setup the bank, how the team was formed and how they grew the business.
The bank is also known for its steady growth and consistent stock growth.
There is some insight into how they manage this.
However it was intriguing to see from there how they got to a current state where they push / upsell unrelated products to their customers and charge dubiously for irrelevant services.
Maybe somebody should write an after story.
January 21, 2013
An excellent insight into making of India biggest bank by market capitalisation.Provides an insight about what goes into making a successful company in today's highly competitive market place.
April 25, 2021
The bank for the buck is a fantastic read. It tells the story of a few courageous people who came together from different institutions across the world to build a world class bank in India. The story begins with Deepak Parekh on the lookout for a team to build HDFC bank after HDFC was granted a banking license by RBI. The narrative moves to setting up of HDFC bank's office in Worli and getting the first employees onboarded. It documents the journey of HDFC bank from it's genesis to becoming the top private bank of India. It talks about how the bank leveraged technology and processes to build HDFC bank of today. The chapters on the acquisition of Times Bank and Centurion BoP are very interesting. Also, the book talks about the leadership style of Aditya Puri who led the bank from the front since it's inception- prioritizing work life balance, empowering people and making swift decisions.
Overall, a joyful read. Highly recommended for anyone interested (and/or invested) in HDFC bank.
Overall, a joyful read. Highly recommended for anyone interested (and/or invested) in HDFC bank.
July 16, 2023
mediocre and surface level
Doesn’t get to the meet of any issues. The good things seem superficially covered. And all interviews seem too gossipy. References to things like “sahib” seem antiquated and hard to relate to. The non linear structure doesn’t work. The explanations of something even remotely financially complex (eg the derivatives scam or the IPO) are very hard to follow and assume a high level of proficiency (which shouldn’t be the case). It doesn’t feel as comprehensive. ICICI bank is the only bank covered in some form of detail. But what about other competitors like the state run behemoths or Kotak Mahindra? You don’t walk away thinking you have a wholesome picture. Some of the examples also aren’t well thought out. There is one place where the author is trying to tout Aditya Puri’s attention to detail, and provides an example of him noticing something about Chase having the fastest ATMs in an ad in NYC. What has that god to do being detail oriented?
I had higher hopes for this book but was quite disappointed.
Doesn’t get to the meet of any issues. The good things seem superficially covered. And all interviews seem too gossipy. References to things like “sahib” seem antiquated and hard to relate to. The non linear structure doesn’t work. The explanations of something even remotely financially complex (eg the derivatives scam or the IPO) are very hard to follow and assume a high level of proficiency (which shouldn’t be the case). It doesn’t feel as comprehensive. ICICI bank is the only bank covered in some form of detail. But what about other competitors like the state run behemoths or Kotak Mahindra? You don’t walk away thinking you have a wholesome picture. Some of the examples also aren’t well thought out. There is one place where the author is trying to tout Aditya Puri’s attention to detail, and provides an example of him noticing something about Chase having the fastest ATMs in an ad in NYC. What has that god to do being detail oriented?
I had higher hopes for this book but was quite disappointed.
August 12, 2018
Tamal Bandyopadhyay has captured the formation and evolution of a contemporary private bank in an exhaustive manner. There is a lot of detailing tracking the micro aspects of change that HDFC Bank has undergone right from its nascent stage; therefore the pace does slow down at some points. However, if the target segment of readers are present day bankers in a private bank, they are bound to relate and rejoice every part of this book. The mammoth effort that Tamal had undertaken and the subsequent delivery in my opinion deserves a standing ovation (hence the 5 stars). Incidentally I have noticed the liking of this book by very senior bankers across different banks and that says it all. Its a must read for bankers.
December 30, 2021
If one wants to know about regulatory history and struggles & grit that banks in India had to face to be present today, this is the book to refer to. Amazing story, how simple business fundamentals are required to build an empire. Book talks more about its founder & ceo - Aditya than what made it tick. May be Aditya was the force which led HDFC to where it is today than anything else. I was quite new to many banking terms - kudos to Tamal, he has explained these terms in very simple language so even a noob can understand. I would suggest - knowing that terminology is super essential if someone is willing to invest in bank stocks - good predictor of business health and future prospects. More insider stories would have made it enaging and easy to read.
November 15, 2022
As an investor who noticed HDFC Bank was clearly an exceptional bank with a great track record, I was curious as to why. This book gave me more clarity about inner workings and it's story. Tamal does a good job explaining it. As to how HDFC Bank has great corporate governance, prudent in spending and giving out loans. Also how you don't have to be super innovative or exceptional to run a great buisness but to do it really well. One drawback is that I wish there was some more background given for laymen in some terms in finance. Like what exactly MFIs(micro finance institutions) are and it's risks or more on how exactly the bank got an amazing casa franchise and low cost deposits. Overall, I would like to thank tamal for detailed research and effort writing this book.
December 1, 2024
During early 90s, India faced numerous challenges like Curent Account Deficit, Balance of Payments crisis and fiscal deficit mismatch; then later FM Manmohan S nationalised and liberated our economy by eradicating some aspect of Red Tape authority and emerges the idea of creating Privatisation of our Banking system.
HDFC bank was the foremost in such creation. The bank was the revolution especially in the midst of public sector stable bank. It started with Mr. Deepak’s push and collaboration with his top 12 bankers. And since then it’s one of the most crucial bank in Indian history. It’s a too big to fail bank!
Could be like JP Morgan ‘s Indian version.
If you really dig to understand how banking system works, departments and their functionality. Then this book is like a digest!
HDFC bank was the foremost in such creation. The bank was the revolution especially in the midst of public sector stable bank. It started with Mr. Deepak’s push and collaboration with his top 12 bankers. And since then it’s one of the most crucial bank in Indian history. It’s a too big to fail bank!
Could be like JP Morgan ‘s Indian version.
If you really dig to understand how banking system works, departments and their functionality. Then this book is like a digest!
November 17, 2020
Will help u understand why HDFC is a stock market's darling
HDFC Twins: HDFC Limited n HDFC Bank have created fortunes for those who held on to their stocks.
And this book explains why.
Deepak Parekh assembled his team of Avengers, with Aditya Puri at help of thos dream team.
How they steered n grew bigger.
Its not about heroics.
HDFC's way is doing simple things the right way, with execution as the key. And managing risk like no one else did.
Risk management is Bank's USP n how they stick to the game plan.
A good read for those who want to understand HDFC Bank's exponential growth in last 2 decades.
HDFC Twins: HDFC Limited n HDFC Bank have created fortunes for those who held on to their stocks.
And this book explains why.
Deepak Parekh assembled his team of Avengers, with Aditya Puri at help of thos dream team.
How they steered n grew bigger.
Its not about heroics.
HDFC's way is doing simple things the right way, with execution as the key. And managing risk like no one else did.
Risk management is Bank's USP n how they stick to the game plan.
A good read for those who want to understand HDFC Bank's exponential growth in last 2 decades.
June 22, 2020
A very detailed account of how HDFC Bank was set up from scratch and how a bunch of people with a vision got together to achieve the same. The focus on automation to improve productivity and efficiency and customer service was from the start and this allowed the bank to operationally perform much better as compared to bigger banks.
The author has researched the banks history very well. The flow of the events is very smooth and detailed. Banking terms and success measurement parameters are very well explained from a layman's perspective.
We need more Indian start-up success stories to be published.
The author has researched the banks history very well. The flow of the events is very smooth and detailed. Banking terms and success measurement parameters are very well explained from a layman's perspective.
We need more Indian start-up success stories to be published.
November 22, 2019
A must read for any investor or entrepreneur
Tamal has provided fantastic insights into the birth and life of India's best private sector bank i.e. HDFC Bank.
While reading the book, I felt as if Tamal has been narrating a story live and I am sitting in the audience. The book keeps you engrossed!
Even a person from a non financial background can easily follow the narrative.
All in all it's an awesome book. Do read it!
Tamal has provided fantastic insights into the birth and life of India's best private sector bank i.e. HDFC Bank.
While reading the book, I felt as if Tamal has been narrating a story live and I am sitting in the audience. The book keeps you engrossed!
Even a person from a non financial background can easily follow the narrative.
All in all it's an awesome book. Do read it!
July 10, 2019
The book has a very interesting narrative about the initial days of setting up HDFC Bank but the last 50 pages seems to be very slow.
Liked the way author presented the thought process behind every decision made at the bank. I guess since he has worked as a financial journalist it helped him portray things better.
Liked the way author presented the thought process behind every decision made at the bank. I guess since he has worked as a financial journalist it helped him portray things better.
April 25, 2021
Business History as a genre doesn't bore me ever. Second half of this book has a lot of leadership lessons throughout. This book succeeds in making one realise that most of what was applied and followed by Mr. Aditya Puri can be tried elsewhere too and that discipline and consistency are the keys of success.
October 6, 2017
Must read for people from banking and finance industry. Gives a deep insight about how one of INDIA's biggest private bank was setup. Has lot of technical details about banking. Overall a very good book to read.
December 28, 2017
Good summary of an excellent organization. But clearly misses out on a lot of aspects.
Good summary of an excellent organization. But clearly misses out on a lot of aspects. Could have been a lot better
Good summary of an excellent organization. But clearly misses out on a lot of aspects. Could have been a lot better
February 5, 2018
A quick read on HDFC Bank, helps one understand some nuances of Retail Banking/ Wholesale Banking in India. Mostly focused on how HDFC Bank was built, its ethos, culture and its CEO - Aditya Puri. My main motivation for reading was to understand the Banking system in a leisurely way
May 5, 2018
Now I know why it’s such a respected bank especially on stock exchange. Question remains about Aditya’s successor and same problem with ICICI and Axis. Interesting things are happening and I’m sure will happen in Indian banking sector, I’m sure HDFC sits on a good vantage point in that sense.
July 14, 2019
This is a very concise and interesting growth story of HDFC bank in the background of Indian Banking industry. Would have loved to get more context on how they built the brand and network. But nevertheless a good read to understand HDFC Bank and it's leadership through its inception till date.
August 11, 2019
Story of HDFC bank by a journalist. How Deepak Parekh got his team together and has in place today the largest banks in India. It’s a story of success by actively avoiding stupidity than by doing something terribly smart. Even today the story is still unfolding.
April 3, 2021
A book that gives a good view of how HDFC Bank was created. The book becomes a bit boring in the mid part - more stories would have helped.
Last part about Aditya Puri is full of some interesting stories. Nice finish to a decent historical perspective of times when HDFC Bank was created.
Last part about Aditya Puri is full of some interesting stories. Nice finish to a decent historical perspective of times when HDFC Bank was created.
May 17, 2021
The book gives a very good insight on how HDFC Bank was built, the people that built it together, and the core ethos followed by the bank and its management due to which it was able to become a successful bank
November 8, 2024
Excellent read. The book offers a ringside view of the most successful private sector Indian Bank. Their emphasis on a healthy bottom-line, ethics, secrecy and quality of employees was the cornerstone of their success.
Unputdownable
Unputdownable
July 26, 2017
If you are interested in HDFC bank's history, then its a must book for you. But the author is highly influenced with the charishma of Mr Aditya Puri.
October 25, 2017
Wonderful and unbiased narration! Must read for the people interested in banking!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews