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Indomitable: A Working Woman's Notes on Work, Life and Leadership
Of Small Towns, Big Dreams and Greater Achievements Growing up in the sleepy towns of Bhilai and Bokaro, Arundhati Bhattacharya never imagined that one day she would go on to chair India’s largest bank. It was sheer chance that she came to know of the bank probationary officers' entrance examination through a friend. She applied, was selected and went on to have a glorious banking career spanning four decades. Indomitable is the story of Arundhati’s life as a banker and the challenges she faced in a male-dominated bastion. She takes the reader through her growing up years and early education in the 1960s, getting to Kolkata for her college education and then into the State Bank of India, where she started her career. The life of a woman banker with a family in a frequently transferrable job isn’t easy. In Arundhati’s life, too, there were breaking points when she almost thought of quitting her career to balance her personal aspirations with her family's needs. But she didn't give up. Instead, she faced her challenges with humour and positivity and took up every assignment as a new chapter in learning and adapting. In her role as the chairman of SBI, she steered the bank through some of its worst phases. She inspired confidence in the banking sector when the NPA crises led to a significant public trust deficit. Under her leadership, SBI metamorphosed into a customer-centric and digitally advanced bank while playing a pivotal role in national development. Some of her human resources initiatives included industry-first practices that were appreciated and later adopted by other banks. Candid, lucid and humble, Indomitable is the story that will galvanize you to embrace challenges, break barriers, push forward and achieve greater heights.
312 pages, Hardcover
Published January 12, 2022
43 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 18, 2022
Indomitable by Arundhati Bhattacharya, a book on working woman's notes on Life, Work and Leadership. She is former Chairperson of the State Bank of India. She is the first woman to be the Chairperson of State Bank of India.
The book is a testimonial for her commendable career spanning over four decades in the finance industry. I've always heard about SBI's stories of ups and downs as case studies. Seeing Arundhati Bhattacharya's devotion and role in this makes it even better.
Coming from a small town of Bhilai and Bokaro, and seeing where she has landed only and only because of her sheer determination and constant urge of growing, the story feels like it's been woven right in front of you.
Also to mention, she was the first woman to chair the State Bank of India (SBI). I would highly recommend everyone to read this story if you're interested in a business memoir.
The book is a testimonial for her commendable career spanning over four decades in the finance industry. I've always heard about SBI's stories of ups and downs as case studies. Seeing Arundhati Bhattacharya's devotion and role in this makes it even better.
Coming from a small town of Bhilai and Bokaro, and seeing where she has landed only and only because of her sheer determination and constant urge of growing, the story feels like it's been woven right in front of you.
Also to mention, she was the first woman to chair the State Bank of India (SBI). I would highly recommend everyone to read this story if you're interested in a business memoir.
May 13, 2024
Oh, to be a woman in a crimson saree among men in blue suits.
September 21, 2022
The book definitely inspires, especially to a female reader. The last part of the book is heavy with bank jargons and was difficult to relate. But the overall flavor of the book is very positive. The author's journey was beautifully and enthusiastically narrated. For a woman to climb the top of the ladder in a primarily male dominated circle is definitely a product of insane determination, bravery, and grit. Also loved watching an example of how with women occupying powerful positions, one can expect business also to have a hint of beauty, humanity and mindfulness.
June 22, 2022
I have always admired working women and recognise the innumerable struggles, judgements, and conflicts, both internal and external, faced by working women. I look up to such women for inspiration and seek guidance in their life journeys. When 'Indomitable' came up in the suggestions in Audible, I knew this was going to be my next dose of motivation. What I didn't expect however was it to be such a well written autobiography. The author takes us through her life till the day she retired as the Chairperson of SBI. She paints a colouful picture of her childhood in Bhilai and Bokaro. In this part of the book, I realised how her parents and the experiences they had, shaped her tenacious personality. Her college years and anecdotes of friendship were a fun read. Her graduation in English literature explained the lucid writing of the autobiography. The next part about her balancing her married life with her career and undeterred support from her husband struck a cord. The challenges of moving to the United States, away from family, with a one year old child, and in a time before chats and video calls, shows her grit and 'never leave an opportunity' attitude. These stories have assured me that life has a way of working things out as long as we have an attitude of moving upwards and onwards in life. The last few chapters focus heavily on her work in SBI and the reforms she initiated as the first woman Chairperson of SBI in the fields of technology backed banking, financial inclusion, employee satisfaction and productivity and the bank's financial health. The challenges surmounted during Demonetization are particularly quite interesting to read.
Arundhati Bhattacharya's autobiography is a must read, especially for women. Her challenges, dilemmas, hopes and regrets are similar to what many of us face in our day to day life. Her grit and tenacious nature is something that sets her apart and something I will emulate in my life.
Arundhati Bhattacharya's autobiography is a must read, especially for women. Her challenges, dilemmas, hopes and regrets are similar to what many of us face in our day to day life. Her grit and tenacious nature is something that sets her apart and something I will emulate in my life.
June 10, 2022
If one is not born in a pedigree, they need to work hard to reach the top. The first part of the book might seem boring but comparing the first part of the book (before she went to NYC) with the second part of the book tell us why first part is important.
The second half of the book is very engaging and answers most questions that I had from her memoir like merger of banks, demonetization, handling NPAs, raising capital, and the problems she faced as being the first woman at the leadership.
The second half of the book is very engaging and answers most questions that I had from her memoir like merger of banks, demonetization, handling NPAs, raising capital, and the problems she faced as being the first woman at the leadership.
June 17, 2023
Exceptional case of a woman bringing change in an Indian patriarchy. A realistic struggle with a tinge of luck and good bosses do transform a career in the way Arundhati took it ahead. The sense of belonging towards people's problems, the urge to seek solutions towards them and the bouquets received are the eternal whirlpool of a flourishing success.
May 8, 2022
Not for serious readers and nothing new....
It's a 80s third rate peace of autobiography with details of what she had for breakfast, lunch and dinner during her school days, being boss and even her vacation. Not a serious approch as biography and all are old same stories.
Since there is a scarcity of papers during this time (hearing that Srilankan government has postponed school exam due to paper shortage), I request readers not to buy hard copy of this book for saving money, time and becoming social responsible
It's a 80s third rate peace of autobiography with details of what she had for breakfast, lunch and dinner during her school days, being boss and even her vacation. Not a serious approch as biography and all are old same stories.
Since there is a scarcity of papers during this time (hearing that Srilankan government has postponed school exam due to paper shortage), I request readers not to buy hard copy of this book for saving money, time and becoming social responsible
April 14, 2024
Arundhati Bhattacharya is a retired Indian banker and former Chairperson of the State Bank of India. She is the first woman to be the Chairperson of the State Bank of India. Along with having many accolades and awards to her name, she currently serves as the Chairperson & CEO of Salesforce India. Indomitable is the story of Arundhati's life as a banker and the challenges she faced in a male-dominated bastion. Small pinches of humor that she tries to add throughout her storytelling make it more engaging. For instance - She preferred having a messenger at work with God's name such as Shankar, Mahadev, etc. because it would help her remember God during her busy day as her mom kept complaining of her not having the time to do so. :)
Some of my key takeaways from the book :
Loved reading about the early days of SBI when there was no digitization and things were done manually, even counting the notes, and passing of entries!
Arundhati quotes - "It is always easy to externalize blame. It is comforting to blame someone else for your failures. But then you lose the opportunity to learn from it."
One of the most interesting instances in the book is when she mentions one night when she thought she had left the bank's safe open. She wakes up her husband (Pritimoy Bhattacharya) in the middle of the night insisting that they should go check the bank's locker if everything is okay. Her husband denied doing so saying - " If there is a mishap, you'll not be able to rectify it. If we go now, in fact, it will draw suspicion. Even if something were to happen, what is the worst that could happen? Even if you lose your money, power, and prestige and you end up living with limited means - do you think you'll not be happy? Do you think people living in slums don't enjoy themselves? Are they not happy? " - All he wanted to convey was - don't worry too much. If at all you're in a doom's day situation, imagine the worst and accept it. Once you do that, you'll be at ease".
Important to be handy at work and not shy away from work - Arundhati jumps on to do electricity repairs at her branch. In one of the instances when the employees revolted not to work because the helper of the branch who used to open windows in the morning was on leave, AB who was the branch manager, jumped on to open up the windows saying the branch manual suggested if the work wasn't assigned to anyone, the branch manager could pick it up.
Throughout her story, she mentions the difficult decisions she had to make as a mother of a child with special needs and as a professional who had frequent transfers during her job. The challenges of moving to the United States, away from family, with a one-year-old child, and in a time before chats and video calls, shows her grit and 'never leave an opportunity' attitude. These stories have assured me that life has a way of working things out as long as we have an attitude of moving upward and onward in life. There were times when she had thought of quitting to balance her aspirations with her family's needs. But she didn't give up.
Family support and unwavering support from your partner are extremely important for someone to maintain a work-life balance and excel in one's career.
Never say something of which one has no knowledge. We sometimes have the tendency to say things based on secondhand knowledge, something overheard from a colleague or a friend. This should be avoided at all costs.
As Arundhati mentions, one of her best-kept secrets was - "Get the right people in the right place and then empower them. Then, Back them up when they took courageous calls with the right intent."
We need to customize appreciation and punishment. One size fits all, does not work. Along with monetary benefits, it is important to show appreciation for your colleagues' work.
When she became the Chairperson, she made it a point to respect the other three MDs who were senior to her in terms of experience and always made it a point to consider their views in any critical decision-making matter, highlighting her humility and mutual respect for colleagues.
Employee welfare remained her main area of focus while she was the chairperson because she felt banking was a service organization and the employees were the face of the banks. Introduced preference of postings for employees. Greinvane redressal mechanism where only complaints could close the case.
Played a pivotal role during NPA crisis in the banking sector in India and also focused on making SBI a customer-centric and digitally advanced bank.
Some of my key takeaways from the book :
Loved reading about the early days of SBI when there was no digitization and things were done manually, even counting the notes, and passing of entries!
Arundhati quotes - "It is always easy to externalize blame. It is comforting to blame someone else for your failures. But then you lose the opportunity to learn from it."
One of the most interesting instances in the book is when she mentions one night when she thought she had left the bank's safe open. She wakes up her husband (Pritimoy Bhattacharya) in the middle of the night insisting that they should go check the bank's locker if everything is okay. Her husband denied doing so saying - " If there is a mishap, you'll not be able to rectify it. If we go now, in fact, it will draw suspicion. Even if something were to happen, what is the worst that could happen? Even if you lose your money, power, and prestige and you end up living with limited means - do you think you'll not be happy? Do you think people living in slums don't enjoy themselves? Are they not happy? " - All he wanted to convey was - don't worry too much. If at all you're in a doom's day situation, imagine the worst and accept it. Once you do that, you'll be at ease".
Important to be handy at work and not shy away from work - Arundhati jumps on to do electricity repairs at her branch. In one of the instances when the employees revolted not to work because the helper of the branch who used to open windows in the morning was on leave, AB who was the branch manager, jumped on to open up the windows saying the branch manual suggested if the work wasn't assigned to anyone, the branch manager could pick it up.
Throughout her story, she mentions the difficult decisions she had to make as a mother of a child with special needs and as a professional who had frequent transfers during her job. The challenges of moving to the United States, away from family, with a one-year-old child, and in a time before chats and video calls, shows her grit and 'never leave an opportunity' attitude. These stories have assured me that life has a way of working things out as long as we have an attitude of moving upward and onward in life. There were times when she had thought of quitting to balance her aspirations with her family's needs. But she didn't give up.
Family support and unwavering support from your partner are extremely important for someone to maintain a work-life balance and excel in one's career.
Never say something of which one has no knowledge. We sometimes have the tendency to say things based on secondhand knowledge, something overheard from a colleague or a friend. This should be avoided at all costs.
As Arundhati mentions, one of her best-kept secrets was - "Get the right people in the right place and then empower them. Then, Back them up when they took courageous calls with the right intent."
We need to customize appreciation and punishment. One size fits all, does not work. Along with monetary benefits, it is important to show appreciation for your colleagues' work.
When she became the Chairperson, she made it a point to respect the other three MDs who were senior to her in terms of experience and always made it a point to consider their views in any critical decision-making matter, highlighting her humility and mutual respect for colleagues.
Employee welfare remained her main area of focus while she was the chairperson because she felt banking was a service organization and the employees were the face of the banks. Introduced preference of postings for employees. Greinvane redressal mechanism where only complaints could close the case.
Played a pivotal role during NPA crisis in the banking sector in India and also focused on making SBI a customer-centric and digitally advanced bank.
December 29, 2023
An inspiring read in a simple and easy to read format. This was my first book that I completed till the end after a very long time and the author has made it interesting as well as detail oriented. It may NOT be the most audacious inspirational story... but it certainly is something that every middle class person faces in their working career.. the many struggles of finding balance between work and family, the politics and minor favoritisms at work place etc. The story is mainly about finding that middle ground, remaining motivated to simply take up any challenge thrown at us and always upskilling.
Certainly a must read for those who aspire to achieve in corporate (specifically banking, but applies to other industries as well). And although its about women who end up managing more "balancing work and family", in today's times, this book is equally for today's men as well who shoulder much more family responsibilities than their fathers and grandfathers!
Certainly a must read for those who aspire to achieve in corporate (specifically banking, but applies to other industries as well). And although its about women who end up managing more "balancing work and family", in today's times, this book is equally for today's men as well who shoulder much more family responsibilities than their fathers and grandfathers!
March 2, 2024
A must read for every woman especially who s aspiring for a good career. She talks about the technicalities of banking and also Her experiences of facing the gender stereotypes, juggling work & home, and everyday nuances of cooking, childs home work and the struggle for a good maid.
Her experiences reflect how the work environment is designed for men with stay at home wives and how she has navigated through that and at the same time done her best to make it easy for women who are following behind her.
This 200 Yr old institution needed a woman chairman(yes, it seems officially sbi could not change the designation title to chairperson) to bring changes for better work life balance such as 2 Saturday 's off, sabattical for mother's and single father's, considering employees preferences in transfers etc.,
And That is the reason why we need more. Women in leadership Position.
Her experiences reflect how the work environment is designed for men with stay at home wives and how she has navigated through that and at the same time done her best to make it easy for women who are following behind her.
This 200 Yr old institution needed a woman chairman(yes, it seems officially sbi could not change the designation title to chairperson) to bring changes for better work life balance such as 2 Saturday 's off, sabattical for mother's and single father's, considering employees preferences in transfers etc.,
And That is the reason why we need more. Women in leadership Position.
February 16, 2025
It was quite an uplifting and stirring read!! Coming from an average background with absolutely no association with banking, how well She had risen to the pinnacle of her career making way in the patriarchal world, metamorphosed the entire banking system and the outcomes of those decisions are still benefiting us today in our Bank. Featuring in the flame-red saree among the blue, grey and black suits paved the way for the flourishing and thriving careers of women who were never imagined to be doing equally well on the highest rung of the hierarchy. It’s an indispensable read for all the Bankers out there as they could not only easily relate to all the Banking jargons but the ordeals being faced sporadically. Absolutely loved this one!!
January 30, 2022
Wonderfully written book with some humor quotient added in. Since I have worked for SBI for couple of years, I could relate to things more than an average reader. I expected her to narrate some practical incidents which she did but didn't mention any names of corporates or owners. The books is completely silent on the political interference in banking and she does not offer any views on the same. She does mention the amount of work put in by her and the team in improving different things despite its public ownership. A good read overall.
April 16, 2022
Plain Vanilla. A typical PSU employee’s journey to the top. As with other bosses of institutions under the Modi regime, the author ticks the box which is most important: “poetic in praise of the regime and ignoring all the uncomfortable parts”
for example read the part where the author talks about PM jan dhan yojana(effusive praise) and absolutely no comment on demonetisation(mere details of the pain caused).
In other things, women employees can find enough motivation in the book that they can and should aspire for top jobs.
for example read the part where the author talks about PM jan dhan yojana(effusive praise) and absolutely no comment on demonetisation(mere details of the pain caused).
In other things, women employees can find enough motivation in the book that they can and should aspire for top jobs.
July 15, 2022
It was an honest attempt to tell her story while acknowledging her privileges(that came with her job ), insecurities, and most importantly, the difficult choices she had to make as a mother. It's an honest account of all the challenges she has to face in life as she also talks about the regrets and sacrifices she has to make in her personal life . She writes in a matter-of-fact manner about the designations and decisions that she made in her career with SBI. She spends more pages on her SBI days but even those read like b-school case studies.
January 31, 2023
Its always difficult to write an autobiography. You make it too structured and it becomes fiction and if left unstructured it’s tedious for the reader. In this aspect the book is very lucidly written. The book says its a note on life work and leadership but in a reverse order. The author has given a very bird’s eye view of her personal life. However her challenges and time at SBI is well presented. Bit of a technical jargon towards the end which is little overwhelming. Overall a heart touching read. You will end up respecting SBI a lot more and may just hop off to open an account there 😀
December 25, 2025
The way Arundhati has included her personal observations and voice especially during early chapters of her life is what made this book special for me.
Towards the end of the book, It was a lot about SBI, but it was still nice to read so much as I wanted to read it slowly until I found another book that I wanted to read. it was because while she talked with a lot of corporate jargon, she didn't miss out on adding her personal touch.
Towards the end of the book, It was a lot about SBI, but it was still nice to read so much as I wanted to read it slowly until I found another book that I wanted to read. it was because while she talked with a lot of corporate jargon, she didn't miss out on adding her personal touch.
January 8, 2023
Nice read...being a professional myself it's a great motivation for women in India...u can consider it when you feel depressed in your professional life. Many management skills you can learn from this book mainly being a working women you can get the idea of how to manage the work life balance.moreover the importance of family in your career and life including husband.
September 27, 2022
Amazing and inspiring! Easy to read covering various aspects of Arundhati Bhattacharya personal and professional life. Hats off to her for going through all the challenges which life threw at her and the way she has responded to those and emerged as one of the most powerful woman.
February 26, 2024
EXECUTION OF PURPOSES
This book highlights how purposes can b executed in an orderly in an orderly nd meticulous manner. It serves as memoir nd at the same time is highly motivational.
This book highlights how purposes can b executed in an orderly in an orderly nd meticulous manner. It serves as memoir nd at the same time is highly motivational.
April 27, 2022
Till now whatever portion I read.. took me to those older days that were carefree and irreplaceable.
September 9, 2022
Easy to read and gives a good insight into how banks work and how challenging things can get there as well.
January 20, 2023
This book is all I need to start my new year.
May 9, 2023
As a working woman, this book provided me with deep insight into work, life, and how to balance them in achieving my goal.
July 10, 2024
It was truly inspiring. I lived the book. The journey of ma'am is so motivating I can't explain it now. Definitely one of the best books I've read till now.
January 9, 2025
Very well written. Simple and easy narration.
July 4, 2025
This book is a powerful first-hand account of the life and career of Arundhati Bhattacharya, the first woman Chairperson of India’s largest bank — the State Bank of India. More than just a biography, it’s an inspiring collection of real-life experiences, leadership lessons, and hard-earned wisdom.
Through her personal and professional journey, the author reflects on the numerous challenges she faced — not just as a banker, but as a woman in leadership. Her honesty and resilience shine through every chapter, making it a compelling read for anyone who values stories of grit, determination, and purpose.
Final thoughts:
A must-read for those who enjoy biographies, and especially for women navigating corporate or leadership roles. Arundhati Bhattacharya’s journey is a beacon of strength — one that encourages readers to keep pushing forward, no matter how tough the road may be.
Through her personal and professional journey, the author reflects on the numerous challenges she faced — not just as a banker, but as a woman in leadership. Her honesty and resilience shine through every chapter, making it a compelling read for anyone who values stories of grit, determination, and purpose.
Final thoughts:
A must-read for those who enjoy biographies, and especially for women navigating corporate or leadership roles. Arundhati Bhattacharya’s journey is a beacon of strength — one that encourages readers to keep pushing forward, no matter how tough the road may be.
April 19, 2022
Great book to understand functionality on chairman and its struggle with government for approvals
Working on digitisation of biggest government bank of india
Working on demonetisation load and it’s effect on banking system
Some of the best decision taken by her include Saturday holidays in government banks and improving assets quality of banks and challenges of improving npa
Working on digitisation of biggest government bank of india
Working on demonetisation load and it’s effect on banking system
Some of the best decision taken by her include Saturday holidays in government banks and improving assets quality of banks and challenges of improving npa
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews