Quotes from Arundhati Bhattacharya

Even for the people in the bank into which the other banks are merging, they also have a lot of apprehension. There is always an apprehension that opportunities will go down. There are apprehensions of displacement. Many of these apprehensions are unfounded.

At State Bank, all decisions are collective decisions. I have created the comfort zone.

Multiple mergers can be challenging because people come from different backgrounds.

Once you have set the goal, give your staff the space to get there. If you micromanage, you will be able to do very little.

The move towards a unified agricultural market helps farmers get correct remuneration for their produce.

Private sector has no issue in coming into infrastructure sector. They know very well that infrastructure is one area that can give you very steady long-term returns.

Disinvestments will continue to happen. If the issue is priced correctly, there's no reason why it should not sell.

Until you get your reputation made, you have to work twice as hard... there is always a doubt in your superior's mind as to whether you will put family before your job.

Theoretically, every probationary officer has a chance to become chairman.

Senior officials are always looking for good juniors, so when the opportunity comes, they give you the responsibilities.

I am happy to be running a public sector bank. In times of stress, most people will always have an account with us, so, to the extent that it gives stability and faith for the people and because banking is a business of trust, it is a major advantage we have.

In India, the investment banking industry is a little different. Overseas, the structures are very complicated, but not in India.

If you start from the farm sector, we need much better investments and capital creation on land. We need logistics support; we need cold chain and processing capability. We need proper pricing at various stages to ensure that the producers are not left out in the value-chain.

One of my main agenda right from the beginning has been cost rationalization, and we have done a lot of cost rationalization.

One thing I would tell women is that they must take up the challenge. Very often, we anticipate a lot of problems, and therefore, we don't take the lead. And I think that we are shortchanging ourselves if we don't do that.

The higher interest and higher inflation is a vicious cycle.

I am not going to opt for a short-term view for a 206-year-old institution like the SBI.

I believe in discussing very thoroughly what should be the goal. When discussing it, I allow others to give their views.

Because SBI is so large, serving customers in India's big cities and small rural villages alike, it has a pressing need for better tools and technology to monitor lending risks.

Cash imposes a huge burden. We don't understand it, as it is not immediately visible. It is a huge burden on society.