Babumohan Panicker has been appointed as Product Head – Affordable Mortgages at IDFC First Bank, marking a significant move in his accomplished career across credit risk, housing finance, and retail lending. With deep expertise in balancing growth with risk governance, he brings a strong track record of building scalable mortgage portfolios while maintaining asset quality and operational excellence.
Prior to this, he served as Vice President – Risk and Policy at SMFG Grihashakti, where he led the risk policy framework for the housing finance portfolio, scaling the book
significantly while ensuring robust governance and underwriting standards. He drove multiple system enhancements and digital initiatives to improve credit processes, decision-making, and efficiency. Earlier, at Axis Bank, he worked as Assistant Vice President – Risk and Policy, contributing to the development of credit policies, portfolio risk assessment, and aligning business growth with regulatory frameworks.
He also held the role of State Head – Credit at Mahindra Home Finance, where he led end-to-end credit operations, managing large teams and ensuring strong underwriting quality and turnaround times. Prior to that, he was associated with Tata Capital Housing Finance Limited as Territory Credit Manager, where he played a key role in credit underwriting, risk assessment, and was part of a core service management team overseeing performance and delivery across products.
Earlier in his career, Babumohan worked with HDFC also, focusing on process management and operational efficiency across retail lending products, and with HSBC, where he managed mortgage operations across the Western Zone, ensuring strong service delivery and compliance. His career reflects consistent expertise in housing policy, credit risk, and affordable housing finance.
In his new role at IDFC First Bank, he is expected to drive growth in the affordable mortgage segment, strengthen product strategy, and enhance risk-aligned expansion in a highly competitive lending landscape.