Hrishikesh Kulkarni has been appointed as National Business Head – Home Loans at Saraswat Bank, bringing with him over 14 years of deep expertise in mortgage lending and retail asset businesses. His appointment comes at a time when the bank is accelerating its growth journey, having recently crossed the ₹1 lakh crore total business milestone, reinforcing its position as India’s largest urban cooperative bank.
In his new role, Hrishikesh will lead the national home loans strategy, focusing on scaling disbursements, expanding sourcing channels, and strengthening portfolio quality. He will also work closely with cross-functional teams to drive product innovation, improve credit quality, and build a high-performance, data-driven mortgage business across key markets in India.
Prior to this, Hrishikesh served as National Sales Manager – Home Loans at Bajaj Housing Finance Limited, where he successfully built and scaled the Prime Home Loans vertical into a ₹1,300 crore portfolio with zero NPAs. His ability to combine growth with strong credit discipline, along with leading large, distributed sales teams, has been a defining aspect of his leadership journey.
He has also held key roles at ICICIdirect and Citibank, where he played a pivotal role in setting up and expanding asset businesses from the ground up. Across these roles, he has consistently demonstrated strength in building multi-channel distribution ecosystems, structuring high-value transactions, and driving sustained portfolio growth.
With a proven track record in “zero-to-one” business creation and scaling, Hrishikesh’s appointment underscores Saraswat Bank’s focus on strengthening its housing finance portfolio. His leadership is expected to play a crucial role in driving market expansion, enhancing operational efficiency, and shaping the next phase of growth for the bank’s home loan business.