Mumbai: Kotak Mahindra Bank is sharpening its focus on building relationships with the next generation of Indian businesses, said Jay Kotak, co-head at Kotak 811, the digital banking platform of the private sector lender.
Kotak is spending time with the bank’s wholesale division, responsible for large corporate loans and financial services, to align with the ongoing intergenerational transfer in corporate India.
“It is important for us… to build partnerships with the next generation of Indian businesses,” he said at a fireside chat at Mint’s India Investment Summit & Awards on Friday, adding that his involvement includes engaging with upcoming business leaders.
To an extent, personal connect will play a role in understanding their vision and build long-term relationships.
When asked if he brings his own relationships to the table, Kotak said, “In some cases, yes…A personal connect definitely helps…and a personal connect for somebody in a similar age group helps even more.”
However, he said that institutional strength remains key, and it all depends on the merit of the relationship between the two institutions.
Jay Kotak, the son of billionaire banker and Kotak Mahindra promoter Uday Kotak, serves as senior vice-president of conglomerate relationships at the bank. He works closely with wholesale, private and institutional business at Kotak to improve the bank’s reach among large business groups.
As of 31 December 2025, Kotak Mahindra Bank’s wholesale loan book stood at ₹1.52 trillion, up 17% from a year earlier. Overall, the bank’s customer assets stood at ₹5.29 trillion, up 15%.
Credit growth in the Indian banking system continues to outpace deposit growth. Speaking on challenges in deposit mobilisation, Kotak pointed out that the bank benefits from building a granular, transaction-driven deposit base through its digital franchise.
“If you are a primary transaction account for a large slice of mass and mass India, the deposits will come,” he said. He cautioned against over-reliance on affluent customers, saying that large savers are increasingly shifting towards higher-yielding investments.
As of December end, Kotak Bank’s deposits stood at ₹5.42 trillion, 15% higher from a year earlier.
On technology, Kotak struck an optimistic but measured note on artificial intelligence (AI).
“AI is going to transform banking,” he said, adding that the new-age technology will accelerate the lifecycle of digital products from concept, design, and coding to production.
He said that the ability to generate large volumes of code cheaply could significantly improve customer experience and speed of innovation. At the same time, he cautioned that banks must ensure that cost-saving technologies do not backfire.
He added that the bank must ensure any replacements do not significantly increase costs.
