Veteran banker and former chairman of HDFC Ltd Deepak Parekh has said that ICICI Bank had made an offer to take over mortgage lender HDFC Ltd but it was declined. HDFC Ltd, the parent entity of HDFC Bank, later merged with its banking subsidiary to create the country's biggest private sector lender.
Chanda Kochhar, who was arrested for a cash-for-loan scam on Friday, was once a powerful banker and instrumental in making ICICI Bank the country's biggest private sector lender. Kochhar, a regular feature on Forbes top global honchos lists, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) along with her husband Deepak Kochhar in connection with alleged cheating and irregularities in loans sanctioned by ICICI Bank to Videocon Group companies. Kochhars were called to the agency headquarters and arrested after a brief questioning session. Her chapter at ICICI Bank ended abruptly in 2018 when the board of directors approved a request from Kochhar to seek early retirement following allegation of corruption and quid pro-quo while extending loans to the now bankrupt Videocon Industries.
The central bank filed an affidavit in response to a petition filed by Kochhar last month, challenging her ouster as the chief executive and managing director of ICICI Bank months after she voluntarily left the private sector lender. The bank, while terminating her employment, also denied her remuneration and rescinded the bonuses and stock options given to her from April 2009 to March 2018. She was accused of playing a role in grant of out-of-turn loans of Rs 3,250 crore to Videocon Group, which allegedly benefited her husband, Deepak Kochhar.
Former ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar on Tuesday approached the Bombay high court, calling their arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a loan fraud case illegal. The high court, however, refused to grant an urgent hearing and directed the Kochhars to mention the matter before the regular bench once it resumes after vacation. A lawyer representing the Kocchars said that no prior sanction, as required under the law, was obtained by the CBI before their arrest.
Three new directors including private sector lender ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar and Citigroup South Asia head Mark Robinson have joined the board of Indian School of Business (ISB).
ICICI Bank on Tuesday said it cannot be termed foreign bank and is awaiting further clarification on the circular regarding new FDI norms.
The bench was hearing Kochhar's appeal against the March 5 order of the high court which had dismissed the plea against termination of her services as managing director and CEO of ICICI Bank while noting that the dispute arises from a contract of personal service.
The regulator in its notice alleged violations of the code of conduct because Chanda Kochhar reportedly had not disclosed the conflict of interest arising out of business dealings among ICICI Bank, Videocon and NuPower Renewables, led by her husband, Deepak Kochhar.
RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's decision to not seek a second term is a "personal one" which everybody should respect, Chanda Kochhar MD & CEO, ICICI Bank said.
The CBI on Monday arrested Videocon group founder Venugopal Dhoot in connection with the ICICI Bank loan fraud case, officials said. The 71-year-old Dhoot was arrested from Mumbai, nearly three days after former CEO and MD of the ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar were taken into custody by the CBI, they said.
The Kochhars were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last Friday. Dhoot was arrested on Monday. The three were produced before special judge S H Gwalani at the end of their earlier remand on Thursday.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the CBI over not objecting to repeated extension of the two-week interim bail granted in January this year to former ICICI Bank CEO-cum-MD Chanda Kochhar and her businessman husband Deepak Kochhar in a loan fraud case. A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi asked Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the CBI, as to why the probe agency did not resist repeated extension of interim bail granted to them by the Bombay high court on January 9. "This order is of January 9 and interim bail was granted for only two weeks. Why have you not resisted? Why are you permitting it to continue for such a long period?
Until June 2018, the ICICI Bank board had given a clean chit to Kochhar with full backing and had said there was no question of favouritism, nepotism or conflict of interest on her part in granting loans to Videocon Industries or any other company. However, the stance changed soon after the regulatory and probe agencies initiated enquiry in the matter.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) norms that classify ICICI Bank as foreign-owned were unlikely to impede the group's expansion plans, said ICICI Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Chanda Kochhar.
She said 30 basis points (0.30 per cent) rate cut has already happened.
As she begins her second term as MD & CEO, Chanda Kochhar wants the bank to grow more than the industry not by taking on more risk but by building a strong base of customers and shunning the pell-mell marketing of credit card and personal loans to newcomers.
Our focus around technology, cost efficiency, persistency and effective distribution channel will continue, says the ICICI Bank MD and CEO.
Justifying the transfer, the CBI pinned the blame on Mishra for keeping the preliminary enquiry pending without any reasons, they said.
The arrest of ICICI Bank's former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a loan fraud case was "without application of mind and due regard to the law", amounting to an "abuse of power", the Bombay high court has said. A division bench of Justices Anuja Prabhudessai and N R Borkar had on February 6 held the Kochhars' arrest as illegal and confirmed a January 2023 interim order passed by another bench granting them bail. In the order made available on Monday, the court said the CBI has been unable to demonstrate the existence of circumstances or supportive material based on which the decision to arrest was taken.
Chief executive officers (CEOs) are known not just for their outstanding capabilities, they are also famous as style icons.
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain former ICICI bank managing director and CEO Chanda Kochhar's plea seeking retirement benefits from the bank. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said, "Not a case for interference. We are not inclined to interfere with the high court order. "The special leave petition is dismissed." At the outset, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Kochhar said the high court had dismissed the petition without any discussion or finding.
The report concluded that she failed to discharge her fiduciary functions to rescue herself to avoid any conflict of interest.
Chanda Kochhar, the high-profile ex-banker had on November 30 moved the Bombay high court challenging "termination" of her employment by ICICI Bank which also denied her remuneration and clawed back all the bonuses and stock options between April 2009 and March 2018 for her alleged role in granting out of turn loans worth Rs 3,250 crore to the Videocon Group which benefitted her husband Deepak Kochhar. A division Bench of justices Ranjit More and SP Tavade allowed her to implead RBI and directed the apex bank to file its reply by December 16.
Three Indian women -- ICICI Bank deputy managing director Chanda Kochhar, HSBC India CEO Naina Lal Kidwai and Biocon head Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw -- have been named among the world's 50 most powerful businesswomen by the Fortune magazine.
Chanda Kochhar said the only comforting factor is that investors pouring in money into such startups are 'mature'.
Former ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar were released from jail on Tuesday morning, a day after the Bombay high court granted them interim bail in a loan fraud case, a police official said. Chanda Kochhar walked out of the Byculla women's prison in Mumbai, while her husband was released from the Arthur Road jail, the official said. The CBI arrested Kochhars on December 23, 2022 in connection with the Videocon-ICICI Bank loan case.
After receiving the award, Chanda Kochhar said, "As I see the list of past recipients of this honour, I feel inspired to be counted as one among them.
'If she contests it, then these people will have to fight it in court.'
ICICI Bank has quashed rumours of favouritism, nepotism and quid pro quo. The bank clarified that while Chanda Kochhar was on the credit committee, she was not the chairperson. Videocon Chairman Venugopal Dhoot said there was no impropriety in the deal.
A local court in Lucknow has directed the police to lodge an FIR against ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar and head of card operations Vinay Valse in connection with allegations of cheating and fraud over online shopping through credit card.
ICICI Bank on Saturday launched the Visa 'mini card', India's first miniature-sized payment card.
The largest private sector lender is also looking to open a full-fledged branch in China, where it already has a representative office, managing director and CEO, Chanda Kochhar said during the bank's 19th annual general meeting in Vadodara.
ICICI Bank edged past foreign banking majors Citibank and Standard Chartered Bank to emerge as the best retail bank in India, according to the latest issue of 'Asian Banker Journal'.
"At best, the two can be called as Indian-controlled banks," DIPP secretary R P Singh said when asked about the government's stand in the wake of the two seeking clarifications on the matter.
The cases under scanner include significant loan exposure of the bank to Videocon way back in 2012 and the alleged involvement of the Kochhar family in restructuring of that loan.
Hinting at easing of borrowing costs for retail and corporate customers, ICICI Bank's new chief Chanda Kochhar has expressed hope that interest rates could fall to single-digit level in the coming months.
The country's largest private bank, ICICI Bank, on Friday said it is focussing on the home loan segment as the real estate segment is witnessing a comeback after the economic slowdown.
MD Chanda Kochhar says the facility 'has the potential to increase security and convenience'