Meet Rahul Shukla. Axis Bank appoints former HDFC Bank veteran to lead Commercial, Bharat Banking

Axis Bank has appointed Rahul Shukla, a former HDFC Bank executive, as Group Head of Commercial and Bharat Banking, effective October 19, 2026.In a disclosure to the BSE and NSE on October 17, the private sector lender said its board had approved the appointment following recommendations from the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.“Rahul Shukla will head Commercial and Bharat Banking, with responsibility to accelerate growth, deepen customer relationships and strengthen the Bank’s presence across these businesses,” Axis Bank said in the exchange filing.

Rahul Shukla’s banking experienceShukla, 57, has more than three decades of experience across wholesale, corporate, investment, commercial and rural banking in India and Asia.At HDFC Bank, he led the Commercial and Rural Banking group and previously headed Wholesale Banking. Before joining the private sector lender, Shukla held senior leadership positions at Citi, including Head of the South Asia Corporate Bank and roles in Asia-Pacific technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) investment banking.

According to Axis Bank, Shukla brings expertise in managing large banking franchises, business strategy and franchise building. He has also worked on scaling businesses, improving returns and building market-leading positions.Academic backgroundShukla holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore) and a Bachelor of Technology degree with honours in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Varanasi.