Meet man, CFO of India’s largest company with market cap of Rs 19.8 trillion, very close to Mukesh Ambani, he is....

CFO of India's biggest company: Srikanth Venkatachari who is a veteran banker is currently working on one of the most critical roles in India’s financial landscape. He is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), which is the largest company in India by market capitalization, valued at Rs 19.80 trillion. Venkatachari stepped into this pivotal role on June 1, 2023, succeeding Alok Agarwal, who was promoted to the position of senior advisor to Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries.

Before becoming RIL’s CFO, Venkatachari had been with Reliance for around 14 years. His journey began after nearly two decades at Citibank, where he gained extensive banking experience. At Reliance, Venkatachari had served as the joint CFO since 2011, working alongside Agarwal, who had been with the company as CFO since 2005.

Known for his calm demeanor and exceptional skills, Venkatachari played a significant role in Reliance’s largest-ever foreign currency bond issuance in 2022, which involved raising $4 billion. His contributions were crucial in the company's ambitious goal of becoming a zero-debt entity. Managing the financial aspects of Reliance, which operates around 500 business units, is a massive responsibility for Venkatachari, given the company’s expansive scale.

Outside of his professional responsibilities, Venkatachari enjoys playing chess and traveling across India to explore different regions. He comes from a family of chartered accountants, which underscores his deep-rooted expertise in finance. In 2021, he made headlines by purchasing two luxurious sea-facing apartments in the '25 South' residential tower located in Prabhadevi, Central Mumbai. These apartments, situated on the 41st floor and spanning over 6,685 square feet, reportedly cost more than ₹40 crore.

According to RIL’s Annual Financial Report, Venkatachari, as a Key Managerial Personnel, earned ₹17 crore in the fiscal year 2022-23, an increase from the ₹15 crore he received in the previous fiscal year. His new role as CFO places him at the forefront of managing the financial intricacies of one of the most significant conglomerates in India.

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