AT THE HELM OF INDIAN FINANCE
Mr. Ashishkumar Chauhan, the current Managing Director and CEO of the National Stock Exchange and former head of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), commands significant respect in the financial world. As one of the Founders of India’s National Stock Exchange (NSE), he is hailed as the “Father of modern financial derivatives in India.” Mr. Chauhan is a forward-thinking leader whose knowledge extends beyond traditional markets. His ability to drive diverse sectors has reinforced his status as a true architect of modern Indian finance.
“MR. CHAUHAN HAS EARNED WIDESPREAD RECOGNITION INTERNATIONALLY FOR HIS REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION AND DELIVERY OF INNOVATIVE IT SOLUTIONS GLOBALLY, IN INDUSTRIES LIKE STOCK MARKETS, PETROCHEMICALS, AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS”
As the linchpin of NSE, Mr. Chauhan spearheads innovation and drives strategic growth, besides solidifying its position as a cornerstone of India’s financial landscape. Moreover, as the former Chief of BSE, he significantly revitalised the exchange’s prominence. His results-driven initiatives, including the launch of a successful derivatives market that captured an impressive 20% market share within a year, have fortified the BSE’s standing. Additionally, under his headship, trading volume at the exchange soared to a record Rs. 1.77 lakh crore in a single day, which is a significant milestone for the BSE to date.
A WELL-VERSED LEADER
Mr. Chauhan graduated from IIT Bombay in 1989 with a BTech in Mechanical Engineering.
He also obtained a PGDM from IIM Calcutta in 1991. While studying at IIT Bombay, he used to actively participate in various extracurricular activities to demonstrate his diverse talents.
The humble leader credits the institute for shaping his humility and positive thinking.
The distinguished technocrat embarked on his illustrious journey in 1991 as a Project Officer at the Industrial Development Bank of India. With a stellar track record, he co-founded the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in 1993 and later steered the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) as its Managing Director and CEO for a decade. The highly dynamic and foresighted leader has many firsts to his credit. Under his sterling stewardship, BSE became India’s first Exchange to launch an exclusive SME platform for listing SMEs. Today, the platform has over 496 SMEs listed, 185 of which have migrated to the main board of the Exchange. His expertise also drove innovations in areas like Offer for Sale (OFS), Mutual Funds Distribution through Exchanges, and e-IPO, which has further reinforced BSE’s leadership in the financial sector.
Mr Chauhan was also instrumental in setting up India’s first commercial satellite communications network. The path-breaking frameworks–Nifty index and NSE certifications in financial markets are his creations. Additionally, he spearheaded the establishment of India’s premier international exchange, the “India International Exchange (INX),” inaugurated by the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, in January 2017 at Gandhinagar’s Gift City. Presently, India INX stands out as the first exchange to offer a unified platform encompassing a diverse range of assets, including equities, commodities, currencies, and interest rate derivatives. Additionally, it holds the distinction of being the first exchange to introduce gold options.
A SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR
The visionary leader also served as the President and CIO of the Reliance Group from 2001-2009. In the year 2000, he was called by the organisation to lead the establishment of a Petroleum Exchange. Consequently, in 2001 he left NSE and this pivotal moment sparked his entrepreneurial journey when Reliance Infocomm financed him for his entrepreneurial venture exchangenext.com. Subsequently, he assumed the role of CIO at Reliance Infocomm in 2004 and later at the Reliance Group in 2005. During his tenure at the Reliance Group, he spearheaded pioneering initiatives, particularly in Information Technology, for various sectors within the conglomerate, including Reliance Communications, Reliance Retail, and Reliance Oil and Gas. Additionally, he played a crucial role as the CEO during the formative years of the Mumbai Indians cricket team. After resigning from Reliance Industries, Mr. Chauhan assumed the role of Deputy CEO at BSE in 2009. He later ascended to the position of CEO in 2012. The forward-looking leader is famous for turning around BSE and making it the world’s fastest exchange with a response time of less than six microseconds. Some of his achievements include Mobile Trading implementation, setting up state-of-the-art online real-time surveillance systems, and introduction of many innovative market products among others. Additionally, he also spearheaded the complete transformation of BSE by broadening its range to equity, currency, interest rate derivatives and commodities. He served at BSE till July 2022 after which he joined NSE as MD & CEO.
DONS MULTIPLE HATS WITH FINESSE
Mr. Chauhan is a champion of education. In addition to serving as Chancellor of the University of Allahabad, he is a member of the Governing Council of IIM Calcutta and the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Jabalpur. Additionally, he is a visiting faculty at Toronto’s Ryerson University and an Honorary Professor at Nottingham University Business School. He also serves as the Director at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics in Pune and contributes to the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME). In addition to this, he plays crucial roles as a Board member in renowned entities including Indian Clearing Corporations Limited (ICCL), Central Depository Services Limited (CDSL), Bank of India Shareholding Limited (BOISL), BFSI sector Skill Council, BSE Training Institute Limited, and Marketplace Technologies Private Limited.
LEADING WITH HEART
Mr Chauhan is a compassionate individual who strictly adheres to the values of empathy and authenticity. He serves on the Advisory Board of ‘Lend-A-Hand India’, an NGO dedicated to empowering rural youth through vocational training and financial aid. His commitment to service and genuine care for others are evident in his actions and interests. In his leisure, he finds joy in reading, playing cricket, and indulging in music.
ACHIEVEMENTS GALORE
Mr. Chauhan has earned widespread recognition, both domestically and internationally, for his remarkable contributions to business transformation and the delivery of innovative IT solutions across a spectrum of industries, including stock markets, petrochemicals, and telecommunications. His accolades include prestigious awards such as the Lifetime Achievement Award from Global Custodian in Singapore, the Visionary Awards 2021 in the Financial Sector by Governance Now in India, and the Chief Executive of the Year at the FOW International Awards 2021 in London, among others. Additionally, he received the Mumbai Ratna Award from the Honourable Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari in 2021, and was honoured as the Digital Icon of India Inc. by the Indian Express Group in 2019. In addition to this, he is also the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from both Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in 2016 and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 2014. He has also been recognised by the British Parliament, Zee Business, and Information Week for his leadership skills and achievements that have positively impacted many people’s lives around the globe.
