Dr. N Srinivasa Rao is Chief Economist and President, Corporate Affairs, at Bajaj Finserv Ltd. In his role, Dr. Rao leads engagement with external stakeholders and oversees government relations for Bajaj Finserv and its group companies. Dr. Rao is also a senior advisor to the management of Bajaj Finserv and its companies, on aspects of regulation, policy and business sustainability.

In a career spanning 28 years as a bureaucrat and economist, being a member of the Indian Economic Service (IES), Dr. Rao has extensively served the Government of India, state government and regulatory bodies in senior roles, structuring and leading the implementation of financial market reforms, developing policies for financial inclusion, and the insurance, pension, agriculture and rural development sectors.

Dr. Rao is credited with leading the insurance sector, G20, ASEAN Affairs and BRICS-related matters during his stint as Director and Economic Advisor at the Department of Economic Affairs as well as the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.

During his tenure at the finance ministry, Dr. Rao is also recognized for successfully drafting the 2015 Insurance Laws Amendment Bill as well as subsequent rules and regulations on insurance sector reforms.

Dr. Rao has been the Government Nominee at Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and a member of the Governing Council of the Institute of Actuaries. As Financial Advisor & CAO at IRDAI, Dr. Rao was instrumental in formulating investment policy regulations for the insurance industry in India.

Dr. Rao has also served on the Boards of Indian Bank, Vijaya Bank, Oriental Insurance Company, Agriculture Insurance Company of India and Bharatiya Mahila Bank. He played a significant role in the initial mergers of public sector banks that came to redefine the country’s banking space, i.e. the merger of Bharatiya Mahila Bankwith State Bank of India and subsequently the successful merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda.

Dr. Rao is a Postgraduate in Economics and holds a doctorate in Economics from the University of Hyderabad.