CE DESK 
Kalyan Kumar appointed as MD & CEO of Central Bank of India, bringing extensive banking experience to lead the bank’s growth and innovation.
On September 30, 2025, Kalyan Kumar assumed the role of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Central Bank of India for the three-year term. He took over the position from the retiring M.V. Rao, who completed his tenure in July 2025. Kumar was previously the Executive Director at Punjab National Bank (PNB).
With nearly three decades of banking behind him, Kumar started in the Union Bank of India in 1995 as a rural development officer and has moved through the ranks to acquire hands-on experience in digital banking, strategic planning, data analytics and economic advisory. He was instrumental to the Union Bank of India as a result of the merger with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank.
Kumar earned his postgraduate degree from Rajendra Prasad Agriculture University and has over the years garnered distinctions as a certified associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers. He has also amassed an impressive array of credentials in trade finance, SME finance, IT security, KYC, and AML.
His leadership should facilitate modernisation, innovation, and consolidation of progress at the Central Bank of India while also improving the standing of the relative position of Central Bank of India amongst its peers in the public sector banking industry. Such appointments strengthen the perception of the government and public institutions’ donned confidence on industry leadership and experience in advancing the public sector alongside the nation’s growth. With Kumar’s experience and insight, the bank can confidently navigate the intricacies of the changing financial environment.
