Axis Bank CFO Puneet Sharma Resigns to Pursue New Opportunities

Axis Bank has announced the resignation of its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Puneet Sharma, ending a significant chapter of the bank's leadership. Sharma tendered his resignation on 28 June 2026 and will officially step down on 31 August 2026. This was done so that he could pursue other career options and work in a professional capacity, the bank said.

Sharma joined Axis Bank as Group CFO in March 2020 and has since taken responsibility for finance, legal, secretarial, and investor relations as well as procurement. He took steps to tighten financial controls, corporate governance, and reporting discipline. He also played a role in treasury management and helped with acquisitions, rapid expansion, and volatile markets.

Sharma had a long career with leading institutions before Axis Bank. He spent over a decade at Tata Capital as Group CFO from 2014 until now, and previously had roles at Citibank in treasury operations, structured cash solutions, and risk monitoring. He started working at Boston Consulting Group and is also a Chartered Accountant and an Indian School of Business Hyderabad graduate.

Sharma was proud of building a resilient finance function at Axis Bank in his resignation letter. He talked about building shareholder trust, financial management and prudence, and steering the bank through acquisitions and scaling up. But he leaves the bank in a leadership void that needs to be filled in the next few months.

There was not much effect on investor sentiment, with Axis Bank shares closing at ₹1,357.70 on June 29, showing some caution around the leadership transition. At the same time, the board voted to appoint CH S S Mallikarjunarao as Independent Director for 2027 to 2031 and Munish Sharda as Whole-Time Director for 2027 to 2030 as they see a continuous process of governance in place.

Sharma’s departure is indicative of the changing nature of the banking industry in India. His contributions have prepared Axis Bank to grow through the years but also highlight the importance of succession planning in a competitive financial environment. The bank has not yet named a successor, but its ability to withstand this change will be monitored by all of its stakeholders.