Shri K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO of ESAF Small Finance Bank, has been recognized as the winner in the Financial Inclusion category at the prestigious IBA 20th Annual Banking Technology Conference, Expo & Citations.

The award was presented by Shri T. Rabi Sankar, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, on January 24, 2025, in Mumbai, and was received on the behalf of Shri K Paul Thomas by Shri Gireesh C.P., EVP, along with Shri Lijith Jose, Vertical Head of Regional Marketing.

Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD & CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank, participated as a special invitee in the Christmas celebration organised by the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in Delhi. During the event, Shri. K. Paul Thomas presented the Honourable PM with a special Christmas hamper, curated by CEDAR Retail as a gesture of goodwill.

Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank, met Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister for Finance at Credit Outreach Programme, Attingal, Thiruvananthapuram on 25th November 2023. A cheque worth Rs. 120. 76 lakh from SIDBI was handed over to the Minister during the event by Shri. K. Paul Thomas.

Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank, was a panellist in FIBAC 2023, Winning in Uncertain Times, jointly organised by Boston Consulting Group, FICCI and Indian Bank’s Association on 22nd and 23rd November 2023 at Hotel Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai. The panel included several eminent personalities from the banking sector. Shri. K. Paul Thomas shared valuable insights on the topic ‘How Indian banking needs to upskill, reskill and retain employees’.

ESAF Small Finance Bank listed its shares on the BSE and NSE on 10th November 2023. The listing took place in a grand event held at the BSE. The event began with the lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries present and the ceremonial striking of the gong was jointly performed by Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank and Shri. P. R. Ravimohan, Chairman, ESAF Small Finance Bank. Later, Smt. Mereena Paul, Executive Director, ESAF Foundation and other senior dignitaries joined the gong-striking ritual. Shri. Girish Joshi, Chief, Listing and Trading Development, BSE, welcomed the gathering. Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank, was greeted with a resounding applause. “This milestone signifies a significant achievement, and as we look ahead, we remain dedicated to delivering long-term value not only to our shareholders but also to our valued customers,” he said during his address. He expressed his joy by adding that perhaps, ESAF SFB could be the first organisation to be listed in the BSE, after commencing its operations as a non-profit NGO. The event witnessed an august gathering including officials like Smt. Saleena George, Director, ESAF Holdings, Smt. Arpitha Pal Agrawal, MD and CEO, Dia Vikas Capital, Shri. Dharmesh Mehta, MD and CEO, DAM Capital, Shri. Rajiv Varma, MD and CEO, Coverage, Shri. Ashish Kumar Shrivastava, MD, PNB Metlife, Shri. Sampath Reddy, Chief Investment Officer, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, Shri. G. K. Subramaniam, Auditor, DHS, Director Board members, ESAF SFB, Chartered Accountants, and representatives from investor organisations, media partners, agencies and other senior officials from ESAF SFB and other entities of ESAF Group.

Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank, received the Best Local Management Award for the 2022-23 season in category 3 on behalf of Thrissur Management Association (TMA) at the AIMA 50th National Management Convention held in New Delhi on 27th September 2023. The award was handed over by Shri. S. Somnath, Chairman, ISRO.

ESAF Small Finance Bank entered into a corporate tie-up with Kotak Life for customer life insurance. The formalisation of the collaboration took place during a ceremony held at the Mumbai Head Office of Kotak Mahindra Bank on 4th August 2023. The tie-up is an extension of the 14-year-long association of ESAF with Kotak, as a Group Insurance Partner and aims to provide the Bank’s customers with a diverse range of tailor-made life insurance products. Shri. Uday Kotak, CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Shri. Mahesh Balasubramanian, MD, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company, Shri. K. Paul Thomas, MD and CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank and other officials from both organisations were present during the event.

ESAF Small Finance Bank underwent an ESG grading process by Care Edge Research. The Bank secured a commendable score of 71%, against the industry average of 59%. The Bank scored 62% for the environment pillar, 68% for the social pillar and 76% for the governance pillar. The Bank’s excellent performance in the grading process is a result of its green protocol, green branch practices, healthy labour management practices, employee engagement and gender-inclusive workforce (one in every three employees is a woman), CSR contribution of 5%, exceeding the government mandate, community transformation through innovative products and its board governance and disclosure. ESAF SFB was also judged the industry best in five categories namely green finance, health and safety, product safety and quality, communities and opportunities for product/inclusion.