Who Is Bhavnish Lathia? Kotak Mahindra Bank CTO Resigns Less Than a Year After Appointment

Kotak Mahindra Bank has informed stock exchanges that its Chief Technology Officer, Bhavnish Lathia, has stepped down from his role, less than a year after taking charge. The bank stated in a regulatory filing that the board accepted Lathia’s resignation on February 9, 2026, which also marked his last working day. He cited personal reasons for his decision, including plans to relocate to the United States.

Bhavnish Lathia was appointed CTO in March 2025 and was part of the bank’s senior management team. His exit marks another leadership change in Kotak Mahindra Bank’s technology division within a relatively short period. He had taken over the role from Milind Nagnur, who resigned in January 2025 after a little over two years in the position, highlighting an ongoing transition phase in the bank’s technology leadership.

Following the announcement, Kotak Mahindra Bank’s shares edged higher in early trade, reflecting a largely neutral-to-positive market response. The stock was trading slightly above its previous close, with investors appearing reassured by the bank’s swift move to announce a successor. In the same filing, the bank confirmed the appointment of Nilesh Chaudhari as the new Chief Technology Officer, signalling continuity in its digital and technology strategy.

Lathia’s departure comes at a time when Indian banks are sharply increasing investments in technology, digital infrastructure, and customer-facing platforms. Leadership stability in senior technology roles has therefore become an important factor for investors and industry watchers, particularly as competition intensifies in digital banking and fintech integration.

Who is Bhavnish Lathia?

Bhavnish Lathia, widely known as Nish among colleagues, has been associated with Kotak Mahindra Bank since 2022. He brought with him more than 25 years of global experience across technology, product development, and customer-centric roles spanning multiple industries.

He joined Kotak Mahindra Bank as Chief of Customer Experience and Head of Technology for the Consumer Bank. In this role, he oversaw customer experience across digital and physical channels and was responsible for service quality and technology platforms supporting the consumer banking business. After nearly three years in this position, he was elevated to the role of CTO in March 2025.

Prior to joining Kotak, Lathia spent close to 18 years at Amazon, where he worked across product management, engineering, analytics, ecommerce, and marketing. His work at Amazon was largely focused on improving customer experience and building scalable, customer-first technology systems across platforms and geographies.

After leaving Amazon, Lathia served as Chief Product Officer at Valo Health, where he led engineering, machine learning, and product management initiatives. His diverse background positioned him as a key figure in Kotak’s technology transformation efforts.

Just days before his resignation, a report by Bloomberg indicated that Kotak Mahindra Bank was planning to hire around 500 engineers from large technology firms, an initiative in which Lathia was said to have played an important role.

With his exit now confirmed, attention will shift to how the bank ensures continuity under new leadership as it accelerates its focus on digital systems, cybersecurity, and customer-centric innovation in an increasingly competitive banking landscape.