Shikha Sharma

Shikha Sharma (born 19 November 1958) is an Indian economist and banker, and from 2009 to 2018 was the managing director and CEO of Axis Bank, the third largest private sector bank in India. Sharma joined Axis Bank in 2009 and focused on strengthening its retail lending franchise, enlarging its investment banking and advisory capabilities and developing a comprehensive portfolio of products. Early life and education Daughter of an Indian Army officer, Shikha was born on 19 November 1958. As her father was an army man, the Sharma family travelled all over the country and Shikha attended seven schools in as many cities before finishing her schooling from Loreto Convent in Delhi. She went on to do BA (Honours) in Economics from the Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) in Delhi and MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. She also holds a post-graduate diploma in Software Technology from the National Centre for Software Technology in Mumbai. According to a Business Standard report, "Physics was her first choice for an undergraduate course but she settled for economics because the former was not offered by LSR. But she has no regrets as economics gave her enough opportunity to prove her formidable skills in maths — a subject very close to her heart."