New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is renowned globally for fostering a change in the world with its numerous talented alumni. One of the greatest achievers is Rakesh Makhija who is currently working for the Axis Bank. Under the leadership of Amitabh Chaudhary, Axis Bank experienced massive expansion and came to be known as one of India’s top banks. However, the market growth of the bank remained substantial during the tenure of Chairman Rakesh Makhija until October 2023. Some reports indicate that as of 17 November 2023, the bank achieved a market capitalization of Rs 3.16 lakh crore.

Who is Rakesh Makhija?

Rakesh Makhija earned his degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT Delhi. In the year 2019, he assumed the role of non-executive (part-time) chairman of Axis Bank. As per his LinkedIn profile, he currently serves as the Chairman of SKF India Limited. He also holds positions on the boards of Axis Bank, TML Drivelines Limited, Tata Marco Polo Motors Limited, Tata Technologies Limited, and A Trades Limited. 

A career of 40 years

Rakesh Makhija in his incredible four-decade long career, has held various positions in top global companies. He served as the President of Industrial Markets and was a member of the Group Executive Committee in Sweden until December 2014. He has held various roles within the management team of the SKF Group. 

SKF Group Management

Rakesh Makhija served as the Chairman of Shanghai-based company SKF Asia, overseeing operations in China and India. In the year 2010, he joined the SKF Group Management. From 2002 to 2009, he held the position of MD at SKF India. The company’s sales tripled with his business intellect and vision. He has earned numerous industry awards for market leadership. 

Tata Honeywell

Before joining the SKF Group, Rakesh Makhija worked at Tata Group. He held diverse management roles in aerospace companies, including Tata Honeywell and Honeywell International. In June 1997, he held the position of MD and CEO at Tata Honeywell. 

Technip

In April 2000, Rakesh Makhija took on the role of Country Manager and Managing Director at Honeywell International. He also worked at Technip, a Dutch process engineering and contracting firm for eight years. Technip is presently recognized as Kinetics Technology International BV (Technip).