Kotak Mahindra Bank appoints agri economist Ashok Gulati as additional director

Private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank on Friday appointed agricultural economist Ashok Gulati as additional independent director on its board.

The term of Gulati, a keen backer of the recent farm laws who has also been appointed by the Supreme Court to a four-member panel, is for five years starting from Saturday, an official statement from the bank said.

"His insights on the national and international agriculture sector and his experience as a Researcher and writer on the rural economy will immensely add value to our Bank," its non-executive chairman Prakash Apte said.

Gulati is an MA and PhD from Delhi School of Economics and is currently the Infosys Chair Professor for Agriculture at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), the statement said.

Previously, he has served as the Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Government of India (2011-2014), and member of the RBI's Central Board of Directors and at the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), it added.