Anil Chaturvedi has spent more than forty years as an executive in investment, private, and commercial banking. After setting the foundation of his career at the State Bank of India, Chaturvedi moved on to a position as the Vice President and Senior Representative of US operations for Grindlays bank. Then he joined Merrill Lynch as the International Managing Director. Finally, he moved into a new role in 2011 as the Managing Director at Hinduja Bank.

Over the course of his career, Chaturvedi has witnessed several major economic crises and has continued to provide steady, disciplined banking services to international corporations, institutional investors, and ultra-high net worth individuals throughout the world.
In an interview with CEO World, Chaturvedi explained his love of creative thinking, a disciplined approach to life, a propensity for optimism, and the ability to work hard, and while these principles will help anyone, in any industry, to advance their career, it’s worth emphasizing them in the context of the economic crises – because for investors, in times of great crisis, there are always opportunities, but finding the right ones requires an adherence to tested principles.
After all, hugely successful companies, such as Amazon, Adobe, Intuit, and many more survived the devastating dot-com crash and climbed back. Clearly, these companies managed to navigate a significant crisis with a blend of creativity, discipline, optimism, and a willingness to work hard through tough times. Chaturvedi has watched closely, throughout the many crises he’s witnessed, and observed the differences between the winners and the losers of crises. When his principles, which will be outlined below, are adhered to, success follows.
Creativity in Times of Crisis
The economic crisis in India as a result of Covid-19 caused startup funding to fall by 50 percent from February to March. And this was not an isolated incident. In fact, startup funding decreased by 22% year-on-year for the first quarter of 2020. Looked at more broadly, compared to China, the United States, and other economic engines of innovation, India is already playing from behind in terms of resources.
Yet in some ways, it’s this very situation of resource constraints that can lead to the most transformative innovations. This is what Sreevas Sahasranamam, Lecturer in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Leadership at the University of Strathclyde calls jugaad — a frugal innovation mindset to find hacks to problems with limited resources.
Moreover, India, like every other country in the world, is being afforded a chance to restructure its economy for sustained growth that results in equitable outcomes for its populace. There’s no doubt the challenges and obstacles are complicated but loyalty to the principle of creativity will help usher in a new era of innovation and prosperity for economies throughout the world.
The Importance of Maintaining Discipline
Anil Chaturvedi also mentioned the importance of maintaining discipline, specifically in investments. Yet the idea of acting with discipline transcends investment in all aspects of life Along with the power of creative thinking, Indian policymakers and entrepreneurs must be disciplined in their approach to helping the Indian—and global—economy recover from the crisis caused by Covid-19.
Justifiably so, emotions run high at a time like this. Short-term fixes that minimize pain and suffering—economic or otherwise—can’t be prioritized over long-term solutions that make businesses, people, and government more structurally sound. And discipline is it all the more important in a time like this if we want to make measured, cautious decisions in order to set our world on track to recover as quickly as possible from the Covid-19 pandemic both in terms of the economy and the health of the population.
Optimism and a Willingness to Work Hard
The coronavirus has been and will continue to be devastating to the lives and livelihoods of just about every person on Earth. Yet, for the sake of moving forward, recovering our collective health, and charting sustainable progress in the years ahead, optimism is key. As sad and hopeless as things may seem in the present, it requires discipline to stay optimistic, as Chaturvedi says.
Otherwise, our will to work, our ability to think creatively, and our propensity to work together will be destroyed by an overwhelming sense of pessimism. In many ways, finding reasons to be hopeful is the individual’s and the collective’s greatest asset in moving past a crisis.
Regardless of how the world’s recovery from coronavirus plays out, it is still progressing. Major issues—not least of which is the virus’s spread—have yet to be resolved. Moreover, new, unforeseen issues will inevitably spring up. Even for government officials and investors who position themselves to take advantage of the recovery must be ready to work hard to bring their opportunities to bear.
Bring Chaturvedi’s Principles of Success to Bear in 2020
Throughout Chaturvedi’s career, he has been responsible for facilitating alliances between corporates with operations throughout the world. He has helped facilitate capital raising from international organizations and institutional investors. He has been involved in mergers and acquisitions, the sale and restructuring of distressed assets, and credit syndication. He’s led the operations of international banks and specialized in custom investment solutions for ultra-high net worth individuals.
Even in normal times, accomplishing these feats and maintaining success over four decades in a highly competitive and fast-changing industry would be worthy of admiration. But the myriad crises that Chaturvedi has endured, while maintaining a leadership role in the industry, serves as proof positive that the principles of success mentioned above can serve anyone well. The global economic and health crisis caused by coronavirus can be tackled effectively with adherence to these principles. But strict adherence is required. By definition, principles are not to be compromised even, or especially, during times of great crisis.