RBL Bank, a mid-sized lender, is a potential takeover target for some larger banks. Not surprising, considering that the bank has been turned around in the last four years by its Managing Director and CEO, Vishwavir Ahuja. "Many," says Ahuja, when asked whether any bank had approached RBL for a friendly merger. Indeed, several old private-sector banks have been acquired in recent years. Unlike RBL (formerly Ratnakar Bank), the survival of most of them was at stake because of poor operating performance. Ahuja is confident of the future prospects of his bank. "There is no question of any merger," he says. Clearly, the bank, under a new management since June 2010, which includes foreign bankers, is aiming big. ADVERTISING In the BT-KPMG study, RBL has emerged as a "Growth Winner" among mid-sized banks. It has a balance sheet size of Rs 18,198 crore and grew its deposits by 39 per cent and advances by 54 per cent in 2013/14. The
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