Ajay Banga Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

6 min read

Bio/Wiki
Full name Ajaypal Singh Banga [1]The News Minute
Profession Business Executive
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.) in centimeters– 178 cm
in meters– 1.78 m
in feet & inches– 5’ 10”
Eye Colour Light Brown
Hair Colour Salt and Pepper
Career
Awards, Honours, Achievements • Foreign Policy Association Medal (2012)
• India’s fourth-highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, from the Indian government (2016)

• Global Indian of the Year title from the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence (2019)
• Distinguished Friends of Singapore Public Service Star from the Singapore government (2021)
• Leadership Award from Business Council for International Understanding

• Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the Ellis Island Honors Society (EIHS)
Personal Life
Date of Birth 10 November 1959 (Tuesday)
Age (as of 2022) 63 Years
Birthplace Khadki Cantonment, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Zodiac sign Scorpio
Signature
Nationality Indian-American

Note: He was born in India.

Hometown New York
School • St. Edward’s School, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
• Hyderabad Public School, Hyderabad
College/University • St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University
• Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA)
Educational Qualification(s) • BA (Hons) in Economics from St. Stephen’s College
• MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) [2]General AtlanticNote: He was the topper of his class at IIMA.
Religion Sikhism [3]The New York Times
Caste He belongs to the Saini caste, which falls under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category. [4]The Financial Express
Address 200 62nd Street, New York, NY 10021, the United States of America (USA)
Relationships & More
Marital Status Married
Affairs/Girlfriends Ritu Banga
Note: He met her while pursuing MBA from IIMA.
Family
Wife/Spouse Ritu Banga (co-founder of Zoomdojo)
Children Daughter(s)– 2
• Aditi Banga (Head of Creator Monetization & Innovation Partnerships at Instagram, Harvard University graduate)

• Jojo Banga (a Harvard University graduate)
Parents Father– Harbhajan Singh Banga (deceased; a retired lieutenant general of the Indian Army)

Mother– Jaswant Banga
Siblings Brother– Manvinder Singh Banga (aka Vindi) (business executive)

Sister– Deepa
Favourites
Basketball Team New York Mets
Singer Lady Gaga, Elvis Presley
Song Paparazzi by Lady Gaga
Style Quotient
Money Factor
Income (approx.) As the CEO of Mastercard, his per day income was Rs 5.2 million. [5]WION
Net Worth (approx.) While some sources claim that his net worth is around $143 million, some sources claimed that his net worth is approximately $1.2 billion. As per the reports of WION and CNBC, his net worth, as of 2021, is estimated to be $206 million (Rs 17 billion). [6]WION

Some Lesser Known Facts About Ajay Banga

  • Ajay Banga, an Indian-American business executive, has held significant roles in renowned multinational corporations such as Mastercard, PepsiCo, General Atlantic, and others. His prominence grew when Joe Biden, the President of the United States, endorsed Ajay as the American nominee for the position of President at the World Bank (WB).
  • After finishing his formal education in 1981, Ajay Banga commenced his professional journey at Nestlé India in New Delhi. Throughout his tenure, he experienced career growth and success, occupying various roles within the marketing and general management divisions.
  • Afterwards, Ajay Banga was relocated to the Nestlé branch in Kolkata, where he took on the role of branch manager.
  • After dedicating thirteen years to Nestlé, he made the decision to leave the company and embark on a new journey with PepsiCo. Taking on the role of director of marketing for PepsiCo Restaurants in India, he joined the organization during a significant period of economic liberalisation, as India was opening up its economy.
  • In 1996, he departed from his position at PepsiCo and assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Asia-Pacific region at Citigroup.
  • Afterwards, he took on significant roles within the senior leadership and executive committees of Citigroup.
  • Following that, Ajay Banga relocated to the United States of America (USA).
  • In August 2009, he took on the role of President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Mastercard Inc.
  • On July 1, 2010, Ajay Banga was promoted to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Mastercard Inc. Following his appointment, he implemented strategies that not only safeguarded the jobs of over 19,000 employees at Mastercard Inc. amid the COVID-19 pandemic but also facilitated 500 million non-bank users worldwide in accessing Mastercard’s services. A photograph was taken of Ajay Banga during his press conference.
  • He was a member of the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, established by Barack Obama in 2015.
  • He later became a member of the US government’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, collaborating closely with them.
  • In 2017, Ajay played a vital role in establishing The Cyber Readiness Institute, aiming to spread free cyber awareness information.
  • Ajay Banga was recognized as the 6th most influential Business Person of the year in Fortune magazine, all within the same year.
  • He was ranked 40th on the Harvard Business Review’s 2017 list of the top-performing CEOs globally.
  • Afterwards, Ajay assumed the role of chairman for the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), acting as the representative for over 300 multinational corporations. A photograph immortalized the moment when Ajay met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  • In 2021, the CEO position at Mastercard was vacated by Ajay Banga, who tendered his resignation.
  • In July 2021, he joined BeyondNetZero at General Atlantic.
  • Ajay Banga has consistently engaged in FinTech conferences.
  • Afterwards, he was appointed as the vice-chairman of the board of trustees for the New York Hall of Science.
  • Exor, a company based in Norway, later designated him as its chairman.
  • Ajay Banga joined General Atlantic, a US-based private equity company, as vice president in January 2022.
  • As the chairman of Partnership for Central America, a committee established by the US government, Ajay Banga has collaborated closely with Vice President Kamala Harris.
  • In addition, he has held positions as a board member in renowned organizations such as Craft Foods, Dow Ink, and the American Red Cross.
  • On 24 February 2023, Ajay made history as the first Indian-American to be chosen as a candidate by the United States for the presidency of the World Bank Group. Subsequently, India expressed their support for his candidacy. In an interview, President Joe Biden emphasized that Ajay’s qualifications make him the ideal candidate to lead the World Bank at this crucial moment in time. With over thirty years of experience in successfully establishing and overseeing global enterprises that create jobs and attract investments in developing countries, Ajay is well-suited for this role. Additionally, his ability to navigate organizations through transformative periods and effectively manage both individuals and systems has been proven. His collaborations with leaders from around the world have consistently produced meaningful results.
  • Playing golf is something that Ajay Banga greatly enjoys.
  • He enjoys listening to devotional songs during his free time.
  • Ajay Banga occasionally enjoys consuming liquor, as reported by The New York Times.
  • Accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ajay Banga participated in the 2023 G20 summit held in New Delhi. During the summit, he actively engaged in dialogues focused on India’s initiatives to improve regional connectivity, promote regional prosperity, and facilitate overall development. Additionally, he shared valuable insights on the obstacles encountered by the Global South.

You May Also Like

+ There are no comments

Add yours