J.P. Morgan has appointed HSBC veteran Rahul Badhwar as its new senior country officer for India, succeeding Kaustubh Kulkarni. Badhwar will start in July 2026, be based in Mumbai, and report to Asia Pacific CEO Sjoerd Leenart, while also joining the firm's Asia Pacific management committee.
FILLING A KEY LEADERSHIP VOID
Kulkarni, a 28-year J.P. Morgan veteran who was senior country officer for India and vice chair of Asia Pacific, was named by Citi in September 2025 as co-head of Asia-Pacific investment banking, joining in December 2025.
BADHWAR'S THREE-DECADE TRACK RECORD
Rahul Badhwar brings three decades of experience in sales and trading, and most recently served as global head of corporate sales, markets and securities services at HSBC in London. He has held roles in India, Dubai and Hong Kong.
According to the internal memo, Badhwar will focus on expanding the bank's full suite of offerings to clients, strengthening governance and controls, and supporting talent development and community initiatives.
J.P. MORGAN IN INDIA
J.P. Morgan, which is present in trade solutions, investment banking, and equity capital markets verticals, employs over 55,000 people in the country.