THE outgoing regional head of the State Bank of India’s (SBI) UK operations, Sanjiv Chadha, has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London, in recognition of his outstanding contribution for promoting UK-India relations.
Chadha took up his position at the helm of the London office of the State Bank of India in 2014. The 98-year-old bank announced the launch of its UK subsidiary in April of last year.
Chadha was nominated for the Freedom of the City of London by the Lord Mayor of London Peter Estlin and Sheriff Vincent Keaveny.
Previous recipients of the honour included Jawaharlal Nehru, independent India's first prime minister in 1947.
Lord Mayor of London Peter Estlin said, “my colleagues and I are delighted to nominate Sanjiv Chadha for the Freedom of the City of London. He’s been an excellent voice leading the Indian banking community and overseeing significant investment into the City.
“The State Bank of India is one of the oldest and most respected foreign banks in the Square Mile. Chadha has been instrumental in expanding the bank’s presence across the UK, and in boosting wider bilateral ties in financial services.”
The Freedom of the City of London is believed to have begun in 1237 and enabled recipients to carry out their trade; and today, people are nominated for, or apply for, the Freedom, because it offers them a link with the historic City of London and one of its ancient traditions.
