About

Pramod Rao’s in-house career began in 1996 at ICICI Bank. In under 10 years at the Indian multinational banking and financial services company, Rao was promoted to the position of general counsel, leading a team of over 400 employees, overseeing the legal function for all segments of the bank and advising on the board of directors of various ICICI group companies. After a brief return to private practice, which saw him set up the Mumbai office of law firm Induslaw, Rao joined Citibank, part of the Citigroup, in 2013. As general counsel for India his role covers both legal and the secretarial functions within Citibank for India, including the Institutional Clients Group which encompasses investment banking, corporate bank, markets and securities services, trade and transaction services, global consumer bank, and other Citibank legal entities. In addition, he oversees Citi Security and Investigative Services (CSIS) and chairs the Citi India Diversity Council, as well as being a member of other committees for internal management and oversight. Rao has utilised his team of 20 in the legal and secretarial functions to consolidate and assess all legal cases against the bank, formalising and applying strategies to reduce future claims. He says ‘the team’s interactions with the business and other functions are at a heightened level, allowing for speedy resolution of legal issues and other business matters’. Rao also believes that the involvement of legal team members in the work of other departments encourages professional learning and career development, ultimately leading to personal growth for each of the lawyers. Outside of Citibank, Rao is involved in philanthropic activities through “Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access”, a grass-root level movement aimed at encouraging and enabling underprivileged children to attend premier law schools in India.