Rajesh Relan

Rajesh Relan brings 37 years of experience in financial services, with the last 27 spent at the senior leadership level of India's insurance sector. His career spans life, health, and general insurance across India and Asia Pacific, with a consistent record of launching new businesses, leading turnarounds, and scaling operations within highly regulated environments.

Rajesh served as Managing Director and CEO of PNB MetLife India Insurance Company from 2006 to 2013, where he was instrumental in forging the joint venture with Punjab National Bank and leading the company's rebranding. Before that, he was part of the five-person founding team that built Aviva Life Insurance's Indian operations, later extending its reach into Sri Lanka and the Gulf. His earliest foray into insurance came through Old Mutual, where he was one of three executives tasked with developing India's market entry strategy and filing the IRDA licence application — the venture that ultimately became Kotak Life Insurance.

In private equity, Rajesh served as Operating Partner and Senior Advisor at Sabre Partners from 2018 to 2020, focused on insurance, InsurTech, fintech, and digital distribution opportunities. He has invested proprietary capital in associated companies and was an investor-nominee director of one of India's first InsurTech AI businesses, which was subsequently acquired by another InsurTech in 2021.

At the regulatory level, Rajesh chaired the IRDA Committee on Insurance Service Centres and served as a member of committees on e-commerce and distribution reform. He has also represented the industry through FICCI and CII Insurance and Pensions Committees. He currently serves as an Independent Director on the boards of Singer India Ltd. and Jaykay Enterprises Ltd., and holds a directorship at Ecomoney Insurance Brokers, alongside continuing governance roles in education and defence.

Rajesh holds a Master of Management Studies from NMIMS, University of Mumbai — where he was conferred the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015 — and a degree from KM College, University of Delhi. He has completed executive programmes at INSEAD, London Business School, Wharton, and Harvard Business School.