afaqs! Pause - Rathin Lahiri, Head – Marketing & CSR, SBI General Insurance

Rathin Lahiri is a dynamic business leader who brings over three decades of business and marketing expertise to his role as the Head – Marketing & CSR of SBI General Insurance. Here’s a little sneak peek into his workday, leadership mantra, and advice to young professionals.

afaqs! Content Team

19 Dec 2025 05:00 IST

New Update

1/6

The best part of my job is…

The best part of my job is that it combines purpose (creating awareness and increasing adoption of health insurance, a necessity today), scale (the power of the SBI brand and distribution serving over 4 crore customers), and the opportunity to do good through CSR, supporting health, livelihood, and road safety initiatives.

2/6

My leadership mantra

Play for the team to win. Focus on big wins and execute relentlessly. Keep the customer first. Lead by example. Work with skilled, driven partners. Do the right thing. And enjoy the journey—the work, the people, the process, and the small moments.

3/6

My career-defining moment

My early years in Sales and Marketing at HUL taught me the importance of strategic choices and execution at scale. They shaped how I manage large teams, listen to people closest to the customer, build strong teams, and value trust and purpose-driven work.

4/6

Streaming/Reading now

Reading 'The 5 Types of Wealth,' 'Light on Yoga,' and revisiting 'The Almanac of Naval Ravikant.' Recently watched 'Dhurandhar', a masterclass in storytelling. I also use X to follow voices across strategy, tech, finance, and football.

5/6

Planning my next holiday to

Travel lets you move across space and time. Coorg, the North East, Rajasthan, and Goa are some of my favourite destinations. My next trip is always the best trip, and anywhere with a beach nearby is a great holiday destination for me.

6/6

A recent ad campaign I liked

Spotify’s 'What’s on Your Wrapped' with Emraan Hashmi and Raghav stood out. It’s attention-grabbing, well cast, and cleverly tied to a hit Netflix show. The drama keeps you hooked, the brand fits in seamlessly, and it’s a strong example of storytelling that works for me as both a customer and a marketer.

SBI General Insurance Rathin Lahiri

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