Mumbai’s cybersecurity landscape is shaped by a diverse group of seasoned CISOs who guide organizations through an era of rapid digital transformation, escalating threat vectors, and tightening regulatory expectations. These leaders are responsible for defending networks and are strategic partners in business growth, resilience, and innovation.
From redefining security architecture to fostering cyber-aware cultures, Mumbai’s CISOs are at the forefront of shaping how enterprises operate securely in a digital-first world. This list highlights ten such leaders whose expertise, vision, and public contributions make them especially worth watching in the years ahead.
Rajesh Hemrajani — Paytm Payments Bank
Rajesh Hemrajani currently leads security at Paytm Payments Bank, one of India’s largest digital‑first banks. With over 25 years of experience in information and cyber security, he’s held senior roles at institutions such as IDFC First Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland Business, Nomura Securities, Emirates Airlines, and DUBAL before joining Paytm Payments Bank in 2020. His mandate includes leading IT security, network security, risk management, and compliance strategy for a rapidly growing digital‑banking operation, a challenging and visible role given the fintech’s large user base.
Sameer Ratolikar — HDFC Bank
Sameer Ratolikar heads cybersecurity at HDFC Bank, among India’s largest private-sector banks. He’s listed among the leading CISOs by industry‑wide forums, suggesting his contributions are recognized across the BFSI security community. Given the size and scale of HDFC Bank’s operations, he oversees enterprise‑wide cyber risk, compliance, and resilience, making him a key figure in India’s banking security landscape.
Kalpesh Doshi — HDFC Life
Kalpesh Doshi brings over two decades of cross‑sector cybersecurity experience to HDFC Life, having recently been appointed as its Group CISO & DPO. Before this, he held senior information security leadership roles at organizations such as Capgemini and Accenture. Under his leadership, HDFC Life’s security roadmap has reportedly been revamped, with a focus on aligning cybersecurity strategy to business objectives and compliance standards, critical in the life-insurance segment where data protection and regulatory compliance are paramount.
Prashant Dhanodkar — SBI General Insurance
Prashant Dhanodkar is publicly listed as CISO of SBI General Insurance. Scribd Given SBI General’s insurance business, his responsibilities would likely cover security of customer data, risk management frameworks, and compliance with regulatory norms — though public details on his professional biography or accomplishments are limited in open sources.
Makesh Chandramohan — Aditya Birla Capital
Makesh Chandramohan heads security at Aditya Birla Capital. As a leader in a large financial conglomerate, his role spans multiple businesses, implying broad exposure to diverse security and compliance challenges. His presence on top‑CISO lists underscores his visibility and influence.
Prashant Dhanodkar — SBI General Insurance
Prashant Dhanodkar has been serving as the Chief Information Security Officer and Dy-SVP at SBI General Insurance since at least 2023, with earlier stints as VP, DVP, and AVP in the same institution. Across more than two decades in IT and information security, Dhanodkar has shaped security operations at SBI General. In past interviews, he emphasized that “data theft is the foremost threat for an insurance company,” highlighting that his security strategy goes beyond infrastructure to “process maturity, people training and capacity enhancements.”
Dhanodkar has also led efforts to transform a conventional SOC into a full-fledged Cyber-SOC, adopt mobile device management for the remote workforce, and plan proactive “threat-hunting,” signaling a shift to more modern, proactive cybersecurity practices.
Rajesh Thapar — NSE India
Rajesh Thapar is the CISO at NSE India. He brings over two decades of experience in IT security, governance, risk management, and compliance, having served earlier as CISO at major banks, including YES Bank and Axis Bank, and held roles at global institutions such as IBM India and CitiGroup Global Services. His strong background in information security governance, MIS, compliance, and strategic IT security aligns with the high-stakes environment of capital markets.
Manoj Nayak — SBI Life Insurance
Manoj Nayak has been serving as the VP & Chief Information Security Officer at SBI Life Insurance Company Ltd. since May 2016. Over nearly a decade at SBI Life, he has overseen security operations, vendor and data-centre management, risk management, and compliance, critical functions in an insurance business handling large volumes of sensitive customer data.
Jignesh Joshi — Piramal Group
Jignesh Joshi is the Group Chief Information Security Officer at Piramal Group, where he heads information security & cybersecurity for Piramal Group, including Piramal Enterprises Limited, Piramal Pharma Limited, and Piramal Realty. Before this role, he was Head of IT Security at BNP Paribas Corporate and Institutional Banking for six years.
Mihir Joshi — Tata Power
Mihir Joshi currently serves as the Chief Cybersecurity and Information Officer at Tata Power, a role he has held since March 2023. In this position, he oversees security across the company’s diverse business units, including Renewables, Power Transmission & Distribution, and Power Generation. His remit spans both Information Security and OT Security, covering areas such as solar implementations, power-grid operations, EV charging infrastructure, and the broader Tata Power Group ecosystem.
Beyond his core role, Joshi is also an Advisory Board Member at Xchain Technologies, where he guides cybersecurity strategy for blockchain and NFTs. Additionally, he served as a Cybersecurity Advisor and Mentor for IIT Kanpur’s C3i Hub under an NCIIPC and Ministry of Power–supported initiative, contributing to the development of a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Framework for the power and energy sector.
How Leading CISOs Are Shaping Cybersecurity
Tracking these ten CISOs offers a clear view into how security leadership is evolving across Mumbai’s major industries. Some are modernizing legacy environments, others are pioneering cloud-native security models, and many are guiding complex organizations through cultural and technological change. What they share is a commitment to strengthening cyber readiness while enabling their companies to innovate confidently.
As threats grow more sophisticated and digital operations expand, the decisions and strategies of these leaders will continue to shape Mumbai’s broader cybersecurity maturity. They’re not just defending systems; they’re redefining what it means to build secure, resilient organizations in a connected world.