RHDFCL appoints Pavan Gupta as CEO to steer next phase of growth

MUMBAI: Home is where the growth is and RHDFCL has handed the blueprint to a seasoned builder. Religare Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (RHDFCL) has appointed housing finance veteran Pavan K. Gupta as its Chief Executive Officer, signalling a renewed push to scale its affordable housing business under the ownership of the Burman Group, promoters of Religare Enterprises Ltd. (REL).

The appointment comes as RHDFCL prepares for its next phase of growth, with a sharper focus on expanding access to housing finance for underserved and informal-sector families while strengthening its operational and financial foundations.

Gupta brings more than 30 years of experience across India’s housing finance and mortgage industry. In his new role, he will lead the company’s growth strategy, with priorities including expanding the loan book, strengthening risk management, diversifying funding sources and accelerating technology-led transformation across loan origination, underwriting and collections.

The move also reflects RHDFCL’s broader ambition to build a scalable, digitally enabled housing finance franchise while maintaining disciplined capital allocation and asset-liability management.

Gupta most recently served as CEO of Muthoot Housing Finance Company Ltd. Earlier, he spent 17 years across Dewan Housing Finance Ltd. (DHFL), Deutsche Postbank Home Finance Ltd. and BHW Birla Home Finance Ltd., leading business expansion across multiple regions.

During a previous leadership stint spanning nearly nine years, Gupta oversaw a significant transformation that saw assets under management grow to Rs 3,000 crore, while improving profitability, strengthening asset quality, securing successive CRISIL rating upgrades to A+, expanding the branch network to 162 locations and broadening the company’s funding profile through multiple capital market instruments.

His appointment comes at a time when affordable housing finance remains a key growth area for India’s lending sector, driven by rising home ownership aspirations and increased demand from first-time borrowers in semi-urban and rural markets.

Academically, Gupta holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Utkal University, where he secured University Rank 2, and a B.Sc. (Honours) in Physics, graduating with University Rank 7. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst from ICFAI, Hyderabad, where he achieved All India Rank 1 in Level 3.

Over the years, he has been recognised among the Most Admiring BFSI Leaders by the World BFSI Congress in 2022, featured among India’s Top 60 CEOs by StartupLanes in 2022, and received the Star Leader of the Year award at DHFL in 2012.

With Gupta taking charge, RHDFCL is betting on experienced leadership to expand its presence in the affordable housing segment while balancing growth, technology adoption and prudent risk management in an increasingly competitive lending market.