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As India marks its 77ᵗʰ Republic Day, we celebrated the occasion at OakNorth with colour, connection, and a healthy dose of team spirit. Our offices came alive in the hues of India’s tricolour, setting the scene for a day that blended reflection with fun. From a lively buzzer quiz that got teams thinking (and laughing) to conversations over cake and snacks, it was a simple but meaningful way to come together and celebrate. Moments like these remind us that culture isn’t built in big gestures alone — it’s shaped through shared experiences, everyday connections, and enjoying time together as one team. Warm Republic Day wishes to our colleagues, partners, clients, and friends across India.
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect – and to say thank you. This year marked 10 years of OakNorth supporting ambitious entrepreneurs. We’re grateful to every business that has trusted us along the way, and are equally excited about the conversations and partnerships still to come. Wishing everyone a fruitful 2026.
We were thrilled to see our Co-Head of OakNorth India, Ashish Nayyar, join an inspiring panel at last week’s GCC Leadership Conclave in Hyderabad. Ashish shared how India’s deep talent pool, product-first mindset, and build-at-scale capability are empowering mid-market GCCs to move faster, from experimentation to enterprise-grade delivery, while strengthening collaboration between global teams and Indian centres of excellence. We’re also deeply honoured that Ashish was presented with the Honorary GCC Leader of the Year award for business transformation and innovation at the conference, recognising his exceptional leadership and significant contributions to the GCC and innovation ecosystem. Thank you to the organisers and fellow panellists: Sunny Shah, Leadership Federation, Nitisha Prakash Yogesh Pondicherry Shameel Sharma Varun Verma Saurabh Bali
We were thrilled to see our Co-Head of OakNorth India, Ashish Nayyar, join an inspiring panel at last week’s GCC Leadership Conclave in Hyderabad. Ashish shared how India’s deep talent pool, product-first mindset, and build-at-scale capability are empowering mid-market GCCs to move faster, from experimentation to enterprise-grade delivery, while strengthening collaboration between global teams and Indian centres of excellence. We’re also deeply honoured that Ashish was presented with the Honorary GCC Leader of the Year award for business transformation and innovation at the conference, recognising his exceptional leadership and significant contributions to the GCC and innovation ecosystem. Thank you to the organisers and fellow panellists: Sunny Shah, Leadership Federation, Nitisha Prakash Yogesh Pondicherry Shameel Sharma Varun Verma Saurabh Bali
Tara Chand, our Head of CSR, participated in the Education, Skilling & Employability Conference 2025 organised by CSR Universe in partnership with Devi Sansthan at the City Montessori Auditorium, Lucknow. The event was honoured by the presence of Hon’ble MPs Pushpendra Saroj and Lumbaram Choudhary, whose insights added depth to the discussions. Representing OakNorth on a panel on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), Tara highlighted key barriers to early learning in India — from acute teacher shortages and infrastructure gaps to declining enrolment in government schools. He reinforced a crucial message: no policy or pedagogy can succeed without enough teachers in the classroom. Closing this structural gap is essential for improving FLN outcomes. Through OakNorth’s 1% + 1% commitment, we remain focused on “reaching the unreachable.” Our initiatives in Bihar, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh reflect our long-term dedication to strengthening foundational learning where it is needed most. OakNorth thanks CSR Universe, Devi Sansthan, and all participants for driving this important conversation on India’s education ecosystem.
We’re excited to share a major milestone in OakNorth’s journey, with the opening of our new office in Gurgaon, inaugurated by our Co-Founder and Senior Managing Director, Joel Perlman. It was a real honour to have Joel with us to mark this special occasion and celebrate the next chapter of OakNorth’s growth in India. Our new space in Gurgaon reflects the energy, ambition, and innovation that define OakNorth. Together with our state-of-the-art office in Bangalore, it forms part of our growing India presence — a hub of excellence powering OakNorth’s global mission to support the entrepreneurs, scale-ups, and businesses driving economic growth. These offices are home to our exceptional technology, data, and analytics teams, who are helping us reimagine what commercial lending can be: faster, fairer, and more forward-looking. Here’s to continued growth, innovation, and success.
Last week, Tara Chand, our Head of CSR, joined as a panelist at two incredible forums in Bengaluru — the 5th Edition of the Bharat CSR & Sustainability Summit & Awards 2025 by Brainalytics, held at the Courtyard by Marriott on October 29, and the 15th Edition of the Corporate Social Responsibility Summit & Awards 2025 by UBS Forum, hosted at ITC Gardenia on October 30. He spoke on: “From Checklists to Change: Embedding Sustainability into CSR Frameworks Tomorrow” “Redefining CSR for a Better Future — going beyond compliance and charity towards creating measurable social impact.” Tara shared how OakNorth’s CSR journey has evolved from compliance-driven giving to purpose-led impact, guided by our 1+1% Commitment, which see us pledge 1% of profits and 1% of employee time to charitable causes. This commitment has empowered hundreds of thousands of people through partnerships with organisations such as Buzz Women, Room to Read, and Seva Mandir, CURE, HESCO, Budd4Study and many more. He also underscored the crucial role of leadership and culture in purpose-led giving, highlighting that the most powerful change happens when purpose meets partnership At OakNorth, we’re proud to champion this belief, empowering our people with time, trust, and the opportunity to make a lasting difference.
We’re proud to see our Co-Head of OakNorth India, Ashish Nayyar, share insights in the latest ET GCC Coffee Chat on how India’s GCCs are evolving from support functions into strategic hubs of innovation and transformation. In the conversation, Ashish highlights how OakNorth’s teams in Gurugram and Bengaluru are driving our mission to help businesses thrive — powering advancements in data analytics, product engineering, and risk management, while building solutions used by leading banks across the world. As one of the early believers in India’s talent ecosystem, OakNorth continues to champion the country’s position as a global fintech powerhouse — where innovation, collaboration, and purpose meet.
At OakNorth, the spirit of Diwali shines brighter each year! ✨ Our offices are once again aglow with colourful lights, vibrant décor, and the infectious energy of our incredible team. This Festival of Lights reminds us of the power of unity, optimism, and the shared joy that makes our OakNorth family truly special. As we come together to celebrate, we wish everyone a Diwali filled with happiness, prosperity, and new beginnings. May the year ahead bring light to every path you take and success to every endeavour. Happy Diwali from all of us at OakNorth India! 💫 #HappyDiwali2025 #FestivalOfLights #DiwaliCelebration #FestiveSeason
On this day, we celebrate the victory of good with Dusshera and the spirit of truth with Gandhi Jayanti. At OakNorth, we draw inspiration from these principles to keep pushing boundaries with courage, integrity, and purpose. Wishing everyone joy, health, and harmony.
