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Madhabi Puri Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth12 January 1965

Age59 Years (as of 2024)

BirthplaceMumbai

ProfessionBanker

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseDhaval Buch

FamilySon - Abhay Buch; Father - Kamal Puri; Mother - name not provided; One sister

Madhabi Puri Biography

Madhabi Puri Buch is an Indian banker who in 2022 became the first woman appointed chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Her近30

Early life and background

Madhabi Puri Buch was born on 12 January 1965 in Mumbai, where she also considers her hometown. She attended Fort Convent, Mumbai, for the early years of her schooling and completed her secondary education at the Convent of Jesus and Mary in Delhi. She went on to study at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, earning a bachelor’s degree, and later completed an MBA at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.

Career

Madhabi Puri has spent nearly three decades working in the financial sector. Her career began at ICICI Bank in 1989 as a project finance analyst. Over time she held a variety of roles at ICICI, including leadership positions in marketing and sales, product development, operations, and brand marketing. In 2006 she was appointed executive director of ICICI Bank.

After a long association with the bank, she moved between corporate and advisory roles. She served as a non-executive director at several companies, including Zensar Technologies, InnoVen Capital India, Idea Cellular, Max Healthcare, and Gabelhorn Investments Pte. Ltd. She also worked overseas: from 1993 to 1995 she was a lecturer at West Cheshire College in the United Kingdom, and later she held roles in Singapore and Shanghai, including head of business development at Greater Pacific Capital and consulting for the New Development Bank.

In 2016 she was a founder-director of Agora Advisory Pvt. Ltd., based in Singapore. In April 2017 she joined the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as a whole-time member, a post she held until October 4, 2021.

Her most notable appointment came in 2022 when she became the chairperson of SEBI. Her appointment marked a series of firsts: she was the first woman to lead SEBI and the first person to hold the post who had not previously been an Indian Administrative Service officer. Earlier recognition for her work included being named among Business Today’s list of the 25 most powerful women in business in 2008.

Public profile

Madhabi is known for a pragmatic approach to work and for emphasizing delivery and alignment with an organisation’s objectives. In interviews she has described a simple professional formula: understand what your organisation expects and consistently deliver on that purpose. She has mentioned Walt Disney and Kiran Bedi among individuals she admires.

Personal life

Madhabi Puri Buch is married to Dhaval Buch, who is identified as a director at Hindustan Unilever Ltd. The couple married in 1986 and have a son, Abhay Buch. Her father, Kamal Puri, has worked in the corporate sector; her mother has been involved in the academic field. She also has one sister.

Physical details and interests

Madhabi has black eyes and black hair. Anecdotes from interviews recount that in her schooling she was studious and bookish; she has shared a memory of having to miss an economics interview at St. Stephen’s College due to jaundice and later attending the mathematics interview while still recovering.

Controversy

In August 2024 a report from Hindenburg Research levelled allegations relating to offshore entities and investments that mentioned both Madhabi and her husband. The report also criticized her handling of investigations involving the Adani Group. Madhabi denied the allegations. SEBI issued a statement noting that 23 out of 24 cases related to the Adani matter had been completed, with the remaining case approaching closure.

Latest updates

Madhabi’s elevation to SEBI chair in 2022 and the subsequent scrutiny in 2024 have kept her in the public eye. Her long career across banking, advisory roles and regulatory service remain central to her professional identity.
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Recent Work

Chairperson, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

Appointed chairperson in 2022; previously served as a whole-time member from 2017 to October 2021.

2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Nearly thirty years of experience in the financial sector
  2. First woman to be appointed chairperson of SEBI in 2022
  3. Served as Whole-Time Member of SEBI (2017–2021)
  4. Executive Director at ICICI Bank (appointed 2006)
  5. Named among Business Today’s top 25 most powerful women in business in 2008
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Madhabi Puri born?

12 January 1965

What is Madhabi Puri known for?

Banker

What is Madhabi Puri’s marital status?

Married

Who is Madhabi Puri married to?

Dhaval Buch