Karnataka Bank has appointed Sughosh Nagendra as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective 30 October 2026, as the 102-year-old lender advances its technology agenda across artificial intelligence, data and cybersecurity. The Mangaluru-headquartered private sector bank disclosed the appointment in a regulatory filing under Regulation 30 of the SEBI Listing Regulations.
Nagendra joins the bank in the General Manager cadre as Senior Management Personnel. An engineering graduate with more than 27 years of experience in information technology, he holds a B.E. degree from the National Institute of Engineering, University of Mysore.
His areas of expertise include IT strategy and governance, digital transformation, cloud computing, data centre operations, IT service management, production assurance, cybersecurity, vulnerability management, legacy systems modernisation and enterprise architecture.
Nagendra began his career in IT services in 1996, working with HCL Technologies, Wipro and TCS before moving into the banking sector. He subsequently held technology operations roles at Barclays, Allstate, UBS and First Abu Dhabi Bank. His leadership experience also includes serving as CTO of RBL Bank, working in the technology transformation office at YES BANK, and most recently holding the position of Chief Digital and Information Officer at Agilus Diagnostics.
The appointment comes as Karnataka Bank strengthens its digital capabilities across a network serving approximately 14 million customers through 976 branches and 1,460 ATMs and recyclers.
The bank’s Q2 FY27 investor presentation, released on 28 October 2026, identifies 5 key digital priorities: digitisation, strategic partnerships, enterprise transformation, data and AI acceleration.
Several initiatives are already operational or in pilot stages. These include CKYC-based account opening, digitised gold loans, interest-bearing credit lines on UPI, SD-WAN rollout and an automated NACH solution. The bank is also developing a common data platform and using the RBI’s MuleHunter tool to identify mule accounts. Its AI initiatives include Sales Buddy, an AI assistant, and an AI voice bot for sales, currently in pilot.
The upcoming technology pipeline includes a Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) compliance solution, a new treasury application, a new non-performing assets (NPA) system, DevSecOps and an AI-enabled security information and event management (SIEM) system. Voice bots for collections and WhatsApp banking services for insurance and fixed deposits are also planned.
The same presentation reported 33.36 lakh mobile app installations and 7.22 lakh net banking users. The bank has also undertaken technology initiatives such as upgrading its API platform with IBM and developing a digital supply chain finance platform with CredAble.
For Karnataka Bank, Nagendra’s mandate will cover technology operations, production stability, cybersecurity and the expansion of AI applications from pilot programmes to wider deployment. The appointment comes amid growing pressure on mid-sized lenders to modernise legacy systems while strengthening cyber resilience and data protection.
The leadership change follows other senior management developments at the bank, including the resignation of Chief Operating Officer Raja B S on 19 October 2026. Karnataka Bank is led by Managing Director and CEO Raghavendra S Bhat.
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