The Leadership Lessons from Sport in Umesh Revankar’s Playbook

Whether he’s swinging a golf club or leading one of India’s largest financial-services companies, Umesh Revankar brings the same competitive spirit and discipline to everything he does.

The executive vice-chairman of Shriram Finance has always had a deep love of sports—from playing cricket, hockey and football in college to joining his sons on the tennis court and now finding focus on the golf course. But for Revankar, sport is more than a way to just pass the time—it’s a philosophy. “Sport isn’t just about winning,” he says. “It’s about measuring performance and tracking progress in business, leadership and even relationships.”

Born and brought up in Mangaluru, Karnataka, Revankar has lived across Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Each city has shaped his outlook and it’s the variety of cultures and the lessons they offer that continues to fascinate him.

Travelling forms a large part of his work, and he spends around 10–12 days a month out of town. With most of his journeys tied to work, Revankar makes a conscious effort to explore local and international destinations —occasionally taking trips with his family. “Learning about local cultures, practices, food and celebrations helps in developing a better understanding of the place you’re in,” he says.

Revankar started his career at Shriram Finance and has been associated with the company ever since, gradually stepping up the ladder. “The journey has been fascinating, giving me opportunities to do something I enjoy,” he says.

It has also been adventurous. After moving to Mumbai, Revankar was assigned a challenging task—overseeing a seamless merger of four regional companies. “It required not just operational integration, but also cultural alignment and what I call ‘DNA matching’—ensuring that values and working styles aligned,” he says. For someone who had never worked outside South India, dealing with cultural differences in other parts of the country was difficult but also presented a learning curve. “We succeeded in that integration,” he adds.

With the company’s support for creativity and leadership— “the Shriram way of doing things”, as Revankar puts it—he eventually overcame similar other challenges. He recalls a defining moment early in his career when a founder told him, “You are our future partner, you should stay with us.” And that’s what he did: stayed for more than 35 years.

Back when Shriram Finance was only a deposit-taking non-banking financial company (NBFC), most deposits were built through agents, brokers and intermediaries. Establishing a network wasn’t easy.

“Forty years ago, NBFCs weren’t seen as trustworthy,” he recalls. “Changing that perception and explaining our business model was crucial.”

A sportsman-like approach is also essential to his leadership style. To a sportsperson, winning or losing doesn’t matter as much as competing with themselves. Revankar asks himself: “Have I pushed my limits?” That’s when he feels the need to improve his tenacity and performance as a leader.

Yet he is not content. He believes there’s a need to do more: “There needs to be a sense of impatience, just enough to push things toward completion.”