India Mortgage Guarantee Corporation (IMGC) regulated by the Reserve Bank of India, has strengthened its leadership team with two key appointments. The company has elevated Mr. Pawan Kumar to the role of Chief Risk Officer (CRO) and appointed Mr. Abhimanyu Behera as Vice President – Risk. These leadership changes come as IMGC continues to expand its mortgage guarantee business and enhance its focus on governance, portfolio oversight, data-driven decision-making and policy excellence in India’s evolving housing finance ecosystem.
In his expanded role as Chief Risk Officer, Pawan Kumar will be responsible for leading the company’s risk management function, including credit policy, portfolio monitoring, governance, and strategic oversight. He will continue to focus on strengthening risk frameworks, enhancing operational efficiency through automation, and advancing monitoring capabilities to support the organisation’s long-term objectives
He brings about 18+ years of cross-functional experience in analytics, risk strategy, business intelligence, credit policy, and management consulting. Before joining IMGC, he was associated with Citigroup and Essex Lake Consulting Group, where he developed a strong foundation in quantitative risk assessment and strategic advisory. He holds a degree in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce and a master’s degree from the Delhi School of Economics.
Mr Abhimanyu Behera, who joins as Vice President – Risk, will be responsible for policy formulation, portfolio governance and underwriting standards. he brings over 15 years of experience in banking and risk management. Prior to joining IMGC, he served as Senior Vice President – Risk Policy at SMFG India Credit and has held leadership roles at HDFC Bank, IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Bank, with expertise spanning credit risk, policy formulation and mortgage lending. He is a Chartered Accountant with certifications in IFRS and SAP.
Commenting on the developments, Mahesh Misra, MD & CEO, IMGC, said: IMGC’s new guarantees written has crossed the 45,000 crore mark. As we continue to build scale, prudent risk management and effective use of data will set us apart. Pawan, an IMGC veteran, is ideally equipped to lead us on this journey as the CRO. We are also delighted to welcome Abhimanyu, who will spearhead our risk policy unit. He comes with strong mortgages risk experience and a deep understanding of the retail lending ecosystem. These appointments reinforce our commitment to maintaining the highest levels of risk discipline and governance standards.
On his elevation, Pawan Kumar, CRO, IMGC, said: As the housing landscape evolves and the mortgage guarantee footprint grows, our focus will remain on prudent underwriting, enhancing policy frameworks and leveraging technology to improve decision-making. I look forward to working closely with our teams and lender partners to further strengthen IMGC’s operating model and support the company’s next phase of growth.”
On his appointment, Abhimanyu Behera said: “I am delighted to join IMGC and be part of an organization that plays a vital role in strengthening Indian housing finance ecosystem. Access to safe and affordable housing is a key pillar of inclusive economic growth and IMGC’s effort in expanding homeownership opportunities align with it. Looking forward to contributing meaningful impact together with the talented team at IMGC.”
Since commencing operations in 2014, IMGC has surpassed ₹45,000 crores in home loan guarantees for over 150,000 customers across 400 locations nationwide, partnering with more than 23 lending institutions, including banks, housing finance companies, and NBFCs.
About India Mortgage Guarantee Corporation (IMGC)
IMGC is India’s first mortgage guarantee company (incorporated in 2012). IMGC is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) guidelines for mortgage guarantee companies (2008). Born out of a vision for making housing affordable, its primary objective is risk mitigation for lending institutions by providing a backstop against credit defaults. IMGC currently has Enact MI, Sagen, National Housing Bank, International Finance Corporation, and Asian Development Bank, as its shareholders. It provides mortgage guarantees on retail home loans to various mortgage lenders.
