Arun Raste: Building Institutions for an Inclusive Future
For over three decades, Arun Raste has been driven by a singular purpose: to build institutions that create livelihood opportunities for those at the bottom of the pyramid. His career spanning banking, agriculture, cooperatives, and capital markets has combined the precision of finance with the empathy of grassroots development, creating pathways that connect farmers, artisans, and rural entrepreneurs to the larger economy.
Today, as the Managing Director & CEO of NCDEX (National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange), Arun leads one of India’s most important agri-market platforms, guiding its transformation into a technology-driven, inclusive exchange. Yet for him, this recognition as a Most Admired Global Indian is not just personal it reflects the collective progress of the communities he has served.
Arun’s professional foundations were laid at NABARD, where he began his career as part of its first batch of probationary officers. That early experience rooted him in development finance and gave him a deep appreciation for India’s rural realities. His journey then moved through diverse sectors cement major ACC, leadership in the NGO space, and senior roles at Kotak and IDFC each role teaching him to integrate financial innovation with social responsibility.
At Kotak, he set up the organization’s CSR function and was nominated to the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Program, a platform that has nurtured global leaders. At IDFC, he was part of the founding team that established the bank’s first 50 rural branches, laying the groundwork for financial inclusion in underserved regions. Later, as Executive Director of NDDB (National Dairy Development Board), he helped strengthen the dairy ecosystem and contributed to vaccine production through Indian Immunologicals Ltd. in partnership with Bharat Biotech.
This unique mix of grassroots experience and institutional leadership has become his signature strength: connecting long-term strategy with on-ground realities.
Arun’s career has always bridged the worlds of finance and development. At NCDEX, he is not only shaping agri-derivatives markets into more transparent and technology-driven platforms but also preparing for the exchange’s diversification into equities a step designed to broaden market access and deepen financial participation for “Bharat.”
His earlier work in the NGO sector remains close to his heart. There, he pioneered domestic fair trade, linking artisans to global markets while ensuring equity and ethical practices. He represented India at forums such as WTO (Cancun, Hong Kong), UNCTAD (Brazil), and the Asian SME Forum (Manila), giving voice to India’s grassroots realities on international platforms.
Alongside his professional roles, Arun has authored influential books including Cooperatives in the 21st Century: Navigating New Frontiers and Microfinance in the 21st Century – Reflections and Projections, exploring innovation and resilience in inclusive growth.
Arun describes his leadership style as participative, valuing diverse perspectives while keeping purpose clear. Colleagues note his ability to balance long-term vision with people-centric values. He encourages innovation but anchors it in ethics, believing that sustainable impact requires institutions built on trust.
He admits that his drive for transformation can sometimes push at a pace faster than systems allow. “It’s a learning playground,” he says, “in balancing ambition with patience and consensus.” Yet this very intensity has often been the spark that moved institutions toward change.
Arun’s inspiration has always been rooted in the belief that wealth must be both created and fairly distributed. “True progress,” he says, “is when farmers, artisans, and workers at the grassroots get fair value for their effort.” His goal remains to build sustainable, technology-enabled ecosystems that strengthen India’s food and nutrition security, while mentoring the next generation of leaders to carry forward this vision.
Balancing demanding roles with personal life has required discipline. Arun protects his personal time and practices self-care, whether through daily walks, regular health check-ups, or saying no to unnecessary commitments. Travel is his way of unwinding exploring culture, food, craft, and architecture around the world. He also finds joy in nature, whether hiking in the hills or watching a sunset at the beach, and in following the thrill of football matches. These moments of renewal allow him to return to work with clarity and energy.
Arun’s work has been recognized nationally and globally. Among his recent honors are the Development Leadership Award at the Agriculture Leadership Conclave (Delhi, 2025), GITEX Impact Leader Award (Dubai, 2024), and inclusion in India’s Most Influential Leaders list by Republic TV & Marksmen Daily (Mumbai, 2024). Earlier, his nomination to the U.S. State Department’s IVLP (2009) marked him as a global voice from India in development leadership.
Yet he considers awards as milestones, not destinations. “Thought leadership is my true contribution,” he says, pointing to his books, papers, and speeches that continue to shape dialogue around inclusive finance and cooperatives.
To Arun, success must be redefined in today’s world not as individual achievement, but as the ability to create value for society. “Each of us,” he notes, “has the power to build inclusive ecosystems, whether in business, governance, or community life.” His advice: embrace change with optimism, innovate responsibly, stay empathetic, and give back generously. “True success,” he says, “lies in leaving behind institutions, ideas, and values that empower others long after we are gone.”
At every stage of his career, Arun Raste has embodied the rare blend of strategist and humanitarian building systems that are financially sound yet socially inclusive. His legacy is not measured in profits alone, but in the livelihoods secured, the communities empowered, and the institutions built to outlast him.
