In a significant development for the cooperative banking sector, Adv. Sampada Kulkarni has been elected unopposed as the Chairperson of Kalyan Janata Sahakari Bank (KJSB), becoming the first woman to head the bank in its history.
The entire 15-member Board of Directors has also been elected unopposed for the tenure 2025–26 to 2030–31, marking the first such instance in 18 years since 2008. The results were declared following approval from the Cooperative Election Authority under the Ministry of Cooperation. Of the total directors, 12 are from the general category, two are women, and one represents the Scheduled Caste/Tribe category.
Kulkarni, a director for the past five years, brings extensive experience in legal and cooperative governance matters. Mahesh Deshpande has been elected as the Vice-Chairman and is known for his expertise in human resource management.
The newly elected board includes professionals from diverse fields such as finance, banking, healthcare, academia, and industry, strengthening the bank’s leadership base.
Founded in 1973, KJSB operates 39 branches across Maharashtra with a business mix exceeding Rs 5,000 crore. The unopposed election has been widely welcomed, reflecting confidence in the new leadership.
