Shikha Sharma, former managing director and chief executive officer of Axis Bank, will join the investment firm KKR as an advisor on February 1, 2019, where she will help to diversify the company's financial services offerings, Sanjay Nayar, chief executive officer of KKR India, told CNBC-TV18.

KKR has two non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) namely KKR India Financial Services and KKR India Asset Finance, and are keen to diversify into small medium and enterprises (SME), housing etc.

The company is expected to make the announcement on January 31, later in the night.

According to Nayar, KKR is keen to bring Sharma on board as she has experience in business to consumer businesses.

Sharma and KKR were unavailable for a comment when CNBC-TV18 tried to contact them.

Sharma, an IIM Ahmedabad graduate, was picked by ICICI's project finance team. She helped the bank to set up ICICI Securities and played a key role in converting the bank from the then development financial institution into a universal bank. She left ICICI Bank in 2009.

One of her key stints was in Axis Bank, from where she retired on December 31, 2018. However, the piling up of the non-performing assets (NPAs) under her governance questioned the bank's urge to reappoint her for the next term.

In July 2017, the board of Axis Bank approved the reappointment of Sharma, who was to start her fourth term as MD and CEO from June 2018.

However, in April of last year, Sharma wanted her new term to be reduced to seven months from a three-year tenure without citing any reasons, which was accepted by the board.

It was learned that the RBI had asked Axis Bank's board to reconsider the decision to reappoint Sharma amid concerns over rising bad loans on the bank's books. She had completed her third term as the bank's head on May 31, 2018.

(With inputs from PTI)

First Published:Jan 31, 2019 12:24 PM IST