Vishakha RM is a BFSI veteran with over three decades of wide-ranging experience. She has held the position of MD & CEO of IndiaFirst Life since 2015 and is best known for her result-oriented leadership. Her accomplishments over the past eight years have ensued a strong growth for IndiaFirst Life across all financial indicators.  

Vishakha has been recognised as ASSOCHAM Woman Leader of the Year (2023) and features in ET-BFSI.com’s Dynamic Women Leaders in India (2022) and Powerful Women Leaders in the BFSI sector (2021). She has featured in Business Today’s Most Powerful Women (2022) and has won “CEO of the Year” at Campaign India’s Women Leading Change Awards 2022. Vishakha has ranked among the Top 50 in Fortune India’s ‘Most Powerful Women’ in Business (2017, 2018, and 2019). Her other wins include ‘Most Influential Woman’ by Business World magazine and CA Business Leader – Women (2017) by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.  

During her tenure, IndiaFirst Life has been Great Place to Work-Certified® for five consecutive years (2019-2023), recognised by the Great Place to Work® Institute (India) as India’s Best Workplaces in BFSI for four consecutive years (2019-2022), as India’s Best Workplaces for Women 2021 and India’s Best 100 Companies to Work For 2021. The organisation has won Life Insurance Company of The Year at the India Insurance Summit 2022 and at the Navabharat BFSI Summit 2022, along with being recognised as Best Micro Insurer – India at the ICC Emerging Asia Conclave 2023. The organisation has also featured in The Economic Times’ Best Brands for 2 consecutive years (2021 and 2022). 

A TEDx speaker, Vishakha has participated in prominent forums, such as the Institute of Directors’ Global Convention, Jombay 1000 Women Leaders Program and more. She has also been on various award juries, such as the ET brandequity India Digiplus Awards 2022, the CA Business Leaders 40 Under 40, and the Indian Digital Marketing Awards for two consecutive years (2021 and 2022), amongst others. 

She is a member of the CII National Council and co-chairs the CII Pension and Insurance committee. Vishakha is also a member of the CII National Committee on Financial Inclusion, the CII Task Force on Fintech and is an honorary member of the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

Vishakha continues to guide and mentor the upcoming ge,neration of thinkers and leaders. Some of her prestigious mentorship associations include International Insurance Society (IIS) Mentor program, WWB Leadership and Diversity for Innovation Program, RGA Leaders for Tomorrow and WILL Forum. As a mentor, she actively contributes as a Charter Member of Equalifi by AIWMI. 

A Chartered Accountant equipped with a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Systems, Vishakha is also a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of India.