CDSL Appoints Geetha Gangadharan As BSE-Nominated Non-Independent Director, Succeeding Kamala Kantharaj
Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL) has approved the appointment of Geetha Gangadharan as a Non-Independent Director on its Governing Board following her nomination by BSE Ltd. The appointment, approved by the Board on June 25, 2026, is subject to shareholder approval and clearance from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). It will take effect from the date of SEBI’s approval.
Geetha Gangadharan succeeds Kamala Kantharaj, who will retire and has not sought reappointment at the forthcoming annual general meeting (AGM). Kantharaj’s exit from the CDSL Board is a procedural retirement by rotation, coupled with her decision to step away from Board reappointment following her transition in responsibilities at BSE.
Geetha Gangadharan previously served as Chief General Manager (CGM) and Head of Enforcement at SEBI, where she handled matters related to market regulation and enforcement actions. She is a legal and regulatory professional with over 30 years of experience in enforcement, compliance, and policy matters. Her professional experience also includes assignments with RBI and the Central Bank of the UAE, covering regulatory oversight, governance, and policy implementation. Gangadharan holds LL.B. and LL.M. degrees from the University of Calicut and has completed regulatory and executive education programmes at Harvard Law School.
Kamala Kantharaj is the CRO at BSE, overseeing regulatory functions including market supervision, member supervision, investor services, and corporate communications. With around 38 years of experience in finance and capital markets, she has held leadership roles across institutions such as Power Finance Corporation (PFC), IIM Bangalore, Bangalore Stock Exchange, NSE, Edelweiss Group, and Investsmart. She has contributed to capital market reforms through various committees constituted by regulators and stock exchanges. Kantharaj also serves as a Director on the Boards of Indian Clearing Corporation Ltd. and BSE Index Services Pvt. Ltd. Her experience spans market regulation, financial services, and policy development.
