She said earlier politicians used to have heated arguments in assemblies or Parliament, but they were cordial with each other. Narrating an old incident, Sitharaman said during a heated debate in the assembly, C Rajagopalchari, the first chief minister of Madras Province, asked communist leader P Ramamurti to stop speaking, have coffee and then continue with the debate.

“However bitter they spoke in the Parliament, they had some kind of care or concern for one another…I can’t imagine giving a cup of coffee today to anybody saying it’s alright, you are speaking against me, come have coffee. This can be grossly misunderstood (now),” Sitharaman said. She was in the city to launch the book – Reflections, authored by Narayanan Vaghul, former chairman of ICICI Bank.

Widely considered as the architect of modern banking in India, Vaghul’s book recounts the dramatic, humorous, and often momentous events throughout his illustrious career.

“Mr Vaghul is considered as the ‘Bhishma Pitamah’ of banking in India and the journey of his life epitomizes selfless service, nation building, mentorship and women empowerment. I believe the learnings from his journey are of immense relevance for younger generations,” said Ajay Piramal, Chairman, Piramal Group.

The processes established by Vaghul went on to become strong and sustainable practices in the Indian financial ecosystem. He has been instrumental in mentoring several powerhouses of banking talent and actively groomed more women CEOs in banking.