Sorabji Pochkhanawala

Sir Sorabji Nusserwanji Pochkhanawala (9 August 1881 – 4 July 1937) was an Parsi Indian banker and the principle founders of the Central Bank of India.

Early life Sorabji Pochkhanawala was born in Bombay (Mumbai) to Nasserwanji Pochkhanawala and Bai Gulbai. His father died when Sorabji was six, leaving the family in poverty as most of their savings had been lost in a bank failure. The eldest son, Hirjibhoy, a clerk in the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, assumed responsibility for the family and raised Sorabji, his brother Edulji and their sister. After matriculating from Bombay University in 1897 at the age of 16, Pochkhanawala entered St. Stephen's College to begin his BA studies, but left after failing his first examinations.

With his brother's help, he found a job in the Chartered Bank as a clerk, earning a salary of Rs. 20 per month. He also took a book-keeping course and subsequently passed the book-keeping examinations for the London Chamber of Commerce. One day, while reading a copy of the Journal of the Institute of Bankers, London, he elected to study for the institute's examinations and qualify as a professional banker. Though he passed the first set of examinations on his first attempt, he was disillusioned by the racism he encountered in the process. Ultimately, though, he succeeded in becoming the first Indian Certificated Associate of the institute.

Knighthood and later life Pochkhanawala was knighted in the 1934 King's Birthday Honours list for his services to banking in India, and formally invested with his knighthood at Viceroy's House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan) on 1 March 1935 by the Viceroy, the Marquess of Willingdon. In 1934, he accepted the Government of Ceylon's invitation to become Chairman of the Ceylon Banking Enquiry Commission.

He died on 4 July 1937 after an illness, aged 55.