Ravi Subramanian is an Indian author. A banker by profession, Subramanian has written popular thrillers about banking and bankers, including award winning trilogy The Incredible Banker, The Bankster and Bankerupt. An alumnus of IIM Bangalore, batch of 1993, Subramanian spent close to two decades in the financial services industry. After having worked with companies such as Citibank, HSBC and ANZ Grindlays, Subramanian is now the CEO of a listed Non-banking financial company.
Subramanian writes popular columns for well-known magazines and has his own personal weekly column in the career and business life page of The Economic Times. Subramanian says "I will be satisfied if people remember me as the Grisham of banking," referring to the American author best known for his legal thrillers.
His daughter is Anusha Subramanian, she has been a published author
Interviews
Exclusive interview with author Ravi Subramanian
The author of nine bestselling books, banker Ravi Subramanian is no stranger to us. His ninth book 'IN THE NAME OF GOD' revolves around the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala and is a crime thriller that is woven around God. He is an author who has often written about God and the Devil and it is not surprising to see him pen a novel involving a temple which is supposed to bring humans inner peace. Read on to find out more about him, his books and what continues to inspire him.
By Latha Srinivasan | Updated: 27 February 2018, 10:40 AM
A banker by profession, Ravi Subramanian has penned numerous books on this topic. For his latest book, he veered away from this tradition and wrote a thriller based on the Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Kerala. ‘In the Name of God’ revolves around faith and crime and is action-packed, to say the least. In this exclusive chat with Latha Srinivasan, author Ravi Subramanian talks about this novel, God and more.
NewsX: What was your inspiration for ‘In the Name of God’?
Ravi Subramanian: A few years back Padmanabha Swamy Temple and its subterranean vaults were back in the news. As a child, I had heard a lot about the temple and its mysterious powers and that had intrigued me. And now when the stories of pilferage at the temple started doing the rounds and hit the media is when I started thinking of a story based in the temple. And that is when ‘IN THE NAME OF GOD’ took shape. It is my first non-banking thriller.
NewsX: Why is this book different from the other eight?
Ravi Subramanian: I have always wanted to step out of my comfort zone and write a story set in an entirely alien world. All my earlier books have been set in the world of banking. ‘IN THE NAME OF GOD’ is my first book which is set in the backdrop of the mysterious Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. It is a multilayered story which has linkages in the diamond trade in India and Antwerp, the shards of the temples of Tamil Nadu and a heist at a high profile mall in Dubai. This is the first book of mine which does not have a linkage to banking scams.
NewsX: The God and Devil seem to play a key role in your books. Comment.
Ravi Subramanian: Haha! I think God and Devil are two forms of the same being. It is just a matter of perspective. Depends on where you are looking at the person from. Contrary to popular perception humans are neither black nor white. Every human has shades of grey. And the shades appear skewed towards white or black – towards god or devil, depending on whether you are the person who gains or loses. That said, I love titles with the word God in it. Three of my books have the word God in the title. Maybe a belief that god will be kinder to books with his name in the title.
NewsX: How has the journey been from being a banker to a successful author?
Ravi Subramanian: It has been humbling. I have learnt a lot along the journey. I have come to realise that the world of publishing has been extremely kind to me and the readers have been extremely generous. I have made new friends in an ecosystem I would never have been exposed to had I not been ventured into this field. It has added purpose to my life and my career and helped me become a better human being. And of course, I enjoy all the perks that come along with it.
NewsX: You seem to publish a book every two years. What motivates you and how much of effort is it for you personally to pen a book?
Ravi Subramanian: It takes a year of dedicated effort to complete a manuscript. There is no bigger motivation than the readers themselves. The adulation they shower on you, the love they give you is addictive. That to me is the single largest motivating factor. As long as readers continue to inspire me, I will continue to write.
