ICICI sought to acquire HDFC, reveals chairman Deepak Parekh

Deepak Parekh disclosed that Chanda Kochhar once suggested a merger between ICICI Bank and HDFC. Parekh declined the offer. He cited regulatory pressure as the main driver for HDFC’s eventual merger with HDFC Bank. Parekh described the merger’s conclusion as both sad and happy. He emphasized the need for larger Indian banks through acquisitions.