Khwahish Rawal : Championing Governance & Compliance With Purpose
Khwahish Rawal
Chief Compliance Officer & Company Secretary
Guiding this mission through the complex regulatory landscape is Khwahish Rawal, the company’s Chief Compliance Officer and Company Secretary. A seasoned corporate legal and compliance professional, Khwahish combines her regulatory acumen with a passion for robust governance to help the organization stay ahead in a dynamic environment.
With core expertise in Regulatory Compliance, Governance, Corporate Secretarial matters, and Compliance Testing for Base and Middle Layer NBFCs, Khwahish has led critical mandates across Private Equity Transactions, Listed Debt Issuances, Corporate Restruc -turing, and complex regulatory implementations. Prior to joining Svamaan Financial Services, she held key positions at Ecofy Finance, Electronica Finance, the LNJ Bhilwara Group, and the U.K. Modi Group. Below is an excerpt from the interview.
What has been your guiding principle in overcoming challenges throughout your journey?
Overcoming complex and unfamiliar regulatory challenges
fosters resilience and instills confidence in leadership. Navigating first-time or high-stakes regulatory matters has often provided a strong sense of accomplishment.
Ownership and accountability are fundamental, particularly when interacting with regulators, boards, or external stakeholders. Equally important is understanding the spirit of the law, which enables a more meaningful and accurate application of regulations.
Especially within the NBFC sector, ensuring adherence to RBI guidelines and the Companies Act is not optional, it is critical to fostering sound governance and long-term institutional trust.
How do you promote a culture of compliance within the organization?
Compliance must be driven from both the top and the ground up. It should be ingrained as a core business value rather than a mere functional responsibility. For any company aiming for sustainable growth, strong governance is imperative.
Leadership teams must work collaboratively, promoting a culture of joint responsibility. Open dialogue, transparency, and cross-functional engagement with compliance teams help create an ethical and responsible business environment. Ultimately, while compliance professionals provide the guidance, ownership of compliance lies with the entire organization.
How do you support and mentor your team?
In a dynamic regulatory landscape, constant learning is essential. My approach emphasizes agility in interpreting
Ownership and accountability are fundamental, particularly when interacting with regulators, boards, or external stakeholders. Equally important is understanding the spirit of the law, which enables a more meaningful and accurate application of regulations.
Especially within the NBFC sector, ensuring adherence to RBI guidelines and the Companies Act is not optional, it is critical to fostering sound governance and long-term institutional trust.
Ownership and account ability are fundamental, particularly when inter-acting with regu -lators, boards, or external stakeholders
How do you promote a culture of compliance within the organization?
Compliance must be driven from both the top and the ground up. It should be ingrained as a core business value rather than a mere functional responsibility. For any company aiming for sustainable growth, strong governance is imperative.
Leadership teams must work collaboratively, promoting a culture of joint responsibility. Open dialogue, transparency, and cross-functional engagement with compliance teams help create an ethical and responsible business environment. Ultimately, while compliance professionals provide the guidance, ownership of compliance lies with the entire organization.
How do you support and mentor your team?
In a dynamic regulatory landscape, constant learning is essential. My approach emphasizes agility in interpreting
and implementing new regulations and fostering a mindset of learning, unlearning, and relearning.
Clear and timely communication is vital, both in understanding legal frameworks and in translating them into effective action. While technology enhances operational efficiency, the human element remains irreplaceable. Every team contribution should add value, whether in documentation or strategic decision-making. Our goal is to align with the company’s vision and drive impact through collective effort.
What are your professional aspirations?
I am committed to continuous learning and aspire to work in an environment that allows engagement with multiple regulators such as RBI, SEBI, NHB, and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Multi-regulatory exposure deepens expertise and enhances the ability to manage complex compliance ecosystems effectively.
In the long term, I aim to lead compliance in a high-growth organization, preparing for a public listing or scaling toward becoming a billion-dollar enterprise. Such journeys provide unparalleled learning opportunities that go beyond structured environments and foster true leadership evolution.
Khwahish Rawal, Chief Compliance Officer & Company Secretary, Svamaan Financial Services
Khwahish is a qualified Company Secretary and a Law graduate, currently serving as the Chief Compliance Officer and Company Secretary at Svamaan Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. With over 14 years of extensive experience in the financial services sector, she brings deep expertise in regulatory compliance and governance.
Clear and timely communication is vital, both in understanding legal frameworks and in translating them into effective action. While technology enhances operational efficiency, the human element remains irreplaceable. Every team contribution should add value, whether in documentation or strategic decision-making. Our goal is to align with the company’s vision and drive impact through collective effort.
What are your professional aspirations?
I am committed to continuous learning and aspire to work in an environment that allows engagement with multiple regulators such as RBI, SEBI, NHB, and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Multi-regulatory exposure deepens expertise and enhances the ability to manage complex compliance ecosystems effectively.
In the long term, I aim to lead compliance in a high-growth organization, preparing for a public listing or scaling toward becoming a billion-dollar enterprise. Such journeys provide unparalleled learning opportunities that go beyond structured environments and foster true leadership evolution.
Khwahish Rawal, Chief Compliance Officer & Company Secretary, Svamaan Financial Services
Khwahish is a qualified Company Secretary and a Law graduate, currently serving as the Chief Compliance Officer and Company Secretary at Svamaan Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. With over 14 years of extensive experience in the financial services sector, she brings deep expertise in regulatory compliance and governance.