Hinduja Heir, 31, Wants To Remake Swiss Bank For "T-Shirt, Flip-Flop" Clients

Karam Hinduja has taken over the Hinduja Bank Switzerland at a difficult juncture for the Hindujas.

Karam Hinduja has rather un-Swiss ambitions for the Swiss private bank he took charge of last year.

The 31-year-old grandson of Srichand Hinduja, the patriarch of the $18 billion British-Indian Hinduja Group, says he wants to stay true to his grandfather's values while trying to remake the bank to attract a more modern, less stuffy clientele. In an interview at the bank's Geneva headquarters, Karam said he told his employees to be more like the bank's clients, who may just as likely have made their fortunes as tech entrepreneurs as from finance.

"If your client is in shorts, t-shirt and a pair of flip flops, feel free to do the same, meet them at their level," the executive said.

Karam has taken over the bank at a difficult juncture for the Hindujas, with a deepening dispute between his ailing 85-year-old grandfather's side of the family and Srichand's three younger brothers. It doesn't help that the bank sits at the heart of the conflict. In a legal battle, Srichand -- represented by his daughter Vinoo -- is claiming sole ownership of the bank. SP's brothers say the bank is part of the Hinduja Group.