When Piyush Gupta walked into the meeting room at Singapore Management University recently, there was an immediate difference from the public image many in Singapore had grown used to over the years.

The chairman of SMU’s board of trustees was not wearing a tie.

For much of his tenure as chief executive of DBS, Gupta was closely associated with the bank’s sharp corporate identity — tailored suits, the familiar red tie and a briefcase in hand. Now, after stepping down from the role at the end of March 2025, he arrives carrying a simple backpack instead.

The change, however, appears largely symbolic.

Seated for an interview with The Business Times, Gupta remained the thoughtful and articulate speaker long associated with Singapore’s banking circles. Conversation moved easily across subjects including meditation, conservation and education, with little attention given to his own record in finance despite a career spanning 45 years.

Fifteen of those years were spent leading DBS, where he helped steer the bank into becoming a major regional player. Yet in discussing life after banking, Gupta showed little inclination to revisit old milestones or dwell on achievements already well documented.

Instead, the focus turned to what comes next.

For many corporate leaders, stepping away at the height of professional success can carry uncertainty, particularly after years spent in highly visible positions. Gupta’s departure, though, was not presented as a reluctant decision or an abrupt transition. It was something he had planned for deliberately.

That sense of preparation surfaced repeatedly during the conversation. One line in particular reflected the outlook shaping this new phase of his life: people should “plan, plan and plan” because they are likely to live to 100.

The remark captured both practicality and perspective. Rather than framing retirement as withdrawal, Gupta appeared to describe it as another stage requiring structure, intention and adjustment.

His current routine, at least outwardly, already suggests distance from the rhythms of corporate banking. The briefcase has disappeared. So has the tie.

What remains is the public figure many Singaporeans have long recognised — measured in tone, intellectually curious and still deeply engaged with questions beyond business itself.