BS BFSI Summit: Top experts from the finance world to share their insights

The Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2025, the nation’s largest financial sector event, will convene top policymakers, regulators, and industry executives in Mumbai from October 29 to October 31.

  The summit’s broad focus is charting the future of the financial services industry at a critical economic juncture. At the heart of the summit will be discussions on the Monetary Policy Committee’s cautious stance and the upcoming review of the Inflation Target Framework for the next ten years. Likewise, a major theme will be technology’s disruptive role, including sessions on artificial intelligence and cyber resilience in banking, fintech, cryptocurrencies, and the Unified Payments Interface. 

  Other sessions will cover the macroeconomic outlook and the growth trajectory for India, wealth management, NBFC transformation, and strategies for doubling mutual fund assets.

  Public Sector Banks: Day 1  

 Ashwini Kumar Tewari, State Bank of India

 

 Ashwini Kumar Tewari is managing director (corporate banking and subsidiaries) with the country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI). Tewari, who started his career with SBI in 1991 as a probationary officer, became managing director in January 2021. Prior to this assignment, he was MD (risk, compliance and stressed assets). 

 Before being elevated as MD, he served as MD and chief executive officer of SBI Cards and Payment Services.

Besides being instrumental in forging key business partnerships with the likes of Google Pay and PayTM, he also steered the company through the immediate aftermath of Covid. 

 He has also worked in SBI’s overseas business network and was country head of the US operations of the bank from April 2017 to July 2020.

 

 An electrical engineer by degree, he is a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB).

 

 Rajneesh Karnatak, Bank of India

 

 Rajneesh Karnatak assumed charge as managing director and chief executive officer of Bank of India (BoI) on April 29, 2023.  Before his elevation, he was working as executive director (ED) in Union Bank of India from October 21, 2021 to April 2023. Karnatak has over 30 years of banking experience and started as probationary officer with Oriental Bank of Commerce in 1994.

 He was chief general manager of Punjab National Bank (PNB) until his appointment as ED at Union Bank. As general manager in the erstwhile Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), he has headed large corporate credit branches and verticals such as credit monitoring, digital banking and mid corporate credit.

  Post amalgamation of OBC into PNB, Karnatak also headed credit review & monitoring division and corporate credit division.

 He is a post graduate in commerce (M.Com) and also Certified Associate from Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB).

 

 Debadatta Chand, Bank of Baroda

 

 Chand assumed charge as managing director and chief executive officer of Bank of Baroda (BoB) on July 1, 2023. Prior to moving to the corner office, he served as executive director at BoB since March 2021 and was overseeing corporate & institutional credit, corporate & institutional banking, treasury & global markets, mid-corporate business, and trade & foreign exchange. 

 Chand began his career in 1994 as an officer at Allahabad Bank and later worked as manager at the Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi). In 2005, he joined PNB as chief manager and steadily progressed to the position of chief general manager.

 

 He holds a B.Tech, an MBA, and CAIIB qualification. Additionally, Chand has a PG Diploma in Equity Research and is a certified portfolio manager.

 

Asheesh Pandey, Union Bank of India 

Asheesh Pandey, the managing director and chief executive officer of Union Bank of India, is a seasoned banker with nearly three decades of experience. He is recognised for his tech-forward approach and for steering complex institutional integrations and digital transformations.

 

 Pandey has served Union Bank for over two decades, rising through the ranks from assistant general manager in the late 1990s to chief general manager and chief operating officer by 2021. He managed critical portfolios, including industrial finance, international banking, and credit monitoring. He led the project team that established Union Bank’s insurance and mutual fund joint ventures. Pandey’s mandate in those years was shaped by innovative digital solutions, such as early adoption of WhatsApp banking, video KYC, doorstep banking, and robust analytics tools for monitoring — a reflection of his vision for modern banking.

 

MPC 

 

Ashima Goyal 

Ashima Goyal is emeritus professor of economics at the Indira Gandhi Institute for Development Research. She has provided consultancy to Asian Development Bank, Department of Economic Affairs, Global Development Network, United Nations Development Programme, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and World Bank. 

Goyal is active in the Indian policy debate; and has served on several government committees, including the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and the RBI Technical Advisory Committee for Monetary Policy, and boards of educational and financial institutions. 

She is a former Member of RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), an independent director at Edelweiss Financial Services and SBI General Insurance. Goyal edits a Routledge journal in macroeconomics and finance, and was a visiting fellow at the Economic Growth Centre, Yale University, US, and a Fulbright Senior Research Fellow at Claremont Graduate University, US. Goyal holds a Ph.D. (economics) from Bombay University and M.Phil from Delhi School of Economics. 

Mridul Kumar Saggar 

Mridul Saggar is the professor of practice (economics) at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode. Saggar has three decades of experience in various central banking functions. He was earlier the executive director at RBI, overseeing the central bank’s monetary policy and economics research functions. He was also one of the six members of the RBI’s MPC and also of its Financial Markets Committee. Earlier, he had served as head of the International Department of RBI. 

Saggar also served as chief economist of Kotak Institutional Equities during 2008-10. Currently, he is also on-boarded as an expert by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to render expert advice to IMF member countries in the area of monetary policy as part of IMF missions. A Ph.D. from IGIDR and a mid-career fellow at Princeton University, his research interests cover macroeconomics, international finance, monetary policy and monetary operations.

 

Janak Raj  

Janak Raj is a senior fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress. He also works specifically on inter-linkages between economic growth and human development, fiscal federalism in the health sector, climate finance and multilateral development bank reforms. 

He is currently also a member of the JM Financial Centre for Financial Research at IIM Udaipur.

He has more than four decades of work experience, including in the RBI, the IMF and Ministry of Finance (Department of Financial Services). 

Janak Raj served as an executive director in the RBI and as a member of its statutory MPC. He also served as principal advisor of the Monetary Policy Department and International Department of the RBI and headed its Department of Economic Policy and Research. 

At the IMF Washington DC, he was senior advisor to the executive director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Sri Lanka. He holds a PhD in economics from IIT Bombay. 

Chetan Ghate 

 

Chetan Ghate is the director of the Institute of Economic Growth in New Delhi. He is also a professor of economics at Indian Statistical Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Claremont Graduate University, California, and has completed his M.A. in economics from the Delhi School of Economics. His research focus is in the fields of macroeconomics, monetary economics, economic growth and development, and the Indian macroeconomy.  

Ghate has held several visiting faculty positions in India and abroad, and has been closely involved with the RBI in an advisory capacity. He was a member of the RBI’s first MPC until October 2020. In September 2013, he served as a member of the expert committee to revise and strengthen the Monetary Policy Framework. In 2014, he was awarded the Mahalanobis Memorial Gold Medal, given to the best research economist in India under the age of 45.

  Foreign Banks 

 

 K Balasubramanian, Citi India

 

 K Balasubramanian is the India subcontinent sub-cluster and banking head for Citi. He is credited with helping build Citi’s corporate banking business in India, covering large corporates, multinational clients, and servicing foreign direct investment and foreign institutional investment flows. Balasubramanian is a seasoned banker and has worked in multiple markets, covering clients across major industries and geographies in India. He joined Citi India in 1996 and has spent over two decades in various roles. He is a commerce graduate from St Xavier’s College, Kolkata, and a qualified chartered accountant and cost accountant.

 

 Hitendra Dave, HSBC India

 

 Hitendra Dave is the chief executive officer (CEO) of HSBC India, a position he has held since 2021. He has been associated with HSBC since 2001 and has more than three decades of experience in Indian financial markets. Dave holds a postgraduate degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Delhi University.

 

 Before becoming CEO, he served as head of global banking and markets, India, and played a key role in strengthening HSBC’s leadership in foreign exchange, capital markets, and treasury solutions. Under his leadership, HSBC expanded its presence across corporate and institutional banking segments in India.

 

 P D Singh, Standard Chartered Bank, India

 

 P D Singh became Standard Chartered Bank’s chief executive officer (CEO) for India and South Asia on April 1 this year. He was previously CEO of JPMorgan Chase Bank, India, where he played a key role in building and expanding the corporate banking franchise. Earlier, he spent more than a decade at HSBC, holding senior leadership positions in corporate and commercial banking. Singh holds engineering qualifications and two MBA degrees. He has over three decades of experience in banking and finance, and extensive expertise in corporate and institutional banking.

 

TREASURY

 

Arup Rakshit, HDFC Bank

 

As group head treasury of HDFC Bank, Arup Rakshit is responsible for all asset-liability management functions, customer business for foreign exchange and interest rates, bullion business, bond sales and distribution, foreign exchange and interest rate trading. He is also responsible for the lender’s GIFT City Branch. He joined the bank in 2006 and held leadership roles at treasury sales before taking over as the head of treasury.

 

Rakshit was co-head of corporate sales, treasury, with ABN AMRO Bank from 1999 to 2006. He was manager of corporate sales, treasury, with Deutsche Bank from 1994 to 1998.

 

Shailendra Jhingan, ICICI Securities Primary Dealership

 

Shailendra Jhingan is the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer of ICICI Securities Primary Dealership (I-Sec PD). He has 22 years of experience in financial markets, working in economics research, fund management and proprietary bond trading. He is also a director in the board of Primary Dealers Association of India. He was head of corporate bond trading at I-Sec PD for eight years. Before joining ICICI group, Jhingan headed fixed income fund management at HSBC Asset Management. He was a fund manager at Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund and handled flagship fixed income schemes.

 

Parul Mittal Sinha, Standard Chartered Bank

 

Parul Mittal Sinha is financial markets head for India and South Asia at Standard Chartered Bank. She is also co-head ASA Macro Trading and joined the bank in July 2019. Sinha has more than a decade of experience in trading financial products in London, Singapore and India markets. She was previously with Deutsche Bank in Mumbai and headed fixed income and currencies trading for local markets India. She started her career with Merrill Lynch, London, trading European rates and G-10 cross currency basis swaps. Since then, she has traded in local markets in Singapore and India, also with Merrill Lynch (later Bank of America Merrill Lynch), before joining Deutsche Bank in India in 2014.

 

Aditya Bagree, Citi

 

As managing director and head of markets for Citi South Asia, Aditya Bagree is responsible for delivering strategic initiatives and business plans for Citi’s clients across market products and services. He is in charge of senior regulatory and client relationships for markets in the region and establishing a risk management discipline and culture. He is part of the Citi Leadership Team for India as well as the Asia Pacific Markets Operating Committee.

 

Since joining Citi India in 2011, Bagree has held a number of important senior leadership positions. Most recently, he was the head of Asia local corporate credit trading and global spread products. In that role, Bagree increased franchise revenue and market share and built the global spread products, financing & securitisation, and commercial real estate financing business in India.

 

Private Banks

 

Rajiv Anand, IndusInd Bank 

Rajiv Anand took over as managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO) of IndusInd Bank on August 25, 2025, for a three-year term. He brings over 35 years of experience in financial services, with prior roles, including as deputy managing director at Axis Bank and leadership positions across asset management, retail banking and wholesale banking.

He is a commerce graduate and a Chartered Accountant. His appointment comes at a critical juncture for IndusInd bank, following internal accounting issues and leadership changes.

 

KVS Manian, Federal Bank 

  KVS Manian assumed the role of MD & CEO of Federal Bank with effect from September 23, 2024.

  With more than 25 years of experience at Kotak Mahindra Bank, he played a key role in its transformation from a non-banking financial company (NBFC) to a major private bank, especially in corporate, institutional and investment banking as well as wealth management. Manian holds an electrical engineering degree from IIT (BHU), Varanasi, a postgraduate degree in Financial Management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (Mumbai), and is a qualified Cost & Works Accountant.

 

R Subramaniakumar, RBL Bank 

Subramaniakumar has been the MD & CEO at RBL Bank since June 2022.

  He has around 40 years of experience in banking and financial services. He began his career in 1980 with Punjab National Bank (PNB), where he spent 33 years across diverse functions, including digital banking, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), retail, overseas operations, and business transformation.

  He helped establish PNB’s subsidiaries and international presence in countries like the UK, Bhutan, Nepal, and Kazakhstan.

Before joining RBL Bank, he served as MD & CEO of Indian Overseas Bank, held executive director (ED) roles at Indian Overseas Bank and Indian Bank, and acted as administrator for DHFL under the IBC framework. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics, a PGD in computer applications.

 

Rakesh Sharma, IDBI Bank  

Rakesh Sharma has been serving as MD & CEO of IDBI Bank since October 2018 and was re-appointed for a further three-year term, effective March 19, 2025. He is a postgraduate in economics, holds the CAIIB certification, and has over 40 years of banking experience, starting his career with India’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI).

He has led other banks, including Canara Bank and Lakshmi Vilas Bank, and his leadership at IDBI is focused on strengthening digital infrastructure, improving customer service and institutional reform.

 

Prashant Kumar, Yes Bank  

Prashant Kumar was appointed as MD & CEO of Yes Bank post reconstruction of the lender in March 2020.

Under his leadership, the bank embarked on a transformation journey to emerge as a re-energised, re-capitalised and recalibrated organisation, while continuing to fulfil its unwavering commitment towards its customers and stakeholders.

Prior to joining Yes Bank, Kumar was the deputy managing director & chief financial officer (CFO) of SBI. He was associated with SBI in various capacities and has a rich experience in diverse fields ranging from credit to human resources.

He joined SBI as a probationary officer in 1983 and during his 37 years of service with the public sector bank, he took up various key assignments. He holds a degree in Science and Law from Delhi University.

 

Investment banking: Day 1

 

Gesu Kaushal, Kotak Mahindra Capital Company

 

Gesu Kaushal, managing director & co-head of equity corporate finance at Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, brings three decades of experience in investment banking. She joined Kotak in 2000 after beginning her career with SBI Capital Markets.

 

With a deep understanding of India’s capital markets, Kaushal has led fund-raising mandates for corporates across diverse sectors including ecommerce, digital technology and IT services, banking and financial services, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, consumer, and industrials. Having navigated multiple market cycles, she has extensive experience in managing complex transactions and dynamic market conditions.

 

She is also a member of the Standing Committee on Primary Markets of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSC Authority, GIFT City).

 

An Economics (Hons) graduate from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, Gesu holds an MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, University of Mumbai.

 

Sunil Khaitan, Goldman Sachs India

 

Sunil Khaitan is managing director (MD) and head of India Financing Group at Goldman Sachs. Based in Mumbai, he leads the company’s financing business across equity, equity-linked, and debt solutions, working closely with corporates and financial sponsors to meet their strategic capital-raising needs.

 

Khaitan joined Goldman Sachs in 2024 from Bank of America, where he was MD and head of Equity Capital Markets for Southeast Asia, based in Singapore.

 

He has held senior roles with Deutsche Bank in Hong Kong and worked with Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch in their investment banking and M&A divisions. His expertise spans capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate advisory, with a consistent focus on developing innovative financing structures and deepening institutional investor engagement.

 

Khaitan holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.

 

Sonia Dasgupta, JM Financial

 

Sonia Dasgupta is the managing director and chief executive officer of the Investment Banking division at JM Financial. A seasoned investment banker with nearly three decades of experience, she has played a central role in shaping the organisation’s strategic vision and strengthening its leadership position in India’s capital markets.

 

Dasgupta is an alumna of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and St Xavier’s College, Kolkata. She has held multiple leadership roles at JM Financial, including head of Financial Institutions Group Coverage, head of M&A Origination, and head of Group Borrowings. Over the years, she has led several marquee transactions spanning mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets, and structured fund-raising for both domestic and international clients.

 

Beyond her corporate achievements, Dasgupta is a strong advocate for women’s leadership in finance and actively mentors young professionals.

 

Amitabh Malhotra, HSBC India

 

Amitabh Malhotra is vice-chairman of capital markets and advisory at HSBC India, a position he assumed in February 2025. He leads HSBC’s strategic client coverage and advisory initiatives across capital markets and corporate finance, leveraging over two decades of investment banking experience across Asia.

 

He previously led the debt capital markets, investment banking, and equity capital markets businesses for HSBC India.

 

Malhotra joined HSBC Capital Markets & Securities (India) in July 2018 as head of investment banking, India, where he was responsible for mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets franchises.

 

Before joining HSBC, he spent 15 years at Rothschild India as co-head and managing director, including a two-year tenure in Hong Kong.

 

He holds an MBA in Finance from the Else School of Management, USA and before that studied chemical engineering at Manipal Institute of Technology.

 

ECONOMISTS 

SOUMYA KANTI GHOSH, STATE BANK OF INDIA

 

Soumya Kanti Ghosh, group chief economic advisor at State Bank of India, is the co-author of a pioneering work to capture payroll data in India for the first time, both formal and informal. The work provided inputs for designing the PMKISAN scheme for farmers and the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme for MSME borrowers that have been very successful during the coronavirus pandemic. He had a role in designing the Credit Health Guarantee scheme, and also serves as a Chairman of the Indian Banks’ Association’s Economist Group.

 

For eight successive years ending 2025, Ghosh was ranked as one of the best individuals in research in India by ‘The Asset’ magazine. He completed his undergraduate degree from Kolkata University, post-graduation from Delhi School of Economics and doctoral degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

 

SONAL VARMA, NOMURA

 

Sonal Varma is chief economist, India and Asia ex-Japan, at Nomura. Based in Singapore, her responsibilities include analysing key economic trends in the region and publishing in-depth reports on the economy.

 

She joined Nomura in October 2008 from Lehman Brothers, where she served as India economist. She previously worked as an economist at ICICI Bank and rating agency CRISIL. She was a member of the Indian government’s working group to construct the index of industrial production.

 

Varma was rated No. 1 on Research in India from 2012 to 2019 by The Asset magazine, ranked the No. 1 forecaster for Indian economic data by Bloomberg in 2012 and 2013, and was among the Top 3 economists in India as ranked by the All-India Institutional Investor survey in 2013 – 2018.

 

Sonal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Delhi University and a Masters in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics.

 

ADITI NAYAR, ICRA RATINGS

 

Aditi Nayar has a strong background in economics and research. She began her career at the World Bank in 2005 as a research analyst, where she worked until 2007. That year she joined ICRA as principal economist and is now chief economist and head of research and outreach.

 

Nayar pursued a B.A. degree in economics and psychology at Indiana University Bloomington from 2001 to 2003. Prior to that, she completed her secondary education at Delhi Public School – R K Puram, graduating with an AISSCE in Commerce in 1999. She then went on to obtain a M. Phil. degree in Economics from the University of Oxford from 2003 to 2005. She attended Bryn Mawr College from 1999 to 2001, studying economics and psychology.

 

SAMIRAN CHAKRABORTY, CITIBANK

 

Samiran Chakraborty’s expertise is in analysing macro fundamentals of the Indian economy and an in-depth knowledge of Indian financial markets. He is chief economist, India, at Citibank and also sits in CII and FICCI’s Economic Affairs Sub-Committee and CNBC’s Citizen’s Monetary Policy Committee.

 

Before joining Citigroup, Chakraborty was head of South Asia macro research at Standard Chartered for six years. Before joining Standard Chartered, he was chief economist at ICICI Bank for five years, looking after a team of economists covering different aspects of the global economy with special reference to India.

 

Before moving into the corporate sector, Chakraborty was a faculty member of the Delhi School of Economics for five years.

 

SFB: Day 1 

  R Baskar Babu, Suryoday Small Finance Bank

  R Baskar Babu co-founded Suryoday Micro Finance Private Limited in 2008, which in 2017 received the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) licence to operate as a small finance bank (SFB).

  Babu, who played a critical role in this transition, serves as the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Suryoday SFB, and has over 17 years experience in the financial services industry. 

He has worked with Cholamandalam-DBS, HDFC Bank and GE Commercial Finance in various leadership positions. Babu is an engineering and management graduate.

 

Ajay Kanwal, Jana Small Finance Bank

  Ajay Kanwal is MD and CEO of Jana Small Finance Bank, and has more than 33 years experience in the financial services industry. He has held various leadership positions throughout his banking career.

  Prior to his current role, he served as MD and CEO of Janalakshmi Financial Services and worked at TPG Global, Mastercard, and Standard Chartered Bank. He has played a significant role in launching several strategic growth initiatives while building and managing diverse teams across geographies. 

Kanwal holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering in electronics and telecommunication from the Marathwada University and a master’s degree in management studies from the University of Bombay.

 

Inderjit Camotra, Unity Small Finance Bank

  Camotra is MD and CEO of Unity Small Finance Bank. He has banking experience of 28 years and served at prominent companies, such as Standard Chartered, ANZ and Citibank. Camotra holds a B.Tech from IIT Delhi, and an MBA degree from New York. 

This combination of banking and technology has helped Camotra focus on creating a digitally-driven bank and reach underserved communities across India. His expertise has helped build a career in lending to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and multinationals across America, Australia, and India.

 

K Paul Thomas, ESAF Small Finance Bank 

K Paul Thomas is founder of the ESAF Group of Social Enterprises, including ESAF Small Finance Bank, where he currently serves as MD and CEO. He launched the Micro Enterprises Development (MED) Division under ESAF, focusing not on profit margins, but on people —particularly women in India’s most remote and marginalised regions, long ignored by the mainstream financial system. Thomas was president of the Thrissur Management Association, chairman of the CII Kerala Chapter, and currently serves as chairman of Sa-Dhan, a self-regulatory organisation for community development finance institutions in India.

Thomas is a graduate in business administration from Annamalai University. Earlier, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Kerala Agricultural University, further recognising his contributions to business and society.

 

Life Insurance: DAY 2

 

RATNAKAR PATNAIK, LIC OF INDIA

 

 Ratnakar Patnaik was elevated to the rank of managing director (MD) of LIC of India (LIC) in June this year. Before that, he was executive director (investment, front Office) and chief investment officer of LIC, India’s biggest life insurer.

 

 Patnaik joined LIC in March 1990 as a direct recruit officer and in his 35 years with the company he has occupied important positions. He was senior divisional manager of LIC’s Indore and Jamshedpur divisions and regional manager (marketing/CLIA) in eastern zone. He has worked in marketing, customer servicing and investment in various capacities over the years.

 

 Patnaik also holds Masters in Public Administration, a diploma in health insurance and he is a fellow of Insurance Institute of India.

 

 ANUP BAGCHI, ICICI PRU LIFE

 

 Anup Bagchi was appointed as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance in June 2023. He has been with the ICICI Group since 1992, working in retail banking, corporate banking and treasury. Bagchi was executive director of ICICI Bank from 2017 to 2023 and served as the MD & CEO of ICICI Securities from 2011 to 2016. He represented the group in various regulatory committees of the central bank and the market regulator. Bagchi is a post graduate from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and an engineer from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

 

 TARUN CHUGH, BAJAJ LIFE

 

 Tarun Chugh was appointed as the managing director and chief executive officer (MD & CEO) of Bajaj Life Insurance in 2017. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, and has worked in the life insurance industry for over 20 years. Chugh is a member of the governing council of Insurance Information Bureau of India and also serves as a member of the distribution committee of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India. Previously, he was the managing director and chief executive officer of PNB MetLife Insurance and chief distribution officer at ICICI Prudential Life Insurance. Chugh is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and has an MBA from Indian Institute of Management Lucknow.

 

 MAHESH BALASUBRAMANIAN, KOTAK LIFE INSURANCE

 

 Mahesh Balasubramanian, managing director of Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company since May 2021, has 30 years of experience in the finance and banking industry. Besides insurance, he has worked in retail assets, liabilities, investments, broking, credit policy and other fields. In 2000, Mahesh cofounded Apnaloan.com, India’s first online loan marketplace for credit cards, unsecured loans, car loans and mortgages. He joined Kotak Mahindra Bank group in 2005. He has also served as the founder chief executive officer of Kotak Mahindra General Insurance. Balasubramanian has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a masters in management studies.

 

Crypto: Day 2

 

Sumit Gupta, CoinDCX

 

An IIT Bombay alumnus, Sumit Gupta is the co-founder of crypto unicorn CoinDCX in India. Gupta founded the company in 2018, which today has over 20 million users. He has advocated for the adoption of Blockchain Technologies (DLT) and believes cryptocurrencies can play a role in driving inclusion. Gupta is the founding member of the Bharat Web3 Association.

 

In 2024, CoinDCX took its first step toward international expansion with the acquisition of Dubai-based BitOasis, a virtual assets broker-dealer in the MENA (Middle East North Africa) region. In 2025, BitOasis expanded into Bahrain, further strengthening the group’s presence in the region. The DCX Group powers the Web3 economy through CoinDCX Ventures, which has backed more than 15 projects, and Okto, its Web3 wallet. This year, an existing investor in the company, US-based Coinbase infused capital in CoinDCX, valuing the firm at $2.45 billion.

 

Dilip Chenoy, Bharat Web3 Association

 

Dilip Chenoy leads Bharat Web3 Association (BWA), which is an apex body for leading Web3 technology companies in India. It aims through education, collaboration and promotion to position India as a global hub for innovation on Web3’s opportunities and future. With over 40 years of experience, Chenoy has extensive experience in leading domestic industry bodies.  Previously, he was the secretary general, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI); founding MD & CEO of the National Skill Development Corporation, director general of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and deputy director general of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He was also an advisor to India Battery Swapping Association (IBSA).

 

Chenoy graduated with an honours degree in chemistry and later did his MBA. He is a fellow of the World Academy of Productivity Science (WAPS).

 

G Padmanabhan, former executive director, Reserve Bank of India

 

G Padmanabhan served as the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) executive director from 2011 to 2015 and has over three decades of experience with the banking regulator across areas such as banking regulation, foreign exchange and securities supervision, information technology, and payment systems, among others.

 

He headed the Department of Payment and Settlement Systems at the RBI, spearheading the introduction of several new payment products such as prepaid cards and mobile wallets, with a strong focus on enhancing the security of online payment transactions.

 

Padmanabhan advises firms on regulatory and policy matters along with themes such as banking, foreign exchange, and payment systems. He is a post graduate in Economics, holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Birmingham University and is an alumnus of the Kellogg Business School.

 

SB Seker, Binance

 

SB Sekar was appointed as the head of APAC region for Binance in August 2025 to strengthen the global crypto firm’s partnerships, navigate regulatory landscape, and deliver sustainable growth. He is responsible for steering regional strategy, operations, and regulatory engagement across Asia-Pacific markets.

 

He has over 20 years of experience across the public sector, fintech, and blockchain, with deep expertise in legal, compliance, and market access matters, among others.

 

Prior to Binance, Sekar was the senior vice president at Crypto.com Group, where he was responsible for global product development and legal, regulatory matters for markets such as APAC and MENASA (Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia). He has held senior legal roles at Ant Group, Rothschild & Co, and Amicorp Group previously.

 

General Insurance Panel

 

 YASHISH DAHIYA, PB FINTECH

 

 Yashish Dahiya is cofounder, chairman & group chief executive officer of PB Fintech. He co-founded the company in 2008. He was previously the managing director of ebookers.com, a leading European online travel distributor. He has been a management consultant with Bain & Company. Dahiya holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, a post graduate diploma in management from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and an MBA from INSEAD.

 

 TAPAN SINGHEL, BAJAJ GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY

 

 Tapan Singhel has been the managing director and chief executive officer of Bajaj General Insurance since 2012. He has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. Singhel started his career as a direct officer in 1991 with New India Assurance Company. He has handled portfolios as varied as accounts, IT, underwriting, claims, marketing and sales. He is the convenor of the Working Group on Non-Life Insurance of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He is the chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India’s (Irdai’s) panel to promote ecommerce in insurance, member of Irdai’s advisory committee on reinsurance and a member of the regulator’s Insurance Advisory Committee. Singhel is an alumnus of Banaras Hindu University, and holds a Masters in Physics with a specialisation in lasers and spectroscopy.

 

 NAVEEN CHANDRA JHA, SBI GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY

 

 Naveen Chandra Jha became the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer of SBI General Insurance Company in 2024. He has over three decades of extensive experience in banking. Jha has been with State Bank of India since 1994 and held various important functional and operational roles during his tenure, including branch management and credit and risk management with a focus on SME Credit, administration, and retail banking. Jha was previously Deputy MD at SBI and chief general manager of Amaravati circle, Andhra Pradesh. He has a bachelor's degree in science, a bachelor’s in law, and a post graduate diploma in Personnel Management.

 

 ANUP RAU, GENERALI CENTRAL INSURANCE COMPANY

 

 Anup Rau is the managing director and chief executive officer of Generali Central Insurance Company since 2019. He has spent more than two decades in the insurance industry. In the last 15 years, he has held key positions in both life and non-life insurance sectors. He previously worked with HDFC Life Insurance as a chief distribution officer, and was chief executive officer of Reliance Nippon Life Insurance and Edelweiss General Insurance in separate stints. Rau has a honours degree in economics from the University of Delhi and an MBA in marketing from the university of Bombay.

 

WEALTH PANEL: Day 2

 

Anas Rahman Junaid, Hurun India

 

Anas Rahman Junaid is the founder and chief researcher of Hurun India, established in 2012 as the Indian extension of the globally renowned Hurun Report, headquartered in London.

 

Educated at the University of Oxford, Junaid partnered with Rupert Hoogewerf, Hurun's global founder, to launch the India business. Under his leadership, Hurun India has become a trusted platform for wealth-creation research, known for credible lists such as the India Rich List, Future Unicorn Index, and India Real Estate Rich List. Junaid’s work highlights India’s entrepreneurial landscape, celebrating transparency, innovation, and philanthropy.

 

He supports emerging entrepreneurs through angel investing and has invested in more than 30 startups. Recognised for integrity and impactful research, Junaid’s mission is to tell the story of India’s growth through high-integrity data and broad distribution, inspiring both national pride and global investment.

 

 Rahul Jain, President & head, Nuvama Wealth

 

Rahul Jain heads Nuvama Wealth, a wealth management business for high-net-worth individuals and salaried professionals. Beginning his journey with Nuvama in 2008 as zonal business head, Rahul has accumulated more than 14 years of expertise in developing new business verticals and expanding existing ones.

 

Jain is recognised for evolving the retail advisory business into a full-fledged wealth management business. Jain previously headed the retail broking division of ABN AMRO India, and ICICI Bank as regional product manager, broking.

 

He holds a post graduate degree in business administration with a specialisation in finance from IMT Ghaziabad.

Rajesh Saluja, ASK Private Wealth

 

Rajesh Saluja is cofounder, chief executive officer and managing director of ASK Private Wealth, a premier wealth management firm in India. With close to three decades of experience in wealth and capital management, he has been instrumental in establishing and growing ASK’s Private Wealth and Multi-Family Office businesses since joining the group in 2006.

 

Saluja also serves on the board of ASK Investment Managers, the Blackstone-backed parent company of ASK Asset & Wealth Management. Before joining ASK, he was business head for Priority Banking and Deposits at Standard Chartered Bank in India, where he managed high-net-worth client segments.

 

An Honorary Chartered Wealth Manager from the American Academy of Financial Management, he holds a master’s degree in marketing management. Saluja is recognised for his strategic leadership in wealth advisory and private banking, driving ASK Private Wealth’s reputation as a trusted partner for discerning clients.

 

Srikanth Subramanian, Ionic Wealth 

 Srikanth Subramanian is the chief executive officer and cofounder of Ionic Wealth, an omnichannel wealth management platform set up in 2024 for India’s high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth investors. Under his leadership, Ionic Wealth has grown to manage ~6,000 crore in assets under management in nine cities. The company has a team of more than 200 domain and technology experts who cater to over 600 clients across the country. Subramanian has more than 20 years of experience in the banking and financial services industry. In his previous role, he conceptualised and led Kotak Cherry, Kotak Group’s new age wealth platform for democratising investment access. He leads industry commentary on trends and new developments, particularly in India’s wealth and asset management sectors.

 

UPI panel: Day 2 

 

Arif Khan, Razorpay

 

Arif Khan, who took over as chief innovation officer of Razorpay in 2022, is responsible for leading the banking, risk management, regulatory affairs, and public policy teams for the Bengaluru-based fintech major.

 

Khan has an expertise of over two decades of working in the sector. He drives engagement with banks, networks, regulators, and strategic partners to improve innovation at the company. His responsibilities also include adoption of new payment and banking platforms, and products.

 

Prior to re-joining Razorpay (first stint was between 2017 and 2019), he held leadership positions at offices such as the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), MasterCard, PWC, and HDFC Bank. He holds a postgraduate degree in Business Management from XLRI-Jamshedpur.

 

At NPCI, he served as the chief digital officer leading technology initiatives, leveraging data and analytics to drive innovations, and development of solutions based on new market behaviours.

 

Harsh Gupta, Cashfree Payments

 

Harsh Gupta leads Cashfree’s growth initiatives and revenue operations, along with expanding the firm’s market presence in India and beyond. He was appointed as the chief revenue officer (CRO) of the Bengaluru-based payments major in 2024.

 With over 15 years of experience, Gupta has scaled high-growth businesses, driving product innovation and establishing strong strategic partnerships. 

He plays a major role in driving Cashfree’s go-to-market strategy, building long-term customer trust through tech-first, scalable solutions that empower merchants and banks to grow confidently across industries. Prior to joining Cashfree, Gupta worked in leadership roles across fintechs and enterprise-focused companies, including Razorpay, PayU, EY, and WNS. He holds an MBA from IIM Lucknow and a BE degree in Electronics and Instrumentation from Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology.

 

Sanjay Tripathy, BriskPe

 

 An alumnus of Stanford School of Business, Sanjay Tripathy is the co-founder and CEO of BriskPe, a cross-border payments fintech specialising in serving micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). BriskPe was founded in January 2023. He envisions BriskPe to deliver cost-efficient, rapid B2B cross-border payments solutions with a focus on robust compliance mechanisms.  

 

Tripathy has over three decades of experience across diverse industries with expertise spanning areas such as marketing, sales, e-commerce, digital, partnerships, and strategy. Beyond his entrepreneurial pursuits, he is also an angel investor, with investments in over 20 startups.

 

He has nurtured more than 30 startups, helping in scaling them up and establishing sustainable business models. He has lent his expertise as an insurtech and fintech consultant to firms such as McKinsey, BCG, and various analyst and venture capital funds.

 

Rahul Jain, NTT Data Payment Services India

  Rahul Jain was appointed chief financial officer (CFO) of NTT Data Payment Services India in October 2019. He was earlier part of NTT Data’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) team, where he evaluated Indian fintech firms and played a key role in the acquisition of Atom by NTT Data.

 

Jain has worked across leadership roles during his career spanning almost two decades with the company. He has extensive experience in value creation, corporate governance, business partnering, M&As, cost management, IT implementations, outsourcing, and post-merger activities.

 

This year, the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NPCI International Payments (NIPL) to enable acceptance of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions for Indian tourists in Japan. Both the entities are expected to jointly examine opportunities for UPI enablement in Japan.

 

Fintech: Day 2

 

 “From pocket to cloud: AI, authentication, and the future of digital banking devices”

 

 L Guru Raghavendran, Azentio Software

 

 L Guru Raghavendran is a banking and IT solutions leader with over two decades of experience across product strategy, lending, and go-to-market execution. At Azentio Software, he leads the lending product portfolio, driving innovation and sustainable growth in a fast-evolving financial landscape. He joined Azentio in 2019.

 

 Before Azentio, he was the head of products, Presales & Delivery at Experian. He also co-founded Hexagon Global, where he led business solutions, strategic sales, and alliances.

  Raghavendran’s career spans collaborations with leading institutions such as HDFC, Standard Chartered, and HSBC, with his proficiency in consumer finance, credit & risk management, along with expertise in product strategy, design thinking, and go-to-market execution. 

Ripunjai Gaur, Paytm

 

 Ripunjai Gaur is the chief operating officer (COO) for Offline Payments at Paytm, leading the company’s offline merchant network that powers over 40 million SMEs (small and medium enterprises) with digital payment and digital commerce solutions.

With more than two decades of experience in fintech and digital payments, he has built and scaled multiple merchant-centric businesses across geographies. 

Gaur has played a key role in launching and expanding category-defining products such as Soundbox, EDC (electronic data capture), and voucher platforms, shaping the way small businesses adopt and engage with digital payments. His expertise spans P&L leadership, go-to-market strategy, and building scalable frameworks suited to fragmented SME ecosystems.

 

Paytm designated Gaur as a senior management personnel of the listed firm in 2024. He has been part of the company since 2009.

  Sivaramakrishnan Iswaran (Siva), Zoho

 

 Sivaramakrishnan Iswaran (Siva) currently leads the growth strategy for Zoho Payments, and also serves as the Global Head

of the Finance and Operations Business Unit at Zoho. Siva is passionate about building software that addresses real business needs.

  

 Siva has been with the company for over two decades, and has held multiple key positions during his tenure. He has successfully led the development and launch of several products across finance, payments, and operations. His domain focus includes, finance, accounting, billing, credit card payments, ACH, inventory, PoS, travel & expense management, SaaS, Cloud, Mobile - IOS, Android and Windows. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Finance. 

Mayank Sharma, Google

 

Mayank Sharma leads Android Enterprise partnerships for South and South East Asia at Google, where he works with system integrators, operators, distributors, device manufacturers and independent software vendors. He has more than 17 years of experience in alliances, category and product management, and previously worked at Samsung, Lenovo, SOTI and AirWatch (now Omnissa).

   

Cybersecurity: Day 2

 

“Trust No One, Verify Everything: Cybersecurity for the digital age”

 

 

Deep Narayan Mukherjee, BCG

 

Deep Narayan Mukherjee has expertise in a wide range of risk management processes and tools across financial risks (credit, market, liquidity & interest rate) and non-financial risk. He has developed risk products and solutions focusing across the entire borrower life cycle. Has developed decision support systems based on behavioural, financial, macro-economic data enabling decisions from transactional to strategic levels across 40 plus financial institutions across 5 continents.

 

Vinod Kumar, Fino Payments Bank

 

Vinod Kumar joined Fino Payments Bank in 2018 as the chief information officer. He plays a vital role in establishing a robust IT infrastructure system and is leading the digital transformation initiatives to create a future-ready bank. Vinod is instrumental in setting up strong cybersecurity measures, robotic process automation and driving continuous efforts towards capacity building to manage increasing transaction volumes of the bank. Vinod has taken additional charge of central operations with effect from October 2024, with a vision to establish long-term operational strategies that align with the bank’s objectives.

 

Malcolm Gomes, IDfy 

Malcolm Gomes is the chief operating officer at IDfy, where he leads the company’s Trust and Privacy platform ‘Privy,’ oversees global operations, and drives strategic initiatives to advance IDfy’s mission of enabling trust at scale in the digital economy.

 He joined IDfy in April 2025. 

Gomes has over two decades of experience at the intersection of financial services, technology, and consumer engagement, along with expertise in strategy, business building, and operational leadership.

 

Before joining IDfy, he spent over 16 years at McKinsey & Company, where he served as a Partner working with financial services clients across India, Southeast Asia, and West Asia. At McKinsey, he played a pivotal role in driving digital transformation, AI-led service operations, new business builds, and customer experience initiatives across emerging markets.

  Mahavir Jindal, Amazon Pay India

  Mahavir Jindal serves as the chief operating officer at Amazon Pay India, where he oversees the company’s operations and drives strategic initiatives to enhance its payment services. His leadership plays a crucial role in strengthening Amazon Pay’s position in India’s competitive fintech market.

  With over 20 years of experience in the fintech and e-commerce sectors, Mahavir has a proven track record of scaling businesses and driving operational excellence. 

Before joining Amazon Pay, he worked as a director at Citibank, where he contributed significantly to the company’s operational strategies. Mahavir holds a degree in Finance and International Business from NMIMS.

   

PANEL – Microfinance: Day 2 

 

 Alok Misra, MFIN

 

 Alok Misra joined as chief executive and director of Microfinance Industry Network (MFIN) in August 2020 and has played a key role in regulatory reforms in the microfinance (MFI) sector and establishing guardrails for micro lending.  

 Prior to his role as CEO at MFIN, Misra served as professor and chairperson at the School of Public Policy & Governance at Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurugram.

 Commencing his career in 1992 with India's apex rural development bank, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), he engaged in financial sector supervision, institutional development, MFI, and agricultural finance, along with a focus on rural livelihoods. 

 Holding a Doctorate in Development Studies from Victoria University, Wellington, Misra's academic background includes a Master's in Development Management (Gold medallist) from Asian Institute of Management, Manila.

 

 HP Singh, Satin Creditcare Network

 

 HP Singh, chairman and managing director at Satin Creditcare, has been at the helm of its day-to-day operations and long-term strategy ever since the company’s inception in 1990.

 In 2015, Singh founded Global Social (India) Foundation (GSIF), a not-for-profit organisation, aiming for a better Tomorrow’s India, a vision with better job and educational opportunities, improved health & sanitation facilities, elimination of hunger, and child labour along with other similar social issues. 

 Singh is also a part of industry forums like Sa-Dhan and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), where he lends his expertise as a Banking and Financial Institution member.

 He is a law graduate and a fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India since 1984. He also holds expertise across auditing, accounts, project financing, advisory services and company law matters.