Address by Chief Guest

Being appointed Chief Economic Adviser in January, 2022, Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran was a writer, author, teacher and consultant.

He has written a weekly Mint column for fifteen years on Tuesdays, since 2007.

He has co-authored four books: The Rise of Finance – Causes, Consequences and Cures; Derivatives; Can India Grow? and The Economics of Derivatives.

He has taught at several business schools and institutes of management in India and in Singapore. He was the Dean of the IFMR Graduate School of Business and a distinguished Visiting Professor of Economics at Krea University.

He was one of the founders of Aavishkaar Venture Capital Fund and the Takshashila Institution. He has served on the Academic Advisory Board of DAV Schools in Tamil Nadu and the Indian School of Public Policy.

He was a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India from 2019 to 2021.

In his corporate career spanning seventeen years from 1994 to 2011, he was a Currency Economist at the Union Bank of Switzerland, Head of Research and Investment Consulting in Credit Suisse Private Banking in Asia, Head of Asia Research and Global Chief Investment Officer at Bank Julius Baer.

He was an independent Director on the Boards of TVS Supply Chain Solutions, Sundaram Fasteners, TVS Sri Chakra Tyres, Delphi TVS and Aparajitha Corporate Services.

In 1985, he received a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He earned his doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1994 for his work on exchange rate behavior

Guest of Honour

Ms. Madhabi Puri Buch assumed office as Chairperson of Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) with effect from March 2, 2022.

Ms. Buch has served as Whole Time Member, SEBI from April 2017 till October 2021 during which she handled various departments in SEBI.

Prior to that she had a career in financial markets and banking of around 3 decades. She served as Consultant to the New Development Bank in Shanghai, Head of the Singapore office of the Private Equity Firm, Greater Pacific Capital, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at ICICI Securities Limited and Executive Director, on the Board of ICICI Bank. Ms. Buch also served as a non-executive director on the Boards of various companies.

Ms. Buch holds an M.B.A. from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and is a Graduate in Mathematics from St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi.

Keynote Address

Mr. Uday Kotak is the Founder and Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank. He has played an important role in the growth of the Kotak Mahindra group over the past 38 years. He has played an important role in defining and developing India’s banking & financial sector over three decades. Mr. Kotak is currently Co-Chairman of the Indo-UK Financial Partnership (IUKFP). He is on the International Advisory Board of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation. He was President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) from June 2020 until May 2021. From October 2018 to April 2022, Mr. Kotak also served as Non-Executive Chairman of a specially constituted board of IL&FS (a state-funded non-banking financial company) by the Government of India to steer IL&FS out of a deep crisis, which he served as his national duty. In 2017, a Committee on Corporate Governance constituted by SEBI under the leadership of Mr. Kotak recommended sweeping changes towards more robust and transparent corporate governance.

Mr. Kotak is the recipient of many accolades including the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by CNBC-TV18 at the India Business Leader Awards 2023, ‘EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award’ in 2014, ‘Economic Times Business Leader of the Year Award’ in 2015 and ‘India Business Leader of the Year’ by CNBC-TV18 at the India Business Leader Awards 2021.

Panel Discussion I – Next Big Ideas on Capital Formation

Moderator

Mr. Ananth Narayan is currently a Whole Time Member of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), looking after Market Regulation Department (MRD), Alternative Investment Fund and Foreign Portfolio Investors Department (AFD), Enforcement, Enquiries & Adjudication Department (EAD), Office of Investor Assistance & Education (OIAE), and Department of Economic & Policy Analysis (DEPA).

Prior to this current role, Ananth has had extensive experience of academia, governance, and international banking.

Between 2018 and 2022, Ananth was an Associate Professor at S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai. He also served on several boards, including as Independent Director on SBI Capital Markets, Additional Director (appointed by RBI) on Yes Bank Ltd., Public Interest Director (appointed by SEBI) on NSE Clearing Limited.

Between 2009 and 2017, Ananth was with Standard Chartered Bank, last as Managing Director & Regional Head of Financial Markets, ASEAN and South Asia. Between 2006 & 2009, he was with Deutsche Bank, last as Managing Director, Global Rates, South Asia. Between 1993 & 2005, he was with Citigroup, last as Director, Financial Markets, South Asia.

Ananth has also served on several RBI and SEBI committees and working groups.

Ananth holds a Post-graduate Diploma in Management and is a Silver Medalist from Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, and is a Bachelor of Technology (Electrical Engineering) from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

Panel Discussion I – Next Big Ideas on Capital Formation

Panelist

A technocrat from IIT Bombay and IIM Calcutta, Mr. Ashish Chauhan was part of the founding team at NSE. Prior to joining NSE back in 2022, he was the MD and CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange for 10 years. He is considered as the father of modern financial derivatives and is credited with up screen-based trading, satellite telecom, the NIFTY index, derivatives trading and many other modern developments in the Indian stock market. Market Capitalization of companies listed on the NSE is now over USD 4.5 trillion which is now the largest exchange in the world in terms of number of orders and trades per day.

He has also worked in the Reliance group and the Mumbai Indians IPL cricket team. He is a part of many Government & Non – Government committees and institutions in India including serving as the Chancellor of University of Allahabad. He is on the board of IIM Calcutta, ONDC, Maha ARC and Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics. He is also a faculty at Nottingham University, UK and Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada.

A Book titled ‘Sthithpragya: The Process of Maintaining an Equilibrium’ addresses his life journey. He has been awarded many awards in India and abroad including the lifetime achievement award from Global Custodian at Singapore in 2023, Lifetime Achievement award in the field of Information Technology by CTO Magazine, Istanbul in 2007, 50 CIOs in the world by Information Week, US, Digital Icon of the Year, Asian Banker of the Year and many more.

Panel Discussion I – Next Big Ideas on Capital Formation

Panelist

Sunil Sanghai has been a career investment banking professional since 1992. Prior to founding Nova Dhruva a boutique investment bank, he was at HSBC India as Vice Chairman – Investment Banking and head of Global Banking.
Prior to HSBC he was at Goldman Sachs as Managing Director and co-head of investment banking. He started his career with JM Morgan Stanley/ Morgan Stanley.
Sunil chairs the Committee on Capital markets of FICCI and was also a member of the Government of India committees on Insurance and NBFCs.
Sunil is the member of SEBI-Primary Market Advisory Committee (PMAC).
Sunil is closely associated with a few philanthropic organizations working towards growth of children.

 Panel Discussion I – Next Big Ideas on Capital Formation

Panelists

Nilesh Shah is Managing Director of Kotak AMC.

Nilesh lead his team to the Best Fund House of the Year Award at all the mutual funds where he has worked viz. Kotak, ICICI Prudential and Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund.

Nilesh is a part time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. He is a part time member of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). He is a member of the Board of Association of Mutual Funds in India and a Member of CoBoSAC committee of SEBI

Panel Discussion I – Next Big Ideas on Capital Formation

Panelists

Amitabh runs Axis Bank, a financial conglomerate, together with a world class leadership team and a clearly defined vision of being a bank that fulfils the aspirations of a new, resurgent India through smart banking solutions.

Before joining Axis Bank, Amitabh had a long stint as the CEO of HDFC Life. He built a culture of product innovation and a digital-first approach, shaping the industry’s thought process and future aspirations. Amitabh started his career with Bank of America where he donned diverse roles like head of technology investment banking for Asia, regional finance head for wholesale bank and CFO (India). After 16 years of banking, he switched careers and became part of the founding leadership team at Infosys BPM in 2003. He also handled the Validation Services portfolio at Infosys.

Amitabh is the Chairperson of the FICCI National Committee on Banking, since 2019. He has also served as Director on the board of several reputed organizations and has received numerous awards and recognitions.

In his spare time (which he promises he has), he reads extensively, listens to music (Sufi being a particularly favourite genre) and contributes to causes dear to his heart.

Panel Discussion II – Sustainable Finance Innovation and Product Development

Moderator 

Mr. Singh is a Whole-time Member at the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). With a career spanning nearly 3 decades with SEBI, he has extensive experience in the development and regulation of the Indian securities markets. He has been instrumental in introducing various market reforms and led SEBI’s engagements on sustainability reporting and the conceptualization and formation of Social Stock Exchange in India.

Apart from representing SEBI on several Committees set up by government and RBI, he has served on the Boards of National Financial Reporting Authority and Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, and currently serves on the Board of National Institute of Securities Market (NISM) and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants. He has been involved in numerous international regulatory initiatives, including that of International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). As Chair of the Assessment Committee of IOSCO (2016-2018) and member of its various policy committees, he has steered international thematic assessments and contributed to the evolution of IOSCO Principles and Standards.

Panel Discussion II – Sustainable Finance – Innovation and Product Development

Panelists

Manish is a financial services professional with over 25 years of experience in origination, credit risk assessment, risk management, syndication, and business transformation in the Asia-Pacific region. Within the mentioned functional categories, he has handled various products, including infrastructure finance, structured finance, trade finance, and investment banking.
From July 2015 to December 2023, he served as the managing director of Tata Cleantech Capital (TCCL), the world’s first private sector Green Investment Bank, jointly promoted by Tata Capital Ltd and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). During his tenure, the company, starting from scratch, funded/syndicated over 350 projects in the clean-tech sector. Additionally, the company executed several marquee advisory assignments and partnered with global climate finance investors to channelize low-cost funds into the clean-tech sector in India.

For two consecutive years, in February 2019 and February 2020, Manish was presented the “100 Top Most Influential BFSI Leaders” award by the World BFSI Congress, recognizing the contribution made by TCCL in the war against climate change.

Starting January 1st, 2024, TCCL has merged with Tata Capital Ltd. In the merged entity, Manish is designated Chief Operating Officer, Corporate & Cleantech Finance, with responsibilities to oversee Cleantech Finance, Large Corporate, Mid Corporate, and Emerging Corporate Verticals.

Panel Discussion II – Sustainable Finance – Innovation and Product Development

Panelists

Ritesh is a global finance leader with rich experience in leading diverse teams across the UK, India, and other Asian markets. He is a future-focused, high-energy, results-oriented business leader driven by his purpose ‘Reimagine possibilities and bring value with values.’
Ritesh is an active industry leader, strongly believing in the mantra of “Collaborate to compound”. He is the President of Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Independent Director on ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) Board and the Chairman of the CFO Council of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry).

Panel Discussion II – Sustainable Finance Innovation and Product Development

Panelists

Mr. Sunil T. S. Nair is a Chief General Manager in the Department of Regulation the Reserve Bank of India, Central Office, Mumbai.

Mr. Nair is a career Central Banker with wide experience in Policy and Regulation and more than three decades of distinguished service in the Reserve Bank of India in its Central Office at Mumbai and Regional Offices.

His academic qualifications include B.Sc., LL.B., CAIIB and PG in Management. He has attended training programmes in India and abroad and has also served on important Committees and Working Groups in the Reserve Bank of India.

Panel Discussion II – Sustainable Finance Innovation and Product Development

Panelists

Purpose & Passion driven – Sustainable Development Advocate for more than 27 years – Community Builder – Contributor to Wellness of planet and people – Intrigued by Leadership, Transparency & Enterprise Development. Anchored by spiritual well-being.

Currently she is the Director of GRI South Asia Region and her primary role is to create and nurture a network of policy makers, investors, businesses, academia, civil societies that will enable sustainable development and sustainability reporting become a key agenda for a safer, healthier and responsible market and society. She advocates, facilitates, and advises on sustainable development, transparency, governance, leadership, stakeholder engagement and reporting so that there is credible and transparent information available in the market and society to make empowered decisions for a better planet.

She is part of various global and regional forum and advisory committees and is a popular speaker.

She has a PhD in Environmental Science.

Panel Discussion III – Investing in Infrastructure Bridging the Gap through Securities Markets

Moderator

Shri Kamlesh Chandra Varshney took charge as Whole Time Member, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in Mumbai on 20th September, 2023. Prior to this assignment he was Joint Secretary (Tax Policy and Legislation) in the Department of Revenue.
Shri Varshney is MBA from IIM, Lucknow and is also a law graduate. He has also worked in Merchant Navy after being trained in T.S.Rajendra.

Shri Varshney is 1990 batch Indian Revenue Service Officer who has worked in various capacities in the Income-tax Department and Finance Ministry. He was the first Commissioner of Advance Pricing Agreement and has a distinction of rolling out APA program successfully in India. He is on the panel of tax experts of UNDP. He has worked for five years with tax administration of Papua New Guinea helping them in investigation and capacity building. Shri Varshney is recipient of the Finance Minister Award for his contribution to Indian Tax policy and Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme. Shri Varshney is a sports enthusiast and loves teaching

Shri Varshney is handling various departments like Market Intermediaries Regulation and Supervision Department, Legal Affairs Department-LAD1, Integrated Surveillance Department, Information Technology Department, Recovery & Refund Department and Special Enforcement Cell.

Panel Discussion III – Investing in Infrastructure Bridging the Gap through Securities Markets

Panelists

Pramod is an Executive Director at Securities & Exchange Board of India, handling Department of Debt & Hybrid Securities (DDHS), Department of Economic and Policy Analysis (DEPA), Enquiries and Adjudication Department (EAD), Quasi-Judicial Cell & acting as a quasi-judicial authority. He is a member of IFSC Authority (www.IFSCA.gov.in), the Inter-Regulatory Technical Group (IRTG) of the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council & a member of the Assessment Committee of IOSCO (www.iosco.org).

Pramod has extensive experience in Indian financial services sector, having served as Group General Counsel at ICICI group, General Counsel for Citi South Asia cluster, as a partner at IndusLaw & as General Counsel of ICICI Bank, with many professional accomplishments in such roles.

He also served as a member of Board of Directors of ICICI Securities Ltd, ICICI Prudential Trust Ltd, ICICI Trusteeship Services Ltd, & as a member of National Committee for Regulatory Affairs of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), of Advisory Council of Sahamati & of SEBI Subcommittee for Regulatory Sandbox.

Pramod co-founded a LawTech enterprise, & served as a Board member of 2 startups. He also advised & mentored startups under the aegis of ICICI Bank’s Startup Engagement Team & its Innovation Lab, NSRCEL of IIM Bangalore, SINE of IIT Bombay & of No Changemaker Left Behind program by Agami. He has also led piloting and adoption of innovative approaches and technology-led solutions for various business, operational & legal requirements. He has collaborated on certain iSPIRT projects including Sahay-GeM & Sahamati AA Ecosystem.

He has played a pivotal role in conceptualizing & adoption of online dispute resolution (ODR) at ICICI Bank & digital ecosystems such as Sahamati, Sahay GeM, Sahay GST & ONDC. He also engaged with policy makers, the government & the judiciary on ODR, which culminated in Niti Aayog committee report on Designing the Future of Dispute Resolution: The ODR Policy Plan for India, & in the launch of ODR Handbook.

Panel Discussion III – Investing in Infrastructure Bridging the Gap through Securities Markets

Panelists

Tushar has been associated with the World Bank (WB) since 2019. Working as a Senior Financial Sector Specialist, he is responsible for analytical and advisory services, lending operations, and policy dialogue in the financial sector area, inter alia on issues related to long-term finance, PPPs, infrastructure and municipal finance, digital financial inclusion, development of capital markets, financial stability, and MSME financing. Prior to joining the WB, Tushar worked in the banking sector as an economist. His research projects covered macro-financial issues like Government Bond Market and Treasury Yields, Financial Stability, Effective Exchange Rates, Monetary Policy and Capital Flows, International Trade, Credit Spreads, Inflation Targeting, Fiscal Policy, and Digitization.

He has been a regular writer in the newspapers and economic journals. In 2016, Tushar and his team were ranked as the top rupee forecaster by Bloomberg. In 2019, he was counted among the best individual researchers (highly recommended category) for India by the Asset Magazine (Hong Kong). In 2023, he was included in India’s 40 Under 40 list for his contributions by the Indian Achiever’s Club

Panel Discussion III – Investing in Infrastructure Bridging the Gap through Securities Markets

Panelists

Mr. Samuel Joseph Jebaraj joined the Board of National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) as ‘Deputy Managing Director – Lending & Project Finance’ on 6th April 2023. Prior to joining NaBFID, he was Deputy Managing Director on the Board of IDBI Bank from September 2019 to April 2023. Prior to IDBI Bank, he was with Exim Bank for over 21 years in various capacities; last being Chief General Manager.

Mr. Samuel has over 31 years of varied banking experience. He was part of the turnaround team in IDBI Bank. He was also on the Board of IDBI Capital Markets Ltd. and Chairman of the Board of Directors of IDBI Trusteeship Services Ltd. and IDBI Mutual Fund Trustee Company Ltd.

He was the CFO of Exim Bank between June 2014 and October 2017.

He is a regular speaker on Banking, Project Finance, Infrastructure Finance, Trade Finance, etc. He was a member of various Working Groups / Task Forces set-up by the Government of India on India’s international trade. He led various international consultancy assignments for Commonwealth Secretariat in London, Exim Bank of Nigeria, Sri Lanka Exports, Saudi Export Agency, etc.

Panel Discussion III – Investing in Infrastructure Bridging the Gap through Securities Markets

Panelists

Mathew George has over 3 decades of diverse experience and is currently leading the Finance and Accounts function of the National Highways Infra Trust and its Subsidiaries as the CFO of the Investment Management Company. In his previous profile, Mathew was the CFO of Indinfravit Trust (India’s first Privately Placed Infrastructure Investment Trust). Prior experience includes leading the Project Finance, Treasury and Risk functions of L&T IDPL which was amongst India’s largest infrastructure holding company, he also played a leading role in the overall Corporate Strategy. Mathew, also has substantial experience in managing the entire gamut of Banking Services in a career across 4 Indian Banks over a period of 14 years.
In his career spanning various profiles and industries, he has handled portfolios as diverse as Roads, Metro, Transmission Lines, Real Estate, Silos and Wind.

Panel Discussion IV Moving from Savers to Investors

(Focus on Financial Literacy, Capacity Building, Financial Inclusion and Risk)

Moderator

Shri Ashwani Bhatia took charge as Whole Time Member, Securities and Exchange Board of India, in Mumbai on June 01, 2022. Prior to this assignment, Shri Bhatia held the position of Managing Director, State Bank of India.
Shri Bhatia handles the Department of Debt and Hybrid Securities (DDHS), Corporation Finance Investigation Department (CFID), Corporation Finance Department (CFD), General Services Department (GSD), Regional Offices, PQ Cell, RTI and Board Cell.
Shri Bhatia comes with the experience of over three and a half decades in the State Bank Group where he joined as a Probationary Officer in 1985. Before becoming Managing Director in State Bank of India, Shri Bhatia served as MD & CEO, SBI Funds Management Pvt. Limited.
He has wide experience in Treasury Operations, Retail Banking, Credit, Investment Banking and Asset Management.
Shri Bhatia completed his schooling from Air Force School, Subroto Park, Delhi and did his Graduation in Physics and Mathematics from Dayalbagh University, Agra. He is an MBA from Podar Institute of Management, Jaipur.

Panel Discussion IV Moving from Savers to Investors

Panelists

Mr. Neeraj Choksi is the co-founder and promoter of NJ Group of companies since 1994.Currently, working in the capacity of Jt. Managing Director in the holding company. In 1994, immediately after graduation started the financial products distribution business along with Mr Jignesh Desai, in Surat. Neeraj is also the Chairman of the asset management business managing more than 8500 crores of AUM as on 31st December 2023.

He has also served as the member of the SEBIs mutual fund advisory committee for six years(2011-2018) and currently also a member of the SEBIs Mutual fund Advisory Committee. Apart from the Mutual Fund Advisory Committee, he has been a member of several working groups and committees of SEBI.

Currently acting as the member of the CDSL Business Advisory committee, BSE Capital Market Committee, NSE Trading Member Advisory Committee.

He has been responsible for creating Industry Trade Body for Portfolio Managers APMI(Association of Portfolio Managers of India) and presently acting as the Chairman of the same.

Panel Discussion IV Moving from Savers to Investors

Panelists

Mr. Karthik has two decades of experience in Indian capital markets. He is Head of education and market research at Zerodha and created educational initiatives for Zerodha’s client base, totaling 1.6mn investors. He is leading Zerodha Capital’s securities lending business and is a mentor at Rainmatter, Zerodha’s startup fund. He is author of ‘Rupee Tales’, India’s first illustrated story books for children on concepts related to Finance.

Panel Discussion IV Moving from Savers to Investors

Panelists

Mr. Koshy is the MD & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a first-of-its-kind initiative globally to democratize e-commerce in India.
Koshy is erudite with rich professional experience and expertise. An IIM Bangalore alumnus, he was part of the founding team of National Security Depository Limited (NSDL) and served as an Executive Director. He has also marked a remarkable stint in Ernst & Young leading key digital transformation initiatives.
Mr. Koshy has been a pioneer in Digital ID and social protection initiatives and has played a leadership role in many implementations and consulting projects globally including the UID project of India, the largest ID program in the world, along with many other Digital ID initiatives globally.
Mr. Koshy played a key role in the many digital transformation projects in India, including the transformation of Pension Systems in India, the development of the Tax Information Network and the formulation of IT strategy and IT architecture for the implementation of Goods & Service Tax in India. Mr. Koshy has also assisted the World Bank with pension transformation projects and has been to China as a member of a pension reform mission.
Mr. Koshy has also served as a member of SEBI committees pertaining to the adoption of dematerialized settlement of securities and mutual funds as well as committees constituted by the RBI with reference to the Online Tax Accounting System for Direct and Indirect Tax. He has also been a member of the Sub Group on Technology of the Tax Administration Reform Commission of the Government of India constituted to recommend measures for reforms required in Tax Administration to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency for both Direct as well as Indirect tax.

Panel Discussion IV Moving from Savers to Investors

Panelists

Sumaira Abidi joined SBI Mutual Fund in 2022 to augment the outreach programme for investors and key stakeholders. As VP-PR & Investor Connect, Sumaira focuses on delivering knowledge and directional insights within the ecosystem. Her passion project ‘Chaat Pe Charcha’ connects with women advisors across India and equips them with the latest product and industry knowledge. The platform also provides a networking opportunity for the community to learn, grow and thrive.
Prior to her assignment at SBI Mutual Fund, Sumaira was a business journalist with CNBC-TV18 where she specialised in coverage of the Indian mutual fund industry and reported extensively on news developments, regulations, and best investment practices.
During her 11-year stint at CNBC-TV18, Sumaira created a niche by focusing on investor education and financial inclusion. Through her TV and digital shows, Sumaira championed the cause of the retail investor and worked towards creating a better understanding of money management and its philosophy.

Previously, Sumaira has worked with India Today, Times Now & NewsX.

In 2020, Sumaira was named among AIWMI’s ‘Top 100 Women In Finance’.