Dr. Arvind Virmani, specialises in policy & institutional reforms for sustained, fast inclusive economic growth.

He is a macro economist who has bridged the gap between academics, think tanks and policy makers, through research based policy advice and policy oriented research. He played a prominent, professional and advisory role in the economic reforms of the 1990s and 2000s, such as Tax, Tariff, Foreign Exchange, Financial Sector & Expenditure Policy reforms.

He was the founder Chairman of the “Foundation for Economic Growth and Welfare” (EGROW) and President of the Forum for Strategic Initiatives (FSI, Delhi) and has earlier served as Executive Director, IMF, Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance and Principal Advisor, Planning Commission.

He was Director & Chief Executive of ICRIER and has published over 60 Journal Articles, Books & Chapters, and more than 100 Working and Policy Papers in Macroeconomics, Growth, Tax & Tariff Reform, Foreign Exchange, International Relations and National Security Strategy.

He was a member of the TRAI, a mentor (Public Policy & Economics) to FICCI, and Member of Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy, RBI.

His experience in Finance Sector includes: Chairman, Board of Trustees of SBI Mutual Fund, Director LIC, Member of SEBI Appellate Tribunal and Depositories Act, Member Board of Trustee at UTI and Director in PNB, Allahabad Bank and EXIM Bank.

His Think Tank experience includes: Member, Board of Governors in CPR & RIS, Non-resident Sr. Fellow in Brooking Institution, USA, Affiliate Professor & Distinguished Sr. Fellow in George Mason University, USA.

Samara Cohen, Senior Managing Director, is Global Head of Market Development for BlackRock, where she helps to shape the evolution of market structure to support investor access and product innovation. She is a member of the firm’s Global Executive Committee (GEC).

Samara works with stakeholders across the capital markets ecosystem, including investors, academics, market makers, trading venues and service providers. In partnership with Global Corporate Affairs, Global Product Solutions, BlackRock Global Markets & Index Investments, and Digital Assets, she is focused on advancing market structure priorities on behalf of investors.

Samara previously was Chief Investment Officer of ETF and Index Investments and led teams delivering the market quality and investment integrity for BlackRock’s index funds and iShares ETFs.

Samara is a member of the GEC Investment Subcommittee and the GEC Talent Subcommittee. She is also the GEC sponsor for BlackRock’s Women’s Initiative & Allies Network (WIN) and Co-Head of the Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee (GDSC). Prior to rejoining BlackRock in 2015, Samara was a Managing Director in the Securities Division of Goldman Sachs, where she built and led the Global Market Transition team to develop and deliver solutions to clients in the evolving market structure and regulatory environment following the 2008 global financial crisis. Samara first joined BlackRock in 1993 as an analyst in the Institutional Client Business.

Samara has been recognized for her leadership in the financial services industry. In 2023 and 2024, Samara was named one of American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Finance. She has been honoured as one of Barron’s Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance for the past four consecutive years. In 2025, she received the Women’s Bond Club Merit Award for her outstanding contributions to the industry. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Securities Industry Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) and a member of the Board of the BlackRock Foundation.

She earned a BS in Economics in Finance from the Wharton School and a BA in Theatre Arts from the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania. She earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Shri Tuhin Kanta Pandey took charge as Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India in
Mumbai on March 01, 2025.
Shri Pandey is an IAS Officer of Odisha Cadre belonging to the 1987 batch. Before joining SEBI, he
served as Union Finance Secretary, Revenue Secretary and Secretary, Department of Investment &
Public Asset Management (DIPAM), Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises and Secretary,
DOP&T.
Shri Pandey has held many significant positions in the Union Government and State Government of
Odisha, in addition to serving a stint in the Regional Office of the United Nations Industrial
Development Organisation (UNIDO).
In the Union Government, his previous organisations include Planning Commission (Now Niti
Aayog), Cabinet Secretariat and Ministry of Commerce.
In State Government of Odisha, he served as administrative head in the Departments of Finance,
Health, General Administration, Commercial Taxes and Transport.

In his career spanning over more than three decades, Shri Pandey has wide experience in the areas
of Economy & Finance, Industrial Development, Tax policy and administration and has been
instrumental in bringing about several institutional innovations, new policies and systems in the
Departments he has served.
He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from Panjab University, Chandigarh and Master of Business
Administration from the University of Birmingham (UK).

Amarjeet Singh is presently the Whole-time Member at Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). With a career spanning nearly 3 decades with SEBI, he has extensive experience in development, regulation and supervision of securities markets.

Amarjeet has been instrumental in introducing SEBI’s reforms in both primary and secondary securities markets, including areas of Initial Public Offerings, Corporate Governance, Stewardship, Financing Reporting, T+1 Settlement and Risk Management. He has led SEBI’s engagements on sustainability reporting in recent years and also the conceptualization and formation of the Social Stock Exchange and its related ecosystem in India.

He is currently a member on the Board of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA). He has represented SEBI on numerous Committees set up by the Reserve Bank of India and the Government of India. He was a part-time member on the Board of the National Financial Reporting Authority (2019-2022) and on the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (2019-2023), set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. He has also served on the Board of the National Institute of Securities Market.

He has been involved in various international regulatory initiatives, including those of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). He has acted as Sherpa for SEBI’s representation on the Board of IOSCO. As former Chair of the Assessment Committee of IOSCO (2016-2018) and member of its various policy committees since 2010, he has steered thematic assessments at the global level and contributed to the evolution of IOSCO Principles and Standards.

Apart from an MBA, Amarjeet holds a Master’s degree in Economic Policy Management from Columbia University, NY, USA. He is a recipient of the Rotary Foundation Educational Award, 2000, for promoting leadership development and international understanding by Rotary International, USA and of the Joint Japan – World Bank Graduate Scholarship Award, 2001 – 02.

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 a 1990 batch Indian Revenue Service Officer who has worked in various capacities in the Income-tax Department and the Finance Ministry. He was the first Commissioner of the Advance Pricing Agreement and has a distinction of rolling out the APA program successfully in India. He is on the panel of tax experts of UNDP. He has worked for five years with the tax administration of Papua New Guinea, helping them with investigations and capacity building. Shri Varshney is a 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, Integrated Surveillance Department, Corporate Finance Department, Corporate Finance Investigation Department, Legal Affairs Department, Recovery & Refund Department and Special Enforcement Cell.

Shri Varshney is an MBA from IIM, Lucknow and is also a law graduate. He has also worked in the Merchant Navy after being trained in T.S.Rajendra.

Shri Sunil Jayawant Kadam took charge as Executive Director, Securities and
Exchange Board of India on July 1, 2025. The departments under him are: Office of Investor Assistance and Education (OIAE), Department of Economic and Policy Analysis (DEPA), Board Cell, RTI & PQ Cell and matters relating to National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM).

Prior to his promotion as Executive Director, Shri Kadam was Chief General Manager in SEBI and has handled several assignments in SEBI since joining SEBI in 1996. Shri Kadam has served in various Departments including as Registrar at the National Institute of Securities Markets, Regional Director of SEBI’s Northern Regional Office, Corporation Finance, Market Regulation, Surveillance, and Investigations. Shri Kadam has dealt with matters relating to forensic accounting, Indian Depository Receipts (IDRs), e-voting, Business Responsibility Reports, and various legal proceedings such as search and seizure, adjudications, and litigation. Additionally, Shri Kadam was a member of several SEBI committees, notably the Committee on Disclosures and Accounting Standards (SCODA), and has contributed to the OECD’s report on “Related Party Transactions and Minority Shareholder Protection.”

Shri Kadam is a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Pune, and is a Postgraduate in Securities Law from Government Law College, Mumbai.

Sashi Krishnan is the Director of the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM). He has 40 years’ experience in the Pension Fund Management, Life Insurance, and Mutual Fund industry.

In his previous role, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Pension System Trust, from January 2021 to January 2024. Prior to this, he was the CEO at Aditya Birla Sun Life Pension Management Limited. He has also held leadership roles at Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Ltd., DBS Bank (Singapore), DBS Cholamandalam Asset Management Ltd., and Unit Trust of India.

A technocrat from IIT Bombay and IIM Calcutta, Mr Ashish was part of the founding team at NSE.

He is credited with setting up first screen-based trading in India, mobile trading, mutual fund distribution through exchanges, markets for SME shares, satellite telecom, the NIFTY index, derivatives trading and many other modern developments in the Indian stock markets.

He is considered as the father of modern financial derivatives in India. Prior to joining NSE back in 2022, he was the MD and CEO of BSE Limited for 10 years. He is a member of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Chancellor of the University of Allahabad and currently acting as the Chairman of the Board of IIM Calcutta.

He is also a Board Member at the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and other institutions of repute. He has worked in the Reliance group as Group CIO and as the CEO of Mumbai Indians IPL cricket team in its formative years. He contributes extensively to public policy as part of several forums and is a visiting faculty member at Nottingham University, UK and Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada.

He has been awarded many awards in India and abroad including the Lifetime Achievement Awards by Regulation Asia and by Outlook Business in 2025, India’s Impactful CEO Award by the Times Group in 2025, CEO of the Year by Asia Asset Management in 2025, Most Influential CEO by CEO Monthly in 2024, Lifetime Achievement Award by Global Custodian in 2023 and many more.

A book titled ‘Sthithapragya: The Process of Maintaining an Equilibrium’ addresses his life’s journey

Shri Ramamurthy assumed charge as MD & CEO of BSE in January 2023 and has since led transformative initiatives across strategy, product innovation, regulatory engagement, and business development. Under his leadership, BSE has expanded its market offerings, embraced digital innovation, and strengthened its position in the global capital markets landscape.

He brings over four decades of experience in banking and capital markets, having held leadership roles across premier institutions. Prior to BSE, he served as MD & COO at Bank of America’s Indian operations, overseeing governance and control across banking and securities. His earlier tenure at NSE spanned close to 20 years, where he played a pivotal role in its evolution—particularly in derivatives, indices, data, and clearing operations.

He began his career with leading banks, including Indian Overseas Bank, State Bank of India (SBI), and IDBI. Shri Ramamurthy is a Cost Accountant, a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree. He also holds the prestigious Financial Risk Manager (FRM) certification, underscoring his expertise in global risk management practices. His visionary leadership has been recognised through multiple prestigious awards:

• • Visionary Leadership Award by State Bank of India.
• • CEO of the Year 2025 at the FOW Asia Pacific Awards.
• • Outstanding CEO of the Year in Capital Market – 2023 and 2024 by Eternal Corporate Media.

Navneet Munot is a veteran of financial markets, He has 3 decades of rich experience in the industry.

Navneet is on the Board of AMFI and has served as its chairman from 2023 to 2025. Navneet has also been part of many committees and working groups set up by SEBI and IFSCA. He is on the Board of National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM), an Institute set up by SEBI for capacity building activities and enhancing the quality standards in securities markets. He is also a board member of Bombay Chambers of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).

Mr Nilesh Shah has lead his team to the Best Fund House of the Year Award at all mutual funds where he has worked viz. Kotak, ICICI Prudential and Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund. He is a part time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and 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 (AMFI) and a Member of “Corporate Bonds and Securitization Advisory Committee” (CoBoSAC) of SEBI. He is a member of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

In a long and distinguished career, Amitabh has been unafraid to take risks, challenge norms
and push the boundaries of conventional thinking across industries. 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. Over the past four years, Axis Bank has turned in industry leading
performance on growth, profitability, and sustainability through a mix of deep investments in
digital, focus on customer experience, making a strategic bet on Bharat and being prudent on
risk. The Bank also acquired the consumer business of Citibank India recently to strengthen
its wealth and credit card portfolio. These efforts under his leadership are clearly visible in the upward trajectory of Axis Bank’s performance.

Before joining Axis Bank, Amitabh had a long stint as the CEO of HDFC Life, when he built one
of the most valued life insurance franchises in the country. 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 built a successful process outsourcing
business in his 8 years stint, that set a benchmark on the nature of work that could transition to India along with profitability. 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.

Dr. Andrew Sheng is Distinguished Fellow of the Asia Global Institute, University of Hong Kong. He is a member of the International Advisory Councils of China Investment Corporation (CIC), National Financial Regulatory Administration, China and the China Securities Regulatory Commission. He holds the post of Adjunct Professor at the Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing and the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.

Previously, Dr. Sheng served as Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong, as President of the Fung Global Institute, Hong Kong and as a central banker with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Bank Negara Malaysia (the Central Bank of Malaysia). He has served as a Board Member of the Khazanah Nasional Berhad (the sovereign wealth fund of the Government of Malaysia) and on the International Advisory Board of SEBI. He was an adviser to the UN Environment Programme’s Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System. He has also worked at the World Bank and chaired the Technical Committee of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). In 2009, he became Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak in Malaysia.

Dr. Andrew Sheng writes regularly on international finance and monetary economics, financial regulation and global governance for Project Syndicate, Asia News Network and leading economic magazines and newspapers in Asia. A chartered accountant by training, he has a BSc in Economics and Honorary Doctorates from the University of Bristol and University of Malaya. In April 2013, Andrew was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Amit Chandra, Chairperson and a founding member of Bain Capital’s Mumbai office was also member of the Asian Pacific leadership team for over a decade.

Before joining Bain Capital, he spent most of his professional career at DSP Merrill Lynch, overseeing the Global Markets & Investment Banking business, and retired as its Board Member and senior most MD. Amit has served on the board of many corporates, including Tata Sons, Genpact, L&T Finance, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Piramal Enterprises, and Tata Investment Corporation.

Amit has been active in the social sector for over 25 years and founded ATECF, which is one of the largest foundations in the country focused on Capacity Building of the sector and Rural Development. He significantly participated in many projects such as scaling of Jai Vakeel Foundation, co-founding Ashoka University, establishing the SRCC Children’s Hospital, and helping build multiple museums across the country.

Amit has served on the Boards or Advisory Boards of many Not for Profits, including Ashoka University, Tata Trusts, Bridgespan India, Swades, Akanksha Foundation, Give India, and WCT.

Aadit Palicha is the Co-founder and CEO of Zepto, where he drives the company’s vision, growth, and execution strategy. Under his leadership, Zepto has expanded across India’s major metros, secured significant funding, and built a hyperlocal delivery model. In 2021, Aadit co-founded Zepto with Kaivalya Vohra, launching a 10-minute grocery delivery platform that redefined urban convenience through technology-led logistics. He is known for his bold vision, operational discipline, and focus on speed, execution, and user experience as core business drivers.

Priti Rathi Gupta, Founder of LXME, is a trailblazer redefining how women engage with money in India. Through her vision and leadership, she has empowered and inspired over 1.7 lakh women to take charge of their finances, transforming their small savings into meaningful investments and financial confidence. An alumni of Harvard Business School, Priti brings over two decades of experience in the BFSI industry. As the co-promoter at Anand Rathi Group, she was instrumental in establishing the Commodities, Currency and Forex Advisory businesses. Under her leadership, Lxme’s thriving community continues to receive international accolades. More recently, Lxme was among 20 women-founded or co-founded startups selected for the prestigious Google for Startups Accelerator Program, chosen from nearly 400 applicants—a testament to Priti’s mission of bridging the gap between women and wealth.

Mr. Kunal Shroff is the Managing Partner at ChrysCapital and has been with the firm since 1999. He manages the organization and plays a critical role across various functions including investments, portfolio management and client relations.

Kunal was previously at Chilton Investment Company where he covered technology stocks, and at Goldman Sachs in their principal investment area in New York where he focused on private equity and mezzanine investments.

Kunal sits on the Board of EdelGive Foundation and is also a Founder of Ashoka University. Kunal did his schooling at the Cathedral and John Connon School, and received a BS in computer science with magna cum laude honours from Cornell University.

Sandip Bhagat specializes in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and general corporate matters. His practice covers regulations on public offerings, takeovers, corporate governance, foreign investment and related matters. He regularly advises international and domestic corporations and investment banks on a range of matters across sectors.

Sandip has been recognized as among India’s top 100 lawyers by India Business Law Journal and among Asia’s Best Lawyer’s by IFLR and as an elite practitioner by Asialaw Profiles for capital markets. He is also recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers Global, Chambers Asia Pacific, IFLR1000, RSG India Report, International Who’s Who of Capital Markets Lawyers and The Legal 500 Hall of Fame for expertise in capital markets.

Sandip is a member of SEBI’s Primary Markets Advisory Committee, where he has been involved in regulatory changes relating to listings, de-listings, takeovers and corporate governance.

Sandip previously worked with Shearman & Sterling, a leading international law firm, from 1993 to 1999 in New York and Singapore. Thereafter, he worked with an Indian law firm. He founded S&R Associates in 2005, a leading full-service law firm in India, with more than 160 lawyers and offices in Mumbai and Delhi.

Nithin has over 10 years of experience in the financial services industry starting as an investment analyst at a wealth management firm followed by stints in financial journalism, as well as content marketing for fintechs. During this time, he has also conducted over 100 personal finance workshops at leading MNCs and colleges in India to further investment awareness.

Latha Venkatesh is currently a Consulting Editor, CNBC TV18.

Latha began her career at CNBC-TV18 as chief of the Mumbai News Bureau in 2001, and went on to be a prime-time anchor covering equity markets and specialising in the coverage of fixed income and currency markets and the banking sector.

Over the years, she has come to be recognised as one of the respected commentators on banking sector issues, money markets and macroeconomic trends.

She has been a business journalist for 30 years and has specialized in covering all markets – stocks, currency, debt and commodities.

She has also had stints in all major streams of media, having worked in the Economic Times and Dow Jones Newswires for five years each.

Latha graduated in Economics and Politics and has a doctoral degree in Political Science.