Speakers 2026

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 Corporate Finance Department, Integrated Surveillance Department, Corporate Finance Investigation Department and Legal Affairs Department. 

Mr Bijay Murmuria, Chairman, Financial Services Subcommittee and a very senior member of CII.  He is also the Director of Sumedha Fiscal Services Ltd and Partner of Maheshwari & Associates comes from a solid financial background. As a practicing Chartered Accountant and Insolvency Professional, he ably guides all issues pertaining to securities, shares, money markets and Insolvency cases. His unparallel advice in regulatory issues and domestic business environment are pivotal to success.

Mr Murmuria’s intelligent foresight has influenced the company's business model remarkably over years.

A key business enabler at Sumedha, he has made several presentations at various platforms of ICSI, ICAI, CII, Assocham & ANMI in India & abroad. Mr Murmuria has also been actively associated with ANMI since inception and was also all India President for the year 2008-09 and represented ANMI both as delegate & panellist in Asia Securities Forum. 

A Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary and Chartered Financial Analyst as well as an Insolvency Resolution Professional, Mr. Samir Agarwal was amongst the top 10 rank holders in CFA Final exams. Samir is also an alumni of Columbia Business School, New York!!

Samir is the promoter director of Indcap Advisors, a category 1 merchant banker, registered with SEBI. Samir has been an active deal maker involved in some marquee deals in Eastern part of India. Before promoting Indcap Advisors, Samir had stint with global consultancy firms like Arthur Anderson and Ernst & Young. 

Samir, with nearly 25 years of post-qualification experience,  is the force behind the growing footsteps of Indcap across the globe. He has handled various assignments successfully in sphere of capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, financial structuring and corporate restructuring. 
Samir is also Co-Chairman of the Banking & Financial Services Subcommittee, CII Eastern Region. Samir is regular invitee at various business forums as speaker.

Mr Ratan Kumar Kesh has around three decades of experience across industries in leadership roles in multiple domains – Operations, Technology, Transaction Banking, Product, Affluent Banking, Operations Risk, Enterprise Governance, Intelligent Automation, Digital, Cx and Organisation Transformation. He was recognised among the 50 most talented Quality Professionals in India by the World Quality Congress. He was also recognised as one of India’s top 25 Emerging Tech Leaders by BIOCON Network in collaboration with MeitY. 

At Bandhan Bank, he has been the Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer since March 31, 2023. He is leading multiple functions including Technology, Operations, Customer Experience, Transformation, Internal Audit, Recovery, and other support functions. Mr Kesh successfully led the IT transformation at the Bank and has been playing an instrumental role in optimising the processes, controls, customer services, business excellence, etc., at the Bank. 

He was part of the core team to lead organisation transformation with technology, digital, governance, quality and customer focus during his tenures at ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Yes Bank and Axis Bank. He was among the first few in the Indian Banking Industry to launch full-fledged Service Quality Framework and Service CRM while in HDFC Bank. To his credit, he transformed the Axis Bank’s operations by imbibing technology, digital and AI. Mr Kesh is also a Member of Managing Committee of The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

He is a B.E (Mechanical Engineering) from NIT, Durgapur and MBA from NMIMS. He is also certified Quality Engineer from Quality Council of Indiana, USA and has completed advance leadership course from IIM-A and Strategic Agility from Harvard.

Vijay Kedia, is an Individual Investor in the stock market with experience of more than three decades.

Started with zero capital, he has identified many multibaggers in his investing career. Some of his investments have appreciated 100 times in the past. One of his investments has given him 16400 TIMES return.

 Kedia, a three times Tedx speaker has also been a keynote speaker in prominent B schools including, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, Indian Business School Hyderabad. IIT BOMBAY, London Business School.

 Vijay Kedia was conferred with a Doctorate degree for Excellence in The Field of Management.

 He has received following awards:

• “ACE INVESTOR" by Hon'ble Ministers Shri Piyush Goyal Ji and Shri Devendra Fadnavis Ji.
• SARVOTTAM SAMMAN” 2020 at Raj Bhavan by the Maharashtra Governor Shri. Bhagat Singh Koshyari Ji.
• Shri Babasaheb Ambedkar award and Shri Abdul Kalam Award.
• Award for financial literacy by present Governor of Maharashtra and Gujarat Shri Acharya Devvrat Ji in October 2025

Rajani is a seasoned economist with a wealth of experience in financial services, corporate sector and consultancy. As the Chief Economist at CareEdge Group, Rajani has authored many reports on various economic issues, and she regularly writes opinion pieces for business dailies. Rajani has played a key role in CareEdge’s foray into sovereign ratings, making it the first Indian company entering this space.

She is an active participant in public discussions on economics in various forums. Before joining CareEdge Ratings, Rajani held senior positions at prestigious institutions such as Aditya Birla Group, Knight Frank, Kotak Bank, and J M Morgan Stanley. Rajani remains committed to education and is often invited to give lectures at educational institutions. She is an alumna of the prestigious Delhi School of Economics and Lady Shri Ram College.

Priti Rathi Gupta, Co-Promoter of Anand Rathi and 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 10 lakh women to take charge of their finances, transforming their small savings into meaningful investments and financial confidence. Analumna of Harvard Business School, Priti brings over two decades of experience in the BFSI industry, where she has consistently challenged conventions and built new pathways for inclusion and innovation. As Co-Promoter at Anand Rathi Group, oneof India’s largest financial services conglomerates, she was instrumental in establishing the Broking, Commodities,Currency, and Forex Advisory businesses, earning industry-wide recognition for her strategic foresight andleadership. 

Passionate about Music, Design and Literature, Priti runs foundations dedicated to each. She also has a deeplovefortheart of storytelling through film.

Anand Rathi is a large financial conglomerate established 32 years ago. With 10 billion dollars in assets under management, it is a leading stock and insurance broking firm with businesses spanning wealth management, NBFC and investment banking. 

LXME is India’s first women-focused personal finance and investment platform, empowering over 10 lakhwomenwiththe tools and community to invest with confidence. Under Priti’s leadership, LXME’s Facebook community was chosenasone of only 130 global groups for the Facebook Community Accelerator Program. More recently, LXME was among 20 women-founded or co-founded startups selected for the prestigious Google for Startups Accelerator Program, chosenfrom nearly 400 applicants. 

She has also founded Ishka Films, a production house focused on fun, quirky and content-driven cinema, bridging her business acumen with her passion for storytelling. 

Family Married to Pradeep Gupta, Vice Chairman of the Anand Rathi Group, they have two lovely children, Aishwarya and Krishnav.

AK Bhattacharya, is the Editorial Director at Business Standard, India’s  leading business newspaper. Before becoming the Editor of Business Standard, he served as the Editor of The Pioneer and occupied leadership positions in The Economic Times  and  Financial Express. With over 47 years of experience in the media, A K Bhattacharya won the Shriram Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Financial Journalism in 2017. He is also a member of the Economic Affairs Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry. He is the author of The Rise of Goliath: Twelve Disruptions That Changed India  (Penguin, July 2019),  India’s Finance Ministers: From Independence to Emergency  (Penguin, May 2023) and  India’s Finance Ministers: Stumbling into Reforms (1977-1998) , also published by Penguin in January 2024. The third volume in this series,  India’s Finance Ministers: Different Strokes (1998-2014)  was published by Penguin in March  2025.  His latest book, co-edited by him and published by Rupa in June 2025 is :  A World in Flux: India’s Economic Priorities. His long-running column,  Raisina Hill , published in Business Standard, looks at government affairs and economic policy.

Vaiibhavv comes with rich experience over 25 years in the financial services sector. Vaiibhavv holds a bachelor’s degree from Punjab University and a PGDM from IMT Ghaziabad. He has also done a LDP- Finance for Executives from IIM - Bengaluru.

Prior to joining Abakkus, Vaiibhavv worked with Whiteoak Capital Asset Management Limited as Head Sales for the organisation managing the retail distribution partnerships across India. He worked with Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC for 14 years and served in various roles across North, South and West India. He has experience in retail sales and distribution and has worked with organisations like ICICI Prudential AMC, IDBI Principal AMC and Franklin Templeton (erstwhile Kothari Pioneer Mutual Funds).

Mr. Gaurab Parija leads the Sales and Marketing division at Bandhan AMC. With nearly three decades of robust experience in sales, marketing, business development, and strategic initiatives, he is recognised as one of the most seasoned professionals in the industry. His expertise in retail sales and distribution of mutual funds is particularly notable. 

At Bandhan AMC, Mr. Parija is responsible for driving business growth through seasoned sales and marketing teams across India. He focuses on building strong partnerships and enhancing client value, backed by his deep industry relationships and a passionate commitment to service. 

Before joining Bandhan AMC, Mr. Parija was with Franklin Templeton as a Director, where he was responsible for New Initiatives and Business Development, CEMEA/India. His previous roles at Franklin Templeton also include National Sales Director, Head of Retail Advisory Services, and Head of Alternate Distribution. 

Gaurab holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM) from IIM Bangalore.

Shobha oversees the development and implementation of WhiteOak Capital AMC's comprehensive risk management and mitigation framework, with a focus on strengthening governance, operational resilience, enhancing and ensuring adherence to evolving regulatory standards. 

With close to two decades of experience in the mutual fund industry, she has developed extensive expertise across risk management and fund operations. Her experience spans key functions including fund accounting, custody, banking operations, reconciliations, operational controls, and process governance, enabling her to build and oversee robust risk frameworks that support efficient and compliant business operations. 

Over the course of her career, Shobha has held leadership and specialist roles across the financial services industry, contributing to the strengthening of operational processes and risk practices within the mutual fund ecosystem. Her broad experience provides her with a well-rounded perspective on balancing operational efficiency with effective risk oversight. 

Shobha is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a Financial Risk Manager (GARP), bringing together strong technical expertise and practical industry experience in managing operational and enterprise risks.

With more than a two-decade long career cantered around Corporate Strategy, Investments and Business building, Amit has been actively engaged in multiple industries including Pulp & Paper, Textiles, Agribusiness, Renewable Energy, and Financial Services.

As an executive Board Member of the LNB Group, he strives towards getting the group to continue with its century old legacy and strong inclusive ethos while preparing it to be relevant for the decades to come by incorporating new age business possibilities which complement the Group’s focus on Sustainability.

He has earlier worked at the Tata Group where he has the unique distinction of being among the youngest in the entire group to have successfully completed the Business Excellence Leadership Program (BELP) thereby qualifying as an external Assessor of the Tata Business Excellence Model (TBEM) – an adaptation of the renowned Malcolm Baldrige Model. He was also nominated as the FIBRES Champion (Fact & Information Based Reverse Engineering of Strategy) during his stint at Tatas.

Amit has served on the Committee(s) of industry and professional bodies including FICCI and Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in various capacities from time to time. He is a member of Angel networks and serves on the Advisory Board of multiple Venture Capital Funds. He is also a member of YPO and TiE (Charter Member).

Amit is a proud Alumni of St Xavier’s College Kolkata and Harvard Business School.

Business journalist with over 14 years of experience across print, television, and digital media with expertise in tracking a range of sectors including capital markets, FMCG, automobiles, and personal finance.

Was prime-time market hours anchor with ET Now prior to taking charge as the Multimedia Lead at Moneycontrol - the most recent stint with news media. 

Expertise in simplifying business concepts and personal finance, utilising online platforms to bring forth content aimed at empowering retail investors.

As a new-age broadcast journalist and content evangelist, I excel at harnessing cross-channel spaces to create high-value, high-impact content backed by thorough research and analysis.

Currently building Cogent Media Labs (as Co-founder), a multimedia digital content agency that curates specialized content for corporates to engage more meaningfully with stakeholders.

Lady Shri Ram College, IIM-Lucknow alumna. 

Shri Raj Kishore Singh is a senior banking and financial services professional with over 25 years of experience spanning risk management, treasury and investments, asset management, corporate banking, and institutional governance. He is currently serving as MD & CEO of IDBI Capital Market Services Ltd , one of the oldest Merchant Banks .

Prior to his present role, Shri Singh served as Chief General Manager – Treasury at IDBI Bank, overseeing large multi-asset portfolios across fixed income, foreign exchange, equity, and derivatives, along with responsibility for statutory and regulatory compliance including CRR, SLR, and liquidity risk management. 

He also served as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of IDBI Asset Management Company Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of IDBI Bank, where he was responsible for overall management of the mutual fund business, including fund management oversight, risk and compliance, distribution, finance, corporate governance, and regulatory interface with RBI and SEBI.

Shri Singh has held senior leadership roles in the Corporate Banking Group of IDBI Bank across Jamshedpur, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, and Delhi and Mumbai involving oversight of large corporate and mid-corporate portfolios, credit appraisal and monitoring, structured products, and enhancement of fee-based income. 

Ms. Geetha G. has been appointed as Chief Regulatory Officer (Key Management Personnel) at BSE effective 5th June 2026. 

Ms. Geetha brings over three decades of rich experience across securities regulation, banking supervision, enforcement, litigation and policy advocacy & implementation. She has held leadership roles at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and most recently, the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). 

At SEBI, she served for 15 years was last designated as Chief General Manager and Head – Enforcement, she led key functions covering enforcement, litigation, quasi-judicial proceeding, and settlements. She has played a significant role in regulatory oversight across intermediaries, listed entities and market infrastructure institutions. 

She holds an LLM in Taxa on from the University of Calicut, securing First Rank, and a BA (Law) and LLB from Government Law College, University of Calicut, where she also secured First Rank. She has further completed international regulatory programs at leading institutions including Harvard Law School and International Institute of Law (IIL), Washington DC, USA.