Podcasts about bfsi

In this episode of The Core Report Weekend Edition, Govindraj Ethiraj speaks with Anshul Jain, Chief Executive - India, SE Asia & APAC Tenant Representation at Cushman & Wakefield, to unpack the sharp rise in commercial real estate demand across India — especially driven by Global Capability Centres (GCCs), domestic expansion, and post-pandemic workplace shifts.From Bangalore's dominance in leasing activity to the rise of institutional investors, Anshul breaks down the numbers, the sectors driving growth (like BFSI, pharma, and engineering), and how green buildings, amenities, and hybrid work models are transforming modern office demand.The conversation also explores:a) Why GCCs are driving a third of India's office space demandb) How net absorption post-COVID surged by over 30%c) The premiumization of office space and rise of Grade-A infrastructured) The future of REITs and office investments in Indiae) Key policy and infrastructure gaps that must be addressed to sustain growth

Join us as we talk to Nilesh Patel, Founder & CEO, and Prashant Singh, Co-founder & COO of LeadSquared, about their story.Nilesh Patel graduated from Delhi University in 1999 and held leadership roles at IBM, Proteans, Symphony Services, and MarketXpander before founding LeadSquared, where he is the Founder and CEO.Prashant Singh completed his MS from IIT Delhi in 1999 and worked at TeleSoft, i2 Technologies, and Oracle. He later co-founded Proteans and served as VP at Symphony Teleca before co-founding LeadSquared, where he is the Co-founder and COO.

Shalini Sankarshana, MD, PlanviewIndia's banking sector is sprinting through a marathon of digital disruption—and the smartest players are using regulation not as a roadblock, but as guardrails for innovation. In this episode, Shalini Sankarshana, Managing Director at Planview®—an expert in Strategic Portfolio Management and Digital Product Development—tells Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence why banks like Axis and SBI are racing ahead, how speed and security must go hand in hand, and why the future belongs to those who collaborate, not compete. 

"When people think of AI, they think it's probably happened in the last 10 years or 20 years, but it's a journey of 70 plus years." This quote from Vinay Sankarapu challenges the common perception of AI as a recent phenomenon.Vinay Sankarapu is the Founder & CEO of Arya.ai- An Aurionpro Company, one of India's pioneering AI companies established in 2013. An IIT Bombay alumnus, Vinay led Arya.ai to become a profitable (EBITDA positive for 3+ years) enterprise AI player focusing on the BFSI sector, achieving significant scale (~₹50-100 Cr revenue range) before its acquisition by Aurionpro Solutions. He was named in Forbes 30 Under 30 (Asia) and is now also leading AryaXAI, focusing on making AI interpretable and safe for mission-critical applications. Key Insights from the Conversation:

If you've ever walked through the narrow lanes of small towns or sat across from a young dreamer in an urban slum, you'll know—talent is everywhere, but opportunity? Not so much.Millions of young Indians stand at the edge of possibility, armed with ambition but held back by lack of access, skills, or support. And when it comes to adolescent girls in underserved geographies, the gap grows even wider.That's where Kiwaad—meaning ‘doorway'—steps in. Through industry-aligned training in retail, BFSI, and digital skills, Kiwaad isn't just creating livelihoods—it's transforming identities.In this episode, we're joined by Nidhi Rai, the passionate founder of Kiwaad, who's on a mission to ensure that no young dreamer gets left behind.Discussion Highlights

Dipak Nair - Founder and Managing Director, X-Biz TechVenturesX-Biz TechVentures, with its AI-Diagnostics approach, is reshaping cybersecurity for the BFSI sector by uncovering hidden threats like Shadow APIs and third-party vulnerabilities. Dipak discusses with Puja how AI is transforming the cybersecurity playbook - from tackling blind spots in traditional audits to tightening vendor risk management and exposing hidden threats like Shadow APIs. 

To get your dose of daily business news, tune into Mint Top of the Morning on Mint Podcasts available on all audio streaming platforms. https://open.spotify.com/show/7x8Nv1RlOKyMV5IftIJwP1?si=bf5ecbaedd8f4ddc This is Nelson John, and I'll bring you the top business and tech stories, let's get started.  IndiGo Soars to New Highs but Faces Valuation Concerns IndiGo's stock hit a 52-week high of ₹5,190, fueled by strong management commentary and rising air travel demand from the Mahakumbh gathering and an extended wedding season. Passenger traffic surged 17% YoY, lifting revenue per seat. Since January, the stock has gained 25%, delivering a 58% annual return—far outpacing the Nifty 50. However, its valuation of 9.5x earnings exceeds global airline peers like Air China (8.8x) and the industry average (5.5x). IndiGo plans to expand international capacity from 28% to 40% by 2030, adding one aircraft per week and cutting grounded planes. Despite strong fundamentals, analysts warn the upside is limited, with Motilal Oswal and Nuvama setting target prices below its current ₹5,097 level. Eli Lilly Brings Mounjaro to India Eli Lilly has launched Mounjaro, its diabetes and weight-loss drug, in India after securing regulatory approval. With over 101 million diabetes cases and rising obesity, India is a key market for the pharma giant. Already sold in the UK and Europe under the same name and as Zepbound in the U.S., Mounjaro is expected to tap into a global obesity drug market projected to reach $150 billion annually by the 2030s. CEO David Ricks had hinted at a 2025 India launch, and now it's a reality. Accenture's Warning Spells Trouble for IT Sector Accenture flagged macroeconomic uncertainty in the U.S., citing weaker earnings and federal contract delays under the Trump administration. The IT giant's Q2 revenue fell 5.8% sequentially to $16.66 billion but grew 5.4% YoY. Its Q3 revenue outlook remains between $16.9 billion and $17.5 billion, with full-year growth guidance capped at 7%. For Indian IT majors like TCS, Infosys, and Wipro, this signals headwinds, as analysts predict slower growth for India's $283-billion IT sector in FY26 due to high interest rates and geopolitical risks. However, AI offers a bright spot—Accenture secured $1.4 billion in Gen AI bookings last quarter, with total AI-related orders hitting $5.6 billion since September 2023. The Corporate Rebranding Wave: More Than Just a Name Change? Following Zomato's shift to Eternal, CK Birla Group's HIL Ltd has rebranded as BirlaNu Ltd, while Hindalco has also refreshed its identity. Experts say rebranding reflects strategic shifts, next-gen leadership, and market differentiation. Over 1,100 Indian companies have changed names in the past two decades, with BFSI, real estate, and IT leading the trend. A third of newly listed companies rebrand within five years of their IPO, highlighting competitive pressures. But does it impact stock prices? Not necessarily—PwC's Raghav Narsalay notes that unless tied to a major business shift, investor reactions remain muted. India Approves ₹54,000 Crore Defence Boost India has cleared a massive military upgrade, approving key acquisitions for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Highlights include: • Air Force: Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft to enhance aerial surveillance. • Army: Upgraded 1,350-HP engines for T-90 tanks, improving mobility in high-altitude regions. • Navy: Indigenously developed Varunastra torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, also announced measures to speed up procurement as part of the government's “Year of Reforms” initiative. These moves reinforce India's focus on military modernization and operational readiness.

In this episode of “Credit Conversations with CIBIL”, host Anupam Gupta is joined by Mr. Bhavesh Jain, MD & CEO of TransUnion CIBIL, where he delves into the pivotal role of credit bureaus in India's financial landscape. Discover the history, significance, and impact of the CIBIL Score, and learn how TransUnion CIBIL is fostering financial inclusion and awareness. Whether you're a consumer aiming to understand your creditworthiness or a business seeking financial growth, this conversation offers valuable insights to navigate the credit ecosystem effectively.

On the 2nd Episode of Season 4 of our podcast “Talk in the Town”, we spoke to Mr. Nimish Sutaria & Mr. Shivkumar Rao - Members of Nagpur@2025. This is a citizen-led initiative to transform Nagpur by bringing together citizens, corporates, NGOs and the administration.Our first guest, Mr. Shivkumar Rao is the Founder-Member at Nagpur@2025. He has been working towards making Nagpur a model for civic responsibility. He is also the Former President of Vidarbha Economic Development Council and is also a CA & Founder-Director, R & Y Logistics. Our second guest, Mr. Nimish Sutaria is the Convenor, Nagpur@2025; He has been responsible for leading initiatives in shaping the future of education in Nagpur; he is a CA turned entrepreneur & also the founder of Astute Group, India's largest non-franchise BFSI service provider.Nagpur@2025 has been working with city authorities and citizens in key areas like waste management, playground maintenance, and public sanitation through partnerships, including a non-financial MoU with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. They are actively working to make Nagpur cleaner, more citizen-centric city with a key focus on areas like waste management, public toilets, maintenance of open spaces and lake rejuvenation.Tune in to this episode to hear more about how Nagpur@2025 is bringing a positive change to the mindsets of citizens in Nagpur while also bettering the urban environment of the city. For more such insightful conversations about unique initiatives anchored by small city actors, subscribe to our monthly podcasts on #Spotify & #ApplePodcasts!#Nagrika #Podcast #TalkinTheTown #IndianPodcasters #TINT #Nagpur #Maharashtra #cleancity #SBM #SwachhBharatMission

Manish Agarwal, CEO & Founder, FINQYThe BFSI sector is evolving rapidly, with AI-driven hyper-personalisation, ‘phygital' customer experiences, and the rise of super apps reshaping financial services. As digital ecosystems expand, financial product consumption in India is seeing a significant shift. Manish Aggarwal, CEO & Founder of FINQY, speaks to Gloria Methri of IBS Intelligence about these emerging trends and what the future holds for the industry. 

In the world of finance, numbers tell stories, but who are the women behind those numbers? The leaders who turn spreadsheets into strategy, setbacks into stepping stones, and challenges into lasting change. Welcome to this episode of Woman in the Mirror: BFSI Edition where our host, Nitika Goel, CMO, Zinnov, is in conversation with three trailblazers — Veda Persad, Country Executive, Northern Trust India, Mamatha Madireddy, Managing Director & Head of HSBC Global Service Centres (GSCs), India, and Sirisha Voruganti, CEO & Managing Director, Lloyds Technology Centre. This isn't a collection of success stories. It's an honest exploration of grit, resilience, and sisterhood in one of the most demanding industries. It's about finding comfort in shared experiences, learning from failures, and understanding that struggle is part of the journey—because it's through those struggles that we grow and rise. For every leader or aspiring leader who has ever doubted themselves, and for everyone who believes leadership isn't about fitting in but standing out—this is your moment. Dive into the stories that matter. Because leadership isn't a destination—it's the moments you rise above. Welcome to Woman in the Mirror. Tune in now!

Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint, your weekday newscast that brings you five major stories from the world of business. It's Thursday, January 2, 2024. This is Nelson John, let's get started. All said and done, Nifty 50's returns of 9% in 2024 were about average. Expectations for the new year are understandably moderate. Abhinaba Saha writes that despite these forecasts, one sector that is likely to do well is real estate. Consumer durables will also be aided by strong demand and government support. Additionally, banks that will capitalise on the upcoming credit cycle are also likely to fare well, Abhinaba writes. Diamonds might be forever, but their returns are certainly not. Anil Poste spoke to experts, who said that asset classes like diamonds can stagnate for years. Diamonds prices had plateaued for two decades, and are now falling — thanks to lab-grown diamonds. Unlike equities that tend to grow in value through innovation and profitability, diamonds lack a reliable resale market. Jewellers often only offer exchanges, instead of buying it back for cash. Experts caution you to treat diamonds as luxury purchases rather than dependable investments, unlike gold. India's overburdened legal system is the recipient of many jokes. However, the tide turned in 2024: district courts disposed of more cases than were pending. This is the first time in our country's history that the number of resolved cases exceeded pending ones. Manas Pimpalkhare writes that this is the result of enhanced efficiency driven by technological integration and virtual hearings. The central government's eCourts scheme received a lot of funding and support to improve how cases are handled, Manas writes. Indian companies are increasingly turning to qualified institutional placements (QIPs) to raise funds for capital-intensive projects, with 2024 setting a record for such fundraising. Priyamvada C reports on data from Prime Database which shows companies raised ₹1.37 trillion across 95 QIPs, significantly higher than ₹54,350 crore from 45 issues in 2023. Prominent transactions included Vedanta and Zomato, each raising ₹8,500 crore, alongside others like Adani Energy Solutions and Godrej Properties. The surge in QIPs is attributed to favorable market conditions, robust liquidity, and strong investor interest, with sectors like BFSI, real estate, and IT being particularly active. The Indian rupee's decline against the dollar in 2024 impacted the return of FPIs, despite its relative stability compared to other global currencies. While the Sensex in rupee terms returned 8.16%, its dollar equivalent, the BSE Dollex 30, only managed a 5% gain. The rupee's modest annual fall of 2.9% was cushioned by the RBI through various market interventions. The outlook remains challenging for FPIs due to potential US policy changes under the Trump administration that may keep US bond yields high, discouraging significant investments in Indian equities and bonds. FPIs invested a mere ₹427 crore in 2024, a drastic decrease from ₹1.7 trillion in 2023. In contrast, domestic institutional investors compensated with a record ₹5.26 trillion in purchases.

In this episode of ELI, we sit down with Siddhartha Chandurkar, Founder & CEO of Shephertz, a tech company focused on helping enterprises achieve agile and incremental digital transformation. Beginning as a provider of APIs, Big Data, and AI-driven tools, Shephertz pivoted during COVID-19 to create solutions like Work Anywhere (to facilitate secure, productive remote and hybrid working) and Talent Anywhere (an AI-enhanced recruitment platform). Siddhartha shares insights on how AI is reshaping work environments, the recruiting process, and what emerging entrepreneurs should focus on to leverage this technological shift. Timestamps/Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:03 Meet Siddhartha Chandurkar & the Shephertz Journey 00:43 About Shephertz: From API & Big Data to AI-Driven Products 02:06 Birth of Work Anywhere: Enabling Remote & Hybrid Teams 03:26 Overcoming Security & Confidentiality Hurdles in Remote Work 04:01 Talent Anywhere: Redefining Global Recruitment with AI 05:12 Insightful Case Studies: Pivoting Amidst the Pandemic 07:52 Computer Vision & AI for Workforce Monitoring & Compliance 09:34 Beyond Compliance: Productivity & Engagement in Remote Setups 11:39 Fostering Company Culture & Gamification for Distributed Teams 14:00 Real-Time Examples: Launching Solutions for BFSI during COVID 17:44 Transition from API-Centric Products to New AI-Powered Solutions 19:03 Separate Platforms & Portals for Different Market Segments 20:45 AI as an Enabler: Future Trends in Remote Work & Recruitment 23:12 Exploring Generative AI & Beyond 26:10 Applied AI: Real-World Problem Solving & Continuous Innovation 28:23 Use Cases of AI in Hiring: Shortlisting, Interviews & Assessments 31:12 Advice for Entrepreneurs: Seizing the AI Opportunity Early 34:50 Closing Thoughts & Best Wishes

Welcome to ELI, your daily dose of entrepreneurship inspiration! In this episode, we speak with Karan Ahuja, co-founder and CEO of AiVANTA, a cutting-edge B2B SaaS platform that helps enterprises optimize video production costs by up to 80%. Karan shares his insights on leveraging AI for video production, bridging the gaps in enterprise-grade solutions, and the future trends in video communication for businesses. Karan discusses AiVANTA's innovative approach to AI-driven video production, the platform's use cases in BFSI, healthcare, and insurance, and how businesses can scale video personalization and localization to enhance communication.

In this episode, we're thrilled to welcome the visionary Gaurav Ranade, CTO of Netpoleon India, for an enlightening conversation that demystifies complex topics like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and the future of work.

The education and BFSI sectors in India are embracing desktop virtualization to modernize their operations and reduce costs. In the latest episode of The Edge & Beyond podcast, Michelle Dawn Mooney hosts a discussion with key figures from Intel and INP, focusing on how their partnership is reshaping computing for these sectors through the Intelligent Desktop Virtualization (IDV) initiative.Ashish Agarwal of Intel explains the vision, stating, “IDV addresses the limitations of traditional thin clients, offering scalable and robust solutions tailored for the evolving demands of modern ICT labs and banking environments.” Manoj Dubey of INP adds, “With Intel's technology, we're developing cost-effective, high-performance solutions that transform the user experience, especially in remote and underserved areas.”The episode highlights the importance of reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) while leveraging AI and Intel's 12th Gen processors to deliver immersive, multimedia-rich experiences. The guests also discuss future developments, including expanded use cases beyond education and BFSI.For more on how Intel and INP are driving desktop virtualization in India, listen to the podcast and connect with the guests:Ashish AgarwalManoj DubeySubscribe to To The Edge & Beyond podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for more insights from leaders in the Intel and Edge Network group.

The education and BFSI sectors in India are embracing desktop virtualization to modernize their operations and reduce costs. In the latest episode of The Edge & Beyond podcast, Michelle Dawn Mooney hosts a discussion with key figures from Intel and INP, focusing on how their partnership is reshaping computing for these sectors through the Intelligent Desktop Virtualization (IDV) initiative.Ashish Agarwal of Intel explains the vision, stating, “IDV addresses the limitations of traditional thin clients, offering scalable and robust solutions tailored for the evolving demands of modern ICT labs and banking environments.” Manoj Dubey of INP adds, “With Intel's technology, we're developing cost-effective, high-performance solutions that transform the user experience, especially in remote and underserved areas.”The episode highlights the importance of reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) while leveraging AI and Intel's 12th Gen processors to deliver immersive, multimedia-rich experiences. The guests also discuss future developments, including expanded use cases beyond education and BFSI.For more on how Intel and INP are driving desktop virtualization in India, listen to the podcast and connect with the guests:Ashish AgarwalManoj DubeySubscribe to To The Edge & Beyond podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for more insights from leaders in the Intel and Edge Network group.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, has expanded its collaboration with NVIDIA to launch industry-specific solutions and offerings that will help customers adopt artificial intelligence (AI) faster and at scale. These solutions and offerings will be delivered through TCS's new business unit, which is focused on NVIDIA under its AI.Cloud business unit. TCS's new business unit builds on a collaboration with NVIDIA for over five years, brings together the complementary capabilities of both organizations and offers tailored offerings for various industries. Enterprises worldwide are racing to adopt AI, but there is no consensus on an AI adoption strategy, according to the recent TCS AI for Business Study. The AI adoption journey for every enterprise is unique and involves an interplay of AI and existing enterprise capabilities. AI adoption at scale requires an intimate understanding of the enterprise and its practices and building AI models that are customized for the context. The new unit will design and deliver curated AI adoption strategies by leveraging global centres of excellence (CoEs), investments in the NVIDIA AI platform - including accelerated computing and AI software, and the NVIDIA AI Enterprise and NVIDIA Omniverse platforms - and skilled resources The new unit also offers TCS' proprietary framework, which brings together its deep domain expertise, enterprise contextual knowledge and NVIDIA AI technology for building and deploying agentic AI solutions - including NVIDIA NIM microservices and NVIDIA NIM Agent Blueprints, which are part of the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform and NVIDIA AI Foundry - to deliver value at scale to customers. TCS and NVIDIA have collaborated to build innovative, value chain-centric solutions and offerings for industry verticals on the NVIDIA AI platform. They include: 1. TCS Manufacturing AI for Industrials: This offering leverages the power of AI and large language models (LLMs) to transform raw data into actionable insights for manufacturing enterprises. While general-purpose LLMs lack the capabilities to understand specific industry nuances, TCS' Manufacturing AI for Industrials LLMs leverage the company's contextual knowledge, technical prowess, and the power of NVIDIA's application frameworks to help accurately address industry challenges. 2. TCS AI Spectrum for BFSI: This offering delivers innovative and secure ways of infusing the power of LLMs and AI into BFSI lines at enterprise scale. Built on the NVIDIA AI Enterprise platform, it enables faster decision-making, improved regulatory compliance and enhanced risk management for financial institutions. 3. TCS Cognitive Visual Receiving: This is a holistic composite AI offering built on NVIDIA AI Enterprise and Omniverse that revolutionizes retail warehousing with greater accuracy, efficiency and speed by automating quality checks, product identification, measurement and attribute extraction. 4. TCS AI-Native Telco Offerings: These offerings built on NVIDIA AI and NVIDIA Aerial Omniverse Digital Twin enable telcos to rapidly create custom telco domain-specific models to meet business needs such as autonomous network anomaly management, billing & revenue assurance, 3D network visualization and customer experience. 5. TCS AI-based Autonomous Vehicle Platform: TCS' IoT and Digital Engineering unit is working with NVIDIA to leverage generative AI and deep learning technologies, such as Omniverse for simulation and NVIDIA AI Enterprise for synthetic data generation, to accelerate the development of end-to-end autonomous features and capabilities for automotive OEMs and tier 1 suppliers. Jay Puri, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Field Operations at NVIDIA, said, "The fusion of TCS' deep industry expertise with NVIDIA AI technology is set to introduce a new era of intelligent enterprise transformation. TCS' new NVIDIA business unit is poised to accelerate AI and...

In this episode, we talk with Abhishek Kumar, a SEBI RIA and founder of SahajMoney®, about the growing interest in unlisted equity. Abhishek shares insights into why investors are rushing to buy unlisted shares, the associated risks, and practical advice for those looking to enter this asset class. 

In this episode, John Kaplan and John McMahon are joined by Devavrat Shah, CEO and co-founder of Ikigai Labs and MIT professor, to demystify the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. The conversation spans a wide array of crucial AI topics including the history and applications of AI, causal inference, explainability, and the integration of AI into sales and forecasting processes. Key highlights include the role of AI in consumption pricing, business model transformations, and job market impacts. Shah underscores the importance of governance, ethical use, and education in AI, offering valuable insights into AI tools from Ikigai Labs and their practical implementations in sectors like healthcare, supply chain, and BFSI. The discussion concludes with a focus on the explosive growth of AI, urging businesses to invest in internal education and to approach AI adoption with a 'proof of value' mindset for sustained success and global upskilling.ADDITIONAL RESOURCESConnect and learn more about Devavrat Shah:https://www.linkedin.com/in/devavrat-shah-63b59a2/Learn more about AI through Ikagai Academy: https://www.ikigailabs.io/ai-academyCheck out Force Management's guide on implementing AI for B2B Sales teams: https://hubs.li/Q02TG4tZ0Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT[00:03:02] History and Evolution of AI[00:06:21] Understanding AI Terminology[00:18:37] The Role of Explainability in AI[00:26:45] AI in Consumption Pricing and Forecasting[00:33:33] Future Possibilities and Implications of AI[00:35:58] AI's Role in Healthcare and Decision Making[00:37:08] Human-Machine Interaction and AI[00:38:29] Embracing AI Tools in Daily Life[00:40:33] Challenges and Governance in AI[00:42:44] The Importance of AI Governance[00:49:10] Introduction to IKIGAI Labs[00:54:13] AI's Impact on Industries and Consumers[01:01:18] The AI Revolution: Why Now?HIGHLIGHT QUOTES[00:03:15] "AI, statistics, machine learning, data science, for me, all of those terms have intimate relationships." – Devavret Shah[00:04:32] "Humans primarily do two things really well: mind and muscle." – Devavret Shah[01:00:27] "Don't just rush into AI because it's cool. Carefully choose where you go." – Devavret Shah[01:00:51] "Have internal champions who should be educated in terms of how to use AI." – Devavret Shah[01:04:13] "It's time to just upskill a little around AI so that we are not left behind." – Devavret Shah

Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint, your weekday newscast that brings you five major stories from the world of business. It's Tuesday, October 8, 2024. My name is Nelson John. Let's get started. Over the previous quarter, the Nifty IT index rose around 14%, while the Nifty50 increased by around half that number. Harsha Jethmalani writes that this happened after the US Federal Reserve cut its interest rates by half a percent. That spurred BFSI clients to increase their IT spending. However, this money will only be seen on the books in the quarter next year. Harsha adds that recent comments from Accenture suggest a continued focus on cost-optimisation by clients, but the overall outlook does look better than it did a few months ago. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu is in India, aiming to patch up strained ties and get Indian tourists heading back to his country's stunning islands. Even though overall tourist numbers in the Maldives are up by 10 per cent this year, the number of Indian visitors has plummeted. Politics and international relations have nudged Indian travellers toward other destinations, which is a real hit to the Maldives where tourism isn't just big business—it's essential, contributing about 30% directly to its GDP. Back in 2023, Indian tourists made up 12 per cent of all visitors to the Maldives, but this year, that's halved to just 6 per cent. N Madhavan explains how Muizzu is planning to mend his country's relationship with its biggest and most important neighbour - India.  Hero Motocorp has dominated the two-wheeler sector for more than three decades. However, its former partner Honda now threatens to overtake this lead. This is the first time in years that the automative market has seen any sort of competitive action to this extent. The two companies were partners from 1984 to 2010. After their split, Hero and Honda ruled the motorcycle and scooter markets respectively. Sumant Banerji writes that both companies are making significant inroads into each other's strongholds. Sumant writes about the segment battles in detail, and outlines who is winning what — including the up and coming EV market. India's Ministry of Law and Justice is considering updates to the Civil Procedure Code to streamline civil lawsuits and reduce court backlogs. Inspired by the effective Commercial Courts Act, the proposed reforms aim to incorporate mandatory timelines and mediation efforts to expedite legal processes. This initiative is part of broader judicial reforms, including recent revisions to major criminal laws, aimed at speeding up justice. With over 5.6 million pending civil cases, these reforms are crucial for enhancing the efficiency of India's judicial system. The goal is to modernise the CPC, established in 1908, and ensure it meets contemporary legal needs more effectively, reports Manas Pimpalkhare. The festive season is here, and so is the season of festive foods. The joy of Hilsa, a favourite among fish enthusiasts, is marred this year by skyrocketing prices and scarce supplies. In Kolkata, the cost of a 1.5 kg Hilsa has surged by 600 rupees compared to last year, now fetching 2,000-2,200 rupees at wholesale and even more at retail. In Delhi's C.R. Park, daily arrivals have plummeted from up to four quintals in previous years to just one quintal. With Durga Puja around the corner, demand is spiking, and prices are expected to climb even higher, potentially increasing by 400-500 rupees per kg. Puja Das reports on the root of the problem, which lies in the dwindling catch—down over 70% since the 1980s—and a reduced import window from Bangladesh.

In this episode of Mint Techcetra, host Deepti Ahuja sits down with Mani James, Chief Business Officer, Mosaic Digital, and Glenn Gore, CEO of Affinidi, to explore how emerging technologies like AI and 5G are reshaping India's digital landscape. As data privacy regulations tighten under the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, the focus shifts to consent-driven digital identity solutions. Glenn shares insights on the growing need for secure, decentralized identity management, while Mani discusses strategic opportunities for businesses in sectors like BFSI, retail, and healthcare. Tune in to understand how proactive data protection is key to thriving in India's evolving digital economy. To discover how Affinidi is pioneering secure, decentralized identity solutions for a privacy-first digital economy—learn more at affinidi.com

Tom Gale from Standard Bank breaks down the latest market news, Percy Thaver of Miles Africa dives into AI's impact on the BFSI sector across the continent, and Kasturi Naidoo from AB Design & Development highlights why ESG monitoring matters more than ever.

DSP is launching a scheme that will equally split the corpus among the top 10 stocks by market capitalization, dubbed "HRITIK" (HDFC Bank, RIL, ITC, TCS, Infosys, and Kotak Bank). These companies have recently underperformed as investors shifted to small and mid-caps. Sahil Kapoor, DSP MF's market strategist, joins us to discuss their bet on a "HRITIK" comeback.

I continue my conversation with C Subramanian - more affectionately known as CS in his circles,  an accomplished banker turned IT professional, with international experience.CS - C Subramanian's story is one of resilience, adaptation, and continuous learning. From his humble beginnings, he sought stability through education and found unexpected opportunities in the banking sector. Despite facing objections, he embraced the chance to join Canara Bank and eventually transitioned into the IT field within the organization.His journey into IT was marked by challenges and learning experiences, particularly during the implementation of banking software. CS emphasized the importance of understanding banking requirements and effectively communicating them to software developers. He highlighted the pivotal role of taking on computer courses reimbursed by the bank, which opened doors to new career paths.As he moved into project management, CS encountered new challenges but remained determined to succeed. He emphasized the significance of upgrading skills, adapting to new roles, and fostering teamwork. Throughout his narrative, CS underscored the importance of self-confidence, perseverance, and continuous self-improvement in achieving career growth.CS's story serves as a testament to the power of resilience, learning, and seizing opportunities, even in the face of doubts and obstacles. His emphasis on teamwork and mentorship underscores the value of collaboration and support in professional development. Overall, CS's journey offers valuable insights for navigating career transitions and achieving success in the ever-evolving landscape of the IT sector.A post graduate in Chemistry, worked in a public sector Bank for nearly 30 years and then moved to IT industry in  BFSI. Handled various Banking  projects for nearly 10 years in middle east and India in roles of  Domain expert and Project Management. Lives in BengaluruHe may be reached at: chellappa_subramanian@yahoo.co.in

In this episode, Shiv is in conversation with C Subramanian, more affectionately known as CS in his circles, an accomplished banker turned IT professional, with international experience.In this first part of the conversation, CS shared his origin story, starting from a modest background with a focus on securing a stable life through education. Despite initial plans for a career in chemistry, a friend's suggestion led him to apply for a job at Canara Bank, where he began his career. Despite family objections, he pursued the opportunity and eventually transitioned into the IT sector within the bank, leveraging courses and opportunities for advancement.He recounted his journey from a banking employee to an IT professional, highlighting key moments such as taking on computer courses reimbursed by the bank, which unexpectedly paved the way for his entry into the IT field. He described the challenges and learning experiences during the implementation of banking software, emphasizing the importance of understanding and conveying banking requirements to software developers.CS reflected on his transition to project management and the challenges he faced, including the need to upgrade his skills and adapt to new roles. He shared insights into managing teams, emphasizing the importance of guiding and motivating team members while continuously learning and upgrading oneself. Despite initial doubts from others, he persevered, proving himself and achieving career growth within the organization.Throughout his narrative, CS emphasized the importance of learning, adaptation, and self-confidence in navigating career transitions and achieving success. He also stressed the value of teamwork, mentorship, and continuous self-improvement in professional growth.A post graduate in Chemistry, worked in a public sector Bank for nearly 30 years and then moved to IT industry in  BFSI. Handled various Banking  projects for nearly 10 years in middle east and India in roles of  Domain expert and Project Management. Lives in BengaluruHe may be reached at: chellappa_subramanian@yahoo.co.in

Amit Tripathi, Managing Director of Icogz, joins the show to discuss the challenges businesses face in working with data. Icogz is a data science platform that helps businesses understand and utilize their data to make informed decisions.  Amit dives into the problems Icogz solves, including unifying disparate data sources, cleaning and managing legacy data, and providing real-time insights. He also shares how Icogz helps businesses in various industries, such as retail and BFSI, unlock the power of their customer data.  He concludes by sharing valuable advice for marketers, emphasizing the importance of getting customer feedback early and often through selling prototypes and minimum viable products (MVPs).

Vikram R Singh is a seasoned entrepreneur and renowned speaker known for establishing Antier, a premier full-stack blockchain consulting firm. Under his leadership, Antier has evolved into a preferred partner for enterprises across sectors such as BFSI, Healthcare, Gaming, Supply Chain and others. In 2009, Vikram embarked on his entrepreneurial odyssey by founding his IT startup, initially comprising a select cadre of 5 professionals. Through his visionary acumen, Antier has emerged as India's blockchain juggernaut, growing stronger with a workforce of 700+ team members. Vikram's contributions have earned him accolades, including being recognized among the 'Most Promising Business Leaders of Asia 2023' by 'The Economic Times.' Committed to continuous learning and development, Vikram is actively involved in building the Antier School of Blocktech, a world-class blockchain academy dedicated to upskilling and reskilling professionals. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/crypto-hipster-podcast/support

In today's episode, Shiraz Ritwik of LatentView explores a fascinating intersection: the convergence of data-driven strategies within the realms of retail and consumer goods. As the Head of BFSI, CPG, and Hospitality Growth, he had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the transformative power of harnessing data to drive decision-making and innovation in these industries. About our guest, Shiraz Ritwik: Shiraz is an accomplished business consultant and analytics professional, currently heading BFSI & CPG Growth at LatentView Analytics. With a global footprint in the US, EMEA, and India, he has been instrumental in helping Fortune 100 companies drive business impact in diverse sectors like BFSI, telecom, retail, and CPG. In his current role at LatentView Analytics, he leverages his expertise to drive AI/ML transformation for Fortune 500 organizations, aiding them in achieving their data & AI objectives. His extensive knowledge of marketing strategy, supply chain analytics, strategic sourcing, and IT outsourcing and offshoring has been pivotal in shaping his career. Shiraz is a trailblazer in effectively building and deploying future-proof data strategies for the financial services sector. Additionally, his proficiency in converting data into actionable insights has reshaped the CPG sector's approach toward innovation. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sritwik/ Website: https://www.latentview.com/ About Retail Corner Podcast: Guest Host: Cole Koumalats Producer: Sachin Kumar Bhate Podcast Sponsor: Proxima360   Listen to other podcasts at: https://proxima360.com/retail-corner.podcast or https://retailcorner.live Subscribe our Podcast: Apple iTunes: https://apple.co/3eoeUdT Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3dvjpDJ Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/3DFHXHw Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3tkbhk1 Interested in being on our podcast? Submit request at: retailcorner@proxima360.com  

"Democratizing finance for all, our vision is to seamlessly integrate financial inclusion into everyday life. Through the perfect blend of technology and a dedicated sales force, we strive to reach every corner of Bharat, making banking as simple as buying groceries." In today's episode, we welcome Mr. Gitesh Karnik, the Chief People Officer at Nearby Technologies Private Limited, as our distinguished guest. With a wealth of experience spanning IT/ITes, BFSI, Retail, Real Estate, and Hospitality, Gitesh is a seasoned HR professional passionate about best practices and technology evangelism. His strategic leadership, evident in multinational and Indian corporations, has not only influenced business outcomes but has also elevated the employee experience. Gitesh emerges as a thought leader shaping the future of work through transformative initiatives and change management projects.In our latest Shape of Work podcast episode, Chief People Officer Gitesh Karnik of Nearby Technologies Private Limited shares the secrets of aligning HR strategy with business success. Karnik unveils the alchemy of co-creating HR initiatives that resonate with employee needs while driving company goals. Get ready to be enlightened on timeless HR fundamentals and revolutionary strides in financial inclusion, where Paneer simplifies banking for the underbanked – a true financial renaissance.Episode HighlightUnveiling the company's approach to simplifying tasks and the go-to mantra for daily thrivingUnderstanding how diverse perspectives are actively brought into decision-making processesBeyond Financial Services: Additional Product Offerings for RetailersAddressing the challenges it tackles in the current job market scenarioFollow Gitesh on LinkedinProduced by: Priya BhattPodcast Host: Archit SethiAbout Springworks:Springworks is a fully-distributed HR technology organisation building tools and products to simplify recruitment, onboarding, employee engagement, and retention. The product stack from Springworks includes:SpringVerify— B2B verification platformEngageWith— employee recognition and rewards platform that enriches company cultureTrivia — a suite of real-time, fun, and interactive games platforms for remote/hybrid team-buildingSpringRole — verified professional-profile platform backed by blockchain, andSpringRecruit — a forever-free applicant tracking system.

Course Advertisement: Admission to Takshashila's Graduate Certificate in Public Policy (GCPP) programme is now open. Start your 2024 with a course that will equip you with the tools to understand the world of public policy. Check all details here. India Policy Watch: In Search Of GrowthCurrent policy issues in India— RSJA quick macro update. The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met this week and, as was widely expected, kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.5 per cent for the fifth consecutive time. The Governor gave the usual explanation of global political risk, higher volatility in global financial markets, and continued inflationary expectations as the reason for keeping the policy stance unchanged as ‘withdrawal of accommodation'. And the Governor was quite clear that there is no ‘inadvertent' signalling to the market that it has actually moved to a ‘neutral' stance with its prolonged pause on rate hikes:“Reaching 4 per cent (inflation target) should not just be a one-off event. It has to be durably 4 per cent and the MPC should have confidence that 4 per cent has now become durable.We are very careful in our communication. There is no inadvertence in any of our communication. So, if somebody is assuming that it is a signal to move towards a neutral stance, I think it would be incorrect.”Well, that takes care of any possibility of a rate cut before next year's elections. And what's the need, really? Between now and the elections, there's always an inflation risk on vegetable and food prices. Also, while crude oil price has been on a downward trend during this year which has helped on the inflation front, there's no guarantee how that will trend given the global geopolitical situation remains uncertain. Most importantly, what's the need to signal any rate cut when the GDP growth numbers are coming in significantly above even RBI's somewhat optimistic forecasts at the start of the year? Q2 GDP grew at 7.6 percent, almost a full percentage point above estimates, leading the central bank to up its full-year forecast to 7 per cent. All good news so far. Further, the RBI note had this optimistic comment for the near term:“The healthy twin balance sheets of banks and corporates, high capacity utilisation, continuing business optimism and the government's thrust on infrastructure spending should propel private sector capex.” Well, you can go back to the past six quarters, and you will find similar sentiments about an impending private sector capex boom from both the government and the private sector. But it is turning out to be a bit of a mirage. While both the corporate and bank balance sheets are the healthiest they have been in the past two decades, there is a continued ‘wait and watch' approach on capex, which has mystified most observers. While the consumption growth remains robust, there are early signs that this lag in private capex is beginning to slow down corporate revenue growth. From the Business Standard:“.... the slowdown in corporate revenue growth over the last one year has begun to reflect in India Inc's capital expenditure as there is a close correlation between growth in net sales and investment in fixed assets. The net sales of 725 companies, excluding BFSI and state-run oil & gas firms, were up 4.2 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in H1FY24 – the lowest half-yearly increase in the last three years and down sharply from 12.2 per cent growth in the second half of FY23 and 31.3 per cent growth in the first half of FY23.”As if on cue, the Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), picked the issue of sluggish private capex at a CII event this week. Instead of the expected anodyne address at events of this nature, he made some very insightful points. First, he correctly pointed out that to expect consumption to continue to drive GDP growth while private capex sits out for as long as it has defies logic. Consumption, as we have pointed out more than a few times here, is the residual factor. And that's exactly the point the CEA made (again quoting the Business Standard):“Waiting for demand to arise before they start investing will actually delay the onset of such demand conditions happening, because usually consumption has to be the residual. Investment leads to employment, which leads to income generation and which in turn creates consumption and then the savings are recycled back into the investment. So the more the corporate sector delays its investment, this virtuous cycle will not materialise.”Then he mused on what might be holding the private sector back despite strong balance sheets, robust GDP growth and a general sense of global optimism about India's prospects:“So what is holding it (corporates) back? It is easy to say that there is general demand uncertainty. Post Covid, recovery has started. But one thing we have to remember is that this decade is going to be the decade of uncertainty, whether we like it or not. So for us to wait for the uncertainties to abate or recede, [its] like waiting for the waves to subside before taking a dip in the ocean. That is not going to happen.”I won't be surprised if there will be more plain-speaking to corporate India coming in the next few quarters on private capex from the government—three reasons for that. First, the government has pushed its capex targets in the last two budgets and, somewhat surprisingly, kept pace with them. The public capex has grown at a CAGR of over 30 per cent in the last three years. It is now about 3.3 percent of GDP as opposed to the 1.5 per cent it used to be pre-pandemic. The government has found resources to fund this capex by trimming subsidies following the pandemic and by the continued growth in tax collections because of the efficiencies brought in with GST and the rapid digitalisation of the financial system. However, given the fiscal deficit constraints, this public capex growth will be difficult to sustain at this clip. Couple that with the recent data that shows household savings at a multi-decade low of 5.1 per cent of GDP, there is no other lever of growth to pull except private capex.  Second, given global uncertainty and the ‘higher for longer' expectations in developed economies, the annual FDI flows have been the lowest in this fiscal year than at anytime in the past decade. The venture money in the form of investments by VCs and PEs has also dried up with a general ‘funding winter' that has left all but a few startups untouched. While there's stronger global demand for the MSME sector that's visible across the board, it will start hitting the wall of lack of funds in the near term unless large capex projects take off and the general sentiment of investment picks up in the private sector, which then lifts all boats. Third, this government is instinctively fiscally conservative and likes to stick to its targets. It has set a target to reduce the fiscal deficit by 1.5 per cent of GDP in the next two years. That apart, the imminent inclusion in global bond indices will also mean a greater level of scrutiny of public accounts. The government would like to project an image of fiscal prudence to boost confidence of investors. So, I don't see a continued heavy lifting through public capex as has happened in the past couple of years.Which then brings us back to private capex and that question of what's stopping it from taking off. I think CEA has a point on the general aversion of the corporates to any kind of uncertainty which has continued for so long that it seems like despite all the talk, they are unable to take the final leap in making that investment. Will this go away in due course? I guess it is possible that the Lok Sabha elections may be the final trigger which may kickstart the process. But that apart I think there are two other points that remain unaddressed. One, the promoters are yet to come to terms with the new regime of greater scrutiny by banks when they borrow, an insolvency process where they can lose control of their companies and the limited degrees of freedom to do the kind of ‘excesses' they did in the past in the garb of capex. These ‘reforms', while good for the economy as a whole, haven't been fully assimilated in the minds of Indian promoters. The better-governed promoters will start taking the leap, and others will reluctantly come along after appreciating this is the only way things are going to get done from here on. Two, while there have been good steps to improve the ease of business, there is a huge opportunity to push for more fundamental factor market reforms to improve risk-taking and bring in a new generation of entrepreneurs in sectors beyond services. Possibly, this should be the big agenda if the inevitable third term materialises in May 2024. Private capex is the big lever still waiting to be pulled. Growth cannot come out of thin air, after all.Numbers that Ought to Matter: In the ongoing Parliamentary session, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare answered a question on the number of medical colleges and MBBS seats in India. There are 706 medical colleges in India, admitting 1,08,848 MBBS students annually. Over the last ten years, the number of MBBS seats in India has more than doubled (there were 51,348 seats on offer in 2014). However, the total number of seats on offer is quite low despite India now having the largest number of medical colleges in the world. On average, each medical college has just 154 seats. By 2020, China had 420 colleges offering 286,000 seats (i.e. 680 seats per college). Government policy should focus on helping existing colleges scale up. For more context, read edition #159.Also, do check the new Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha websites. They are useful data sources. Navigating the questions and government responses is much easier now. However, a lot of data remains locked in PDF files. That's for another day. A related project idea: Someone should parse the “Question Subject” field and classify it into meaningful categories. Maybe AI tools can help here. This data could be a proxy for the subjects that India cares most about. The next step would be to track if the subjects inviting the most questions successfully influence government policy. Any takers?A Framework A Week: A Taxonomy of Defence InnovationTools for thinking about public policy— Pranay KotasthaneOn November 30th, the Defence Ministry approved IAF's capital acquisition proposal for 97 Tejas Mk1A aircraft. This move signals a major shift — India's armed forces have accepted the Tejas platform as a replacement for their inventory of old and outdated, mostly Russian, aircraft. This news item got me thinking about the process of defence innovation. What are the factors governing defence innovation? How are these factors related to each other? Why do some countries do better on this front than others? A search for answers to these questions led me to an excellent framework by Tai Ming Cheung in the Journal of Strategic Studies.Instead of identifying a simplistic policy answer, Cheung looks at defence innovation as a system composed of several interrelated factors, as shown in the chart below. In Cheung's classification, there are seven types of factors:* Catalytic factors are exogenous inputs that disrupt the defence innovation system. Examples include external threats, top-level leadership support, and revolutionary breakthrough opportunities. * Contextual factors account for all path-dependent variables such as historical legacy, level of development, market size, etc.* Input factors are the ingredients of defence innovation. Examples include Foreign Technology Transfers, budget allocations, human capital quality, and Civil–Military Integration.* Organisational factors refer to the capabilities and mandates of organisations set up to deliver defence products. * Institutional factors refer to shared norms, plans, strategies, intellectual property protection, and government-market relations.* Networks and sub-systems include formal and informal networks linking various sub-systems.* Output factors shape the final products coming out of the system. Examples include sales, marketing, commercialisation, and maintenance.This approach allows the author to create a typology of defence innovation regimes, wherein specific pathways within the chart get amplified. Two such types relevant to India are incremental and rapidly catching-up regimes. In incremental catch-up regimes, catalytic factors don't play a significant role. Such countries produce incremental improvements by parsing input factors such as technology transfers through organisational factors (military and state agencies) and institutional factors (plans, strategies, and norms). The paper identifies India as a prominent example of this regime. Cheung illustrates the model as follows.Rapidly Catching-up Regimes are underdeveloped defence innovation systems pushed by catalytic factors towards increased resource allocations and a strong research and development sub-system. Cheung classifies North Korea and China in this category. This model is illustrated in the chart below.Readers should check the full paper and other regime types based on this framework. But the relevant question for us is this: has India transitioned from an incremental catch-up regime to a rapidly catching-up one? There are some positive signs. Catalytic factors are playing a far bigger role now than in the past. This is mainly because China's aggression and Pakistan's relative decline have led to a new emphasis on the defence innovation system. The PM's recent sortie in the Tejas illustrates that another catalytic factor—“top-level leadership support”—now has a more prominent role. There is also more focus on civil-military integration, diffusion networks, and technology development than in the past. And given that India enjoys a positive relationship with the US, the possibilities of “Foreign technology transfers” (a crucial input factor) are substantially higher than in the past.The weakness is in the organisational realm. That part of the system is still governed largely by state-run entities with low technology absorption capabilities and fewer incentives for efficient production. The capabilities of universities and laboratories are also quite limited. The procurement system, classified as a network and sub-systems factor, is another weak link that discourages innovation while protecting inefficient government-run firms. My subjective assessment using this framework is that India is catching up faster than before. It doesn't seem to be “rapidly” catching up, though. Further, the more radical pathways, which lead to rapid breakthroughs in defence innovation systems, remain out of reach. Whatever your assessment, Tai Ming Cheung's framework is useful and helps clear many cobwebs of defence innovation.HomeWorkReading and listening recommendations on public policy matters* [Question] What, according to you, is the Indian government's best sports policy to date? Please drop a comment with your reasoning. We will put across your views and ours in an upcoming edition.* [Podcast] The latest Puliyabaazi discusses the politics of polarisation. Gaurav Sood, a political scientist who has worked on this topic for over a decade, gives a detailed account of the psychological underpinnings of polarisation.* [Article] This article on industrial policy challenges some of our Bayesian priors. More importantly, it links to many recent papers showcasing empirical research on industrial policy measures.* [Article] A good article explaining how DARPA functions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit publicpolicy.substack.com

In episode #97 of the Transform Sales Podcast, we're joined by Chetan Kohli, co-founder of Jinactus Consulting, who comes with an impressive 30-year tenure in software sales. His expertise shines through as he discusses the ins and outs of outsourced sales, offering listeners valuable insights into the strategies that have doubled revenues for B2B software companies, particularly within the manufacturing, banking, financial services, and insurance sectors (BFSI). Jinactus Consulting's in-depth understanding of these industries has consistently fostered remarkable growth for their clients. Chetan delves into Jinactus Consulting's meticulous onboarding process that ensures a deep understanding of a client's products, target market, and financial goals over an intensive one to two-week period. Employing sophisticated tools like Discover and LinkedIn Sales Navigator, they construct a verified database of leads, engaging with prospects via LinkedIn and email. Chetan's explanation of the nuances between marketing qualified leads and sales-qualified leads underscores the company's commitment to not just drive revenue but to build a healthy sales pipeline. To companies looking to leverage Jinactus Consulting's expertise, Chetan advises clarity in objectives, collaboration as if the consultancy is part of the in-house team, and setting realistic expectations. This approach has been pivotal to their track record of transforming sales outcomes and driving sustained company growth. RESOURCES & LINKS:  Want To Find the Right Agencies For Your Sales Team Quickly? Learn How You Can Use The CloudTask Marketplace here: https://www.cloudtask.com/find-agencies #TransformSales #leadgenerationcompanies #cloudtask

Business Standard's annual BFSI Insight Summit, held this week, brought together a host of leaders from India's financial landscape. Headlined by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, the two-day event shed light on a range of themes such as India's economic growth, economic inclusion, banks, investments and insurance. We bring to you the snippets from the event. The event also offered fresh insight into financial markets and its future trajectory. As the global economy grapples with geo-political challenges, market participants anticipate some volatility. Elections too are drawing close. Find out what experts said on India's market outlook. Staying with the markets theme, war in West Asia and high US Treasury yields are unsettling the benchmark indices. They have fallen over 5% over the past one month, while the MidCap index has shed 6%. In our next report, Nikita Vashisht explores if the froth from the broader market space has been removed? Or is there more pain ahead? Election results indeed affect the markets. But most experts agree that it is short lived. Moving on, the Supreme Court this week started hearing on a batch of petitions challenging the validity of the electoral bonds scheme for funding political parties. The petitioners argue that the scheme is opaque and must be struck down. Centre, however, has been defending it. But what is this electoral bonds case? Listen to this episode of the podcast to know more. 

Today's guest is Bhaskar Kalita, Global Head of Financial Services and Insurance at Quantiphi. Quantiphi is an AI-first digital engineering company that designs AI-driven services and platforms for broad applications across industries. In conversation with Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella, Bhaskar pulls apart what new generative AI capabilities will mean for the entire BFSI sector. In his words, the opportunities mean nothing less than the democratization of - not just digital products - but direct conversations between banking professionals, with requisite systems becoming more uniform in the process. This episode is sponsored by Quantiphi. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Chinese companies, it seems, have been under increased scrutiny in India since 2020 border clashes. Hundreds of apps have been banned, several smartphone makers have been served with tax evasion notices and telecom firms have been kept out of 5G trials. In our first segment, Ayush Mishra dwells into details to find out why are Chinese companies under scrutiny in India?   After China, let us now move on to a much-awaited annual event. The two-day Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit is starting from October 30. It will feature prominent voices from India's economic, financial, and corporate landscape, including RBI governor Shaktikanta Das, IRDAI Chairman Debasish Panda, Sebi wholetime member Ananth Narayan, Jio Financial Services Chairman K V Kamath, SBI Chairman Dinesh Khara and PhonePE CEO Sameer Nigam. For an international perspective, the summit will also have global head of equity strategy at Jefferies Christopher Wood. The summit comes at a time when India's digital banking infrastructure is expanding at a very fast clip and its economy is projected to become the third largest in a matter of years. However, challenges are mounting too. Against this backdrop, join A K Bhattacharya, Tamal Bandyopadhyay and Ruchika Chitravanshi to find out what to expect from this summit and why you cannot afford to miss it.   One of the challenges that the experts just spoke about was global uncertainty. It is singeing Indian equity markets too. Key indices have been in a free fall over the past couple of days with the BSE Sensex index crashing 900 points on Thursday, and the Nifty50 index nearing 18,850-mark. The markets are at their lowest levels in 4 months. With them, shares India's most valuable company, Reliance Industries, too, have lost ground as they dropped 4% in 5 days. Analysts believe volatility in the commodity market, coupled with heavy capex plans, have been weighing on the stock. So, will the company's September quarter results help it come out of its slumber? Or will it trigger another round of sell-off? What are the markets expecting from RIL's Q2 results?    After the markets, let us see what is happening on domestic front. It seems, caste survey in Bihar has changed the course of country's election narrative. But some believe that the ruling BJP could implement Rohini Commission's report to turn the table on opposition. But what is this commission? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers. 

We spoke with Anuj Rajain CEO of Soteria, India's largest home grown integrated security, facilities management, remote monitoring, and video surveillance company offering its solutions to multiple industries like BFSI, retail, healthcare, construction, logistics, F&B, corporate offices etc. Anuj explains - through examples - how surveillance and remote monitoring are becoming more of a ROI driver than just a cost center. He walks us through the broader tech transformation underway converting surveillance into an automated workflow via sensor alert-based monitoring - thereby allowing Soteria to showcase its solutions as a SaaS based offering to clients. Listen in to this fascinating chat where we touch upon a wide range of topics ranging from the supply chain challenges faced by gold loan companies to why supermarkets in the US are being robbed left, right, and center!   Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other.   The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing.   If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

Mahesh Shenoi “AI and Automation has been a game changer for Telecom sector, and Firstsource has pioneered many real life use cases for Telcos” says Mahesh Shenoi, Vice President of Technology. In this podcast we learn about real world application of AI & Automation implementations by Firstsource. Mahesh discusses a use case that they conceptualized, designed, and implemented adopting impactful API driven automation solution for one of the largest cable, phone, internet, media, and entertainment clients for their technical support and field agents driving extensive savings to the tune of yearly $6 million in savings. Telecom sector which is an industry where there are low levels of operational agility and inefficient flow of information with higher operational expenses makes it the ripe ecosystem to adopt AI and Automation. The introduction of GenAI has furthered the possibilities of automation where AI helps to accurately structure the inputs needed for an automation solution to work. Firstsource is a global technology and BPM services company with revenues of ~800MIllion and 25000 associates providing CX, Intelligent Backoffice operations, Digital transformation, IT services and consulting services. It is an Indian stock exchange listed company with operations in 6 countries offering services in BFSI, Healthcare, EdTech and Communications, Media and Tech industries. What makes them unique is the “Design and Operate” approach with the “digital first digital now” mindset. Firstsource provides solutions across the telecom industry, including digitally enabled customer care, technical support and revenue assurance services. Visit www.firstsource.com

On this special Fireside Chat, HFS CEO & Chief Analyst Phil Fersht is in conversation with Samir Dhir, CEO & MD at Sonata Software about his personal and digital business journey. As a business leader and technologist, Samir has a proven track record for scaling and leading large businesses and expanding into new industries and markets. He is a client-focused leader who has built and managed businesses in BFSI, Healthcare Life Science, Telecom, Media, and Hi-Tech industries. Phil and Samir cover a range of topics, including: What are the key areas Sonata Software is recommending to its clients in its data modernization strategy? We recently did a joint study, where we spoke with 500 executives across Europe and North America these were a split of tech and non-tech senior executives and those people. 68% of respondents said ineffective data capture and human error were the top reasons for poor data quality. So, what does Sonata Software advise its clients to do to fix this human error issue and improve the quality of data that they need? There is some hype around the GenAI space, but I have gathered that Sonata Software has a slightly less hyped view of where this is and how this is going impact the industry. How does Sonata Software's Platformation approach help businesses in their modernization and digital transformation journeys? According to our recent study, 17% of respondents felt the majority of their data is still unusable. So how can we work better with partners to improve this? Why do we continue to struggle with poor data capture after so many years of talking about this and trying to find the right tools to help us? We've come through a fairly tough economy but Sonata Software has seemed to be moving on quite aggressively. So, what do you think we're going to be talking about next year? Is it going to be a year of more positivity and excitement and investment or do we still have some dark times ahead of us, what do you feel?

Welcome to Test Automation Experience, hosted by Nikolay Advolodkin. In this episode, Nikolay sits down with Robin Gupta, creator of Test Zeus, a powerful framework for Salesforce automation tests. Join them as they dive into the fascinating world of automated software testing and challenges of testing in the Salesforce ecosystem. Don't miss out on this exciting episode of Test Automation Experience!=============================== 

Are you navigating the complex landscape of tech-driven sales enablement? Join me as I chat with Priya Sachdev, founder of Sprouting Shoots, who sheds light on this often overwhelming topic and how to avoid the pitfalls of "shiny object syndrome." Learn from Priya's expertise on striking the perfect balance between technology adoption and practical application, as well as understanding the driving force behind the advancements in sales management technology.  During our conversation Priya shared her insights on:Why Sellers often hate technologyWhy the return on time invested can be very lowOvercoming adoption challenges such as underutilization and churnWhy the concept of a "best system" is a mythUsing technology to reduce sales frictionPriya's “ikigai” (purpose) is elevating the strategic importance of sales. For almost 3 decades she has partnered with business leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs in the B2B space to drive effective sales strategy through customer engagement. She's worked with more than 250 midsize to large organizations, and managed teams from 5 to 1500.  Her key projects have been in the industrial, BFSI, tech services, SaaS, professional services, FMCG, automotive, healthcare, and medical equipment industries. Priya was listed as one of the “25 most influential women in India” by CEO Magazine in 2017 and “The 10 Successful Women to Watch For in 2018” by Insights Success. Please subscibe on Apple, Spotify or Google.

If you ask any tech employee about their dream company to work at, it's usually a Microsoft or a Google or a cool startup. Nobody aspires to work at a healthcare company or a bank, really. It's where you end up. Not choose. At least that's the perception all around.But what if I tell you, you've been looking at the talent market all wrong? That the cold sectors of yesterday — manufacturing, BFSI, FMCG companies, and so on — are the hot sectors of today. Companies, across sectors, want to be tech companies. Or at least, tech-presenting companies, to stay ahead of the curve. Traditional firms with sound fundamentals are now paying better salaries for tech talent and doing interesting and meaningful work. And most importantly — they are offering stability in a very volatile jobs market.  This episode was written and hosted by Akshaya Chandrasekaran, produced by Anushka Mukherjee, and engineered by Rajiv CN. Cost to Company is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscribers-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, analytical business stories.

Today's guest is Sachin Namjoshi, ServiceNow MVP 2018-2023 & ServiceNow SME at GoDaddy. Founded in 1997, GoDaddy is the world's largest services platform for entrepreneurs around the globe.  GoDaddy is the place folks come to name their idea, create a compelling brand and a great looking website, attract customers with digital and social marketing, and manage their work. They are on a mission to empower their worldwide community of over 20 million customers and entrepreneurs by giving them all the help and tools they need to grow online. Sachin is a Senior Consultant with more than 15 years of experience in BSM for implementation, integration, customization and upgrade projects on ServiceNow and bmc remedy platforms across life sciences, BFSI, Manufacturing, Retail and banking customers. He joined GoDaddy in 2020 and has developed a Service Portal for HR application using Angular JS, Bootstrap for the company, as well as implementing HR Service Delivery across the enterprise, implementing Employee Document Management and more. In the episode, Sachin talks about: Adding value in the ServiceNow community, Day-to-day role with GoDaddy implementing ServiceNow, How he sees the ServiceNow platform evolving, Managing his time between work and community, Advice to people for getting involved in the ServiceNow community

Melody Wright is a strategist, writer, and technologist. A 24-year BFSI veteran, Melody was recently named as one of Mortgage Women Magazine's Women of Technology and is a contributing writer to multiple publications. She discusses the real estate market in Phoenix and Las Vegas during her recent trips, lack of infrastructure, Nashville cooling off, why the housing crisis will be worse than 2008 and much more. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE LIKE AND SHARE THIS PODCAST!!!     Follow Melody Twitter- https://twitter.com/m3_melody?lang=en LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/melody-wright-44204a4/ Substack- https://m3melody.substack.com/?utm_source=%2Fsearch%2Fmelody%2520wright&utm_medium=reader2&utm_campaign=reader2   Follow Me Twitter- https://twitter.com/CoffeeandaMike Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/coffeeandamike/ Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeandaMike/ Truth Social- https://truthsocial.com/@coffeeandamike Gettr- https://gettr.com/user/coffeeandamike   Support My Work Venmo- https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3570365208987017385&created=1658667789.4661531&printed=1 Website- www.coffeeandamike.com Email- info@coffeeandamike.com

Melody Wright is a strategist, writer, and technologist. A 24-year BFSI veteran, Melody was recently named as one of Mortgage Women Magazine's Women of Technology and is a contributing writer to multiple publications. We discuss the Airbnb bust, state of housing, why the coming housing crisis will be worse than 2008 and much more. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE LIKE AND SHARE THIS PODCAST!!!    Follow Melody Twitter- https://twitter.com/m3_melody?lang=en LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/melody-wright-44204a4/   Follow Me Twitter- https://twitter.com/CoffeeandaMike Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/coffeeandamike/ Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeandaMike/ Truth Social- https://truthsocial.com/@coffeeandamike Gettr- https://gettr.com/user/coffeeandamike   Support My Work Venmo- https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3570365208987017385&created=1658667789.4661531&printed=1 Website- www.coffeeandamike.com Email- info@coffeeandamike.com

We chat with Nageen Kommu, Founder and CEO of Digitap.AI, whose work has largely revolved around solving the problem of information asymmetry for lenders.  Majority of BFSI players in the country are dependent on bureau data while c. 400mn Indians have low bureau scores, making formal credit inaccessible to them.  Digitap.AI provides alternative data and scoring models to underwrite such borrowers, thereby reducing the risk of NPAs. An early stage fintech platform, the company offers AI and ML based Credit Underwriting, Digital Customer Onboarding, Automated Risk Management and Big Data enabled solutions, including Risk Analytics and Customized Scorecards. The company is a certified TSP on the Sahamati platform.    Clients comprise 70+ organisations, including new age fintechs like Bharatpe, Navi, Incred, Lendbox, Kreditbee, as well as more traditional players such as Motilal Oswal, Piramal Finance, and Northern Arc, among others. For FY 2022, the company's revenue stood at INR63mn ($0.8mn) and EBITDA stood at INR25mn ($0.3mn). Targeting an ARR of $20-25mn in the next 5 years, alternate use cases such as marketing, fraud detection, and identity management and development of a personal finance management suite along with the existing solutions should act as key growth catalysts for the business.  Hope you enjoy this TRANSFIN. Podcast with Nikhil Arora and Sharath Toopran, where we converse with entrepreneurs and business operators running successful startups, profitable SMEs and family promoted firms on one end, and top investment professionals representing VC/PE/credit funds on the other. The objective is to bring out an "actionable" perspective converging the world of business and investing. If you're a founder and if you'd like us to drill down your model, feel free to drop us a line at edit@transfin.in

Supriya Rao have close to 17 years of experience across pre-sales, business development, account management & client servicing, sales enablement, solution architecture, consultative sales & digital transformation in Telecom, Retail, Healthcare, BFSI and Manufacturing domains. She is currently heading Presales at Intelliswift Software, Inc., a global digital product engineering company headquartered in CA, US.She has been responsible for driving and transforming siloed presales function into multi-disciplinary and cross functional sales enablement units, supporting global teams and achieving annual growth targets. have close to 17 years of experience across pre-sales, business development, account management & client servicing, sales enablement, solution architecture, consultative sales & digital transformation in Telecom, Retail, Healthcare, BFSI and Manufacturing domains. She is currently heading Presales at Intelliswift Software, Inc., a global digital product engineering company headquartered in CA, US.She has been responsible for driving and transforming siloed presales function into multi-disciplinary and cross functional sales enablement units, supporting global teams and achieving annual growth targets. have close to 17 years of experience across pre-sales, business development, account management & client servicing, sales enablement, solution architecture, consultative sales & digital transformation in Telecom, Retail, Healthcare, BFSI and Manufacturing domains. She is currently heading Presales at Intelliswift Software, Inc., a global digital product engineering company headquartered in CA, US.She has been responsible for driving and transforming siloed presales function into multi-disciplinary and cross functional sales enablement units, supporting global teams and achieving annual growth targets.Support the show

This episode brings to you the agile, diligent and the purpose weaver, Mr. Sanjeev Mantri with us. He is a sports fanatic who loves to be on the move. Sanjeev shares his lessons learnt from being on field to leading corporate halls. Listen to Sanjeev bringing a new lens to losing, leading and leaving a legacy. About Sanjeev-A seasoned banker with experience that betrays his age, Sanjeev is already excelling in his new role as Executive Director for the company's retail business division.With more than 20 years experience in the BFSI sector, Sanjeev joined the group in 2003 and has since left his indelible imprint across the Corporate Banking and the SME space. He holds credit for introducing various innovative products in the SME segment and the group's expansion in the rural markets.Prior to joining ICICI he has spent over 7 years with BNP Paribas, Mumbai handling diverse responsibilities in the Corporate Banking space.A qualified Chartered Accountant and Cost Accountant, number crunching comes naturally to him. On the personal front, Sanjeev is known to be an avid sports person with a special interest in running marathons.

Interview with Anuj Kathuria – Anuj is the Chief People Officer and Strategy Officer at Waaree Group. He has over 20 years of global and diverse experience across IT, FMCD, BFSI, Telecom, Consulting, Oil and Gas and Energy.

In Sales the stakes are high. And for company's growth it is important to get it right.Thanks to multiple options of Sales engagement softwares which streamlines the sales process through integrations which enables companies to combine their sales and marketing efforts to create personalized and automated sales journeys.In today's episode of 100x Entrepreneur, we have with us Yamini Bhat, Co-founder & CEO, Vymo; i.e An intelligent sales engagement platform for financial institutions.Started in 2013, Vymo is used by 300,000+ Sales Reps across 65+ Enterprises such as HDFC Bank, SBI Life Insurance, and Sun Life Financial among others.While most SaaS startups go global from Day 1, Vymo is one of the few Indian SaaS companies which scaled to more than $10M ARR with India Enterprises as clients.During the episode, catch Yamini sharing why did they chose to focus on BFSI, how did they brought awareness for both their team and customers about their product and much more. Notes - 01:33 - Intro03:05 - Career background in Sales Transformation at Mckinsey which led her to Vymo06:48 - Family background and getting into BITS Pilani & IIM Bangalore?14:58 - Quitting Mckinsey and identifying the problem statement to startup17:29 - Till Series-A being focused on a horizontal solution20:53 - Zoho Sponsored – Prashant Ganti on Where do founders struggle with Payroll and how can they fix it?23:04 - Milestones during Vymo's journey26:26 - Key challenges with team and customers early-on28:56 - Convincing the first few BFSI customers for an average contract value of $350K31:54 - Building a SaaS behemoth from India and then expanding globally36:16 - Her 0 to $10 Million ARR playbook for SaaS-entrepreneurs in IndiaAlso, try out a 30-day free trial of Zoho Payroll, and simplify your Payroll journey as an entrepreneur!https://zoho.to/zoho-payroll