Vikram Dhawan is Fund Manager - Commodities at Nippon Life India Asset Management Limited. Vikram has over 28 years of experience in Commodities, Fund Management, Enterprise Risk Management and Investing in Corporate and Banking sectors in India and Overseas. Prior joining us, he was associated with Reliance AIF Management Ltd, and Reliance Capital. He was also managing the Risk Portfolio with Gold Matrix Pte, Singapore. Vikram is B. E -Mechanical from Nagpur University and has a P G Diploma in Materials Management.

Guneshwor Singh Laitonjam (known as Guna) is the Head of Compliance & MLRO at BRISKPE, a fintech cross-border payment aggregator headquartered in Mumbai.

With over 22 years of diverse experience, Guna has held senior roles at some of the world’s leading banks and fintech firms, including Payoneer, YES BANK, MUFG, State Street, HSBC, ANZ, and JP Morgan. Throughout his career, he has specialized in financial crime advisory, Compliance operations, and Regulatory risk management.

Guna’s extensive expertise includes designing and implementing a robust Sanctions and Screening frameworks, managing complex process migrations, and providing strategic advisory on Sanctions and overall compliance.

With over 29 years of expertise in the financial services industry, Aman Rajoria is a results-driven leader in Capital Markets. His career has been defined by a deep understanding of Wealth Management, Private Banking, Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, and Investment Banking—delivering exceptional results while fostering long-lasting relationships. As the Head of Wealth Management & Capital Markets Group at Aditya Birla Finance Limited, Aman oversees financial strategies for Ultra High-Net-Worth Individuals (UHNI), High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNI), retail, and corporate segments. His leadership in Capital Markets ensures tailored solutions, including loan against securities, promoter financing, acquisition financing, and structured lending. 

Prior to this, Aman held senior leadership positions at Standard Chartered Bank, where he played a pivotal role in managing Private Banking in India—overseeing an impressive AUM of over $10 billion and Assets Under Custody (AUC) of $20 billion. His strategic acumen drove exponential business growth, including a remarkable 300% increase in AUM over three years and a significant expansion of Forbes 100 marquee clients. 

His expertise spans across Banking, Asset Management, and over 32 specialized financial skills, making him an influential figure in the financial sector. 

Praveen Kamat General Manager & Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA). With over 25 years of experience in financial regulation, cybersecurity, and capital markets, Praveen Kamat is a distinguished leader in the financial services domain. As General Manager & CISO at IFSCA, he leads cybersecurity initiatives and market infrastructure development within India’s first International Financial Services Centre (GIFT-IFSC). Praveen oversees regulation and supervision of Market Infrastructure Institutions, spearheading groundbreaking projects such as the NSEIFSC-SGX Connect rollout and setting up an International Bullion Exchange at GIFT IFSC. His tenure includes contributions to financial technology innovations, cyber resilience frameworks, and regulatory sandbox development for fostering digital advancements.

Before IFSCA, Praveen served at SEBI for nearly 15 years, where he played a pivotal role in foreign portfolio investments, regulatory compliance, cybersecurity policy, and risk management. His expertise in technology policy, cybersecurity frameworks, and financial regulation has made a lasting impact on India’s financial sector. Recognized internationally, Praveen has represented India at the IMF-IOSCO Workshop on Cyber Resilience, IOSCO/PIFS-HLSEE Global Certificate Program at Harvard Law School, and key global regulatory forums, strengthening India’s role in global financial security.

He holds a B.E. degree in Electronics Engineering from the K J Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai University, and a Masters in Management Studies (Finance) from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai University. He also holds the CFA charter awarded by the CFA Institute, USA. Karthik has an aggregate work experience of around 23 years, out of which he has been associated with ICRA for nearly 20 years.

Ramakrishnan Padmanabhan is a distinguished leader in bullion banking, commodities trading, and financial regulation, currently serving as General Manager at the Department of Metals & Commodities, IFSCA. With over two decades of experience in precious metals trading, market development, and regulatory frameworks, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the commodities ecosystem at GIFT-IFSC. As Head of the Market Development Division, Ramakrishnan spearheads policy formulation, strategic initiatives, and regulatory oversight to enhance the metals and commodities sector. His expertise in onshoring offshore operations, market infrastructure, and investment strategies has been instrumental in fostering sustainable growth and innovation. Prior to IFSCA, he held leadership roles at YES BANK, ICBC India, Axis Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, where he specialized in precious metals sales, bullion product development, and financial market analysis. His tenure includes setting up the Precious Metals Desk at ICBC India, negotiating agreements with bullion suppliers, and driving revenue growth through strategic trading initiatives.

Ramakrishnan’s deep understanding of market dynamics, regulatory compliance, and financial risk management continues to shape India's commodities landscape, making him a key figure in the global bullion and metals industry.

With extensive expertise in equity markets across APAC and Europe, Nicolas Boulay is a seasoned finance leader with a strong track record in equity sales and derivatives. Currently serving as the Head of Sales, APAC at FTSE Russell, an LSEG business, he is known for his strategic mindset and client-centric approach.

Nicolas has successfully navigated complex market challenges, optimizing revenue streams while driving regional sales organizations forward. His experience includes leadership roles at Société Générale, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, ICAP, and Louis Capital Markets, where he honed his skills in equity derivatives, institutional sales, and executive committee leadership.

Beyond finance, Nicolas is actively involved in community initiatives, serving as a board member for Women In Sports Empowered Hong Kong (睿動香港). His passion for collaboration, adaptability, and global coordination defines his career and commitment to excellence.

Philippe Shah is an experienced financial markets professional specializing in benchmarks and indices strategy execution. Currently serving as Director at LSEG, he leads global sales strategy for Refinitiv Benchmarks and APAC Sales Execution for FTSE Russell Indices, ensuring long-term revenue growth and adoption across Asia-Pacific.

With over two decades of experience, Philippe has played a pivotal role in the evolution of financial market indices. From early career roles at Reuters and Thomson Reuters to helping build Refinitiv’s index business from the ground up, he has developed expertise across sales, partnerships, design, marketing, and strategic execution. His entrepreneurial mindset allows him to navigate diverse financial ecosystems, tailoring solutions for different regions.

Philippe is passionate about leveraging financial data and technology to create robust benchmarks that support investment strategies worldwide. His deep understanding of market structures and client needs has established him as a leader in the global financial industry.

Deepak Khurana is a seasoned finance professional with extensive expertise in index and analytics across Asia region. In his current role at FTSE Russell, LSEG, he plays a pivotal role in driving benchmark and analytics strategies, ensuring market adoption and revenue growth in the region.

With over two decades of experience spanning investment research, asset management, and wealth management, Deepak has held key leadership roles at Refinitiv, Thomson Reuters, Morningstar, and Mirae Asset. His deep understanding of financial ecosystems, coupled with his entrepreneurial approach, has made him a trusted expert in market development and strategic execution.

Throughout his career, Deepak has focused on innovation in sustainable finance, indices, and analytics, tailoring solutions to meet the evolving needs of investors and financial institutions across highly diverse markets. His leadership continues to influence the financial landscape in South Asia and beyond.

Dr. Sangeeta Makhija leads the FTSE R branded custom equity and ESG benchmarks, catering to global ETF and structured product industry with a focus on sell side clients like UBS, BlackRock, JPM, Barclays, Soc Gen, Natixis, to name a few. Before this, she was heading equity index management for Refinitiv Benchmarks and Indices team, an entity demerged from Thomson Reuters. And later merged with London Stock Exchange.

She has 16 years of experience in passive benchmarking and specializes in new benchmark R&D, leads simulations, new product launches and is also responsible for risk and compliance of products she leads. She also has more 5 years of experience in IPO research, that she carried out during her stint in IIT Bombay. She holds a PhD in Indian Primary Market from SJMSOM, IIT Bombay and is a gold medalist in MBA.

Sangeeta also leads Mental Health initiative for LSEG, Asia. To keep herself active, she channelizes her energies in running and is a seasoned half-marathoner. Sustainable living and healthy cooking are her other interests.

Sudish serves as Global Head of Accounting and Administration, Operations and Site Executive, BNY India. He is accountable for delivering accounting services globally to clients within Asset Servicing. He also leads India as a strategic growth location with centers in Pune and Chennai for the global financial services major headquartered in New York. Based in Pune, he is responsible for executing strategy, focusing on enhancing client experience, driving innovation, delivering operational excellence, managing risk in his global role while also helping scale talent and operating model in India. Sudish serves on BNY India Board of Directors and on BNY Senior Advisory Council. Prior to BNY, he held senior leadership roles within finance and accounting and transformation with GE Capital Services (GENPACT) and in commercial and retail banking with ICICI Bank.

A qualified Chartered and Cost Accountant, Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, Sudish has served as Chair for Pune chapter of NASSCOM Global Capability Centre (GCC) Council and on NASSCOM National GCC Council. Sudish serves on India Advisory Board for the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI), is a member of Economic Times India Leadership Council (ETILC), Institute of Directors (IOD), Indian Management Association, and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Sudish is a sustainability ambassador, mentor, coach, DEI advocate and ally, speaker, evangelist, philanthropist, and an author. He is also a collector, a sports fan, and a traveler.

Nirav leads the Financial Markets business at YES Bank. He holds over 27 years of experience in the Financial Markets and Treasury field. He has also held the position of CEO at YES Asset Management on deputation from the bank. Prior to rejoining YES Bank in October 2024, he served as an Advisor at Ernst & Young (EY) in Treasury Consulting.

He has been a member of the Corporate Bonds & Securitisation Advisory Committee (CoBoSAC), a SEBI constituted committee for development of the corporate bond markets.

Nirav has been featured by the Economic Times as one of the 7 traders redefining the corporate bond market in India.