
AI Everywhere: Shaping the Future of Tech in BFSI
- 12th March 2025
- Taj Santacruz, Mumbai
BFSI Tech Leaders Shaping the Future
India’s financial sector stands at a pivotal moment in its evolution. The convergence of technological innovation, digital adoption, and forward-thinking policies has fundamentally reshaped the banking landscape, creating unprecedented opportunities for growth and inclusion. As traditional banking boundaries blur and new technologies emerge, the sector’s ability to adapt while maintaining its core focus on customer needs will be crucial.

The influence of technology on the BFSI sector is evident through practical innovations. The Reserve Bank Innovation Hub in Bengaluru has launched ‘Mule Hunter.ai,’ an AI tool designed to detect mule accounts used for money laundering. Meanwhile, UPI 3.0 promises to revolutionize digital transactions with new features like overdraft facilities, auto-debit mandates, and international remittance support. Additionally, blockchain technology is poised to enhance transparency in insurance, with 10% of Indian insurers expected to adopt it by 2025.
With these elements in place, India’s financial sector is well-equipped to not only meet the challenges of tomorrow but also emerge as a leading force in the global financial landscape.
Where Technology Meets Leadership
The ET NOW TOP 100 BFSI TECH LEADERS 2025 will serve as a pivotal platform where the most influential minds in Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance come together to explore and celebrate the transformative power of AI.
This year, under the theme “AI Everywhere: Shaping the Future of Tech in BFSI,” we are not just discussing this transformation—we are celebrating it. As part of this initiative, we will recognize and honor the Top 100 Tech Leaders in the BFSI sector, who are leading the charge in innovation and shaping the future with their cutting-edge contributions. These leaders are at the forefront of adopting technology to drive smarter decision-making, enhance cost-efficiency, and elevate customer experiences.
This event will highlight the revolutionary impact of AI technologies in reshaping the operational landscape, customer experiences, and strategic frameworks of the BFSI industry. From automated underwriting and fraud detection to hyper-personalized customer journeys and predictive analytics, the summit aims to explore the diverse applications of AI while addressing challenges such as ethical AI implementation, data privacy, and cybersecurity.

ET NOW Top 100 BFSI Tech Leaders 2025
ET EDGE is proud to announce the launch of a prestigious initiative to recognize and honor the tireless efforts of the BFSI Tech Leaders. This initiative will showcase inspiring success stories of leaders who have made significant contributions to this transformative industry.
As part of this initiative, we are proud to present the "Top 100 BFSI Tech Leaders 2025," a distinguished list celebrating the trailblazers who have redefined the BFSI technology landscape in India. These leaders, chosen through a meticulous evaluation process, represent the pinnacle of innovation, strategic leadership, and transformative impact in the industry.
Eligibility Criteria For Leaders
Who
Should
Attend?
Chief Information Officers (CIOs)
Chief Technology Officers (CTOs)
Chief Data Officers (CDOs)
Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs)
Chief Analytics Officers
Senior Application Leaders
Vice Presidents of IT Infrastructure & Operations
Heads of Digital Transformation / Innovation
Heads of IT Infrastructure and Cloud Services
BFSI Industry Solution Architects
Heads of Business Intelligence and Analytics
Heads of Customer Experience and Engagement
Technology Consultants for BFSI
Product and Services Managers in Fintech
Venture Capitalists and Investors in BFSI Tech
Who Should Partner?
Cloud Service Providers
Cybersecurity Firms
Data Analytics and AI Companies
Digital Payment Platforms
Consulting and Advisory Firms
IT Consultancy Firms
Think Tanks and Research Organizations
Blockchain Solution Providers
Financial Institutions
Angel Investor Networks
Fintech Startups and Enterprises
It aims to dissect critical themes such as adaptive learning methodologies, the role of technology in education delivery, skill development aligned with future demands, and the imperative for inclusive and equitable education.
At this edition, we will honor the brands that have defied challenges and climbed the ladder to success through their vision, perseverance, and bravery. Additionally, this event will serve as a dynamic platform for exchanging knowledge, fostering collaboration across different sectors, and leveraging expert analysis to expedite progress. Through proactive cooperation, we aim to deliver scalable outcomes and drive impactful results.
At the heart of the conclave lies a steadfast belief: education must evolve to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world. As the skills demanded by industries and professions shift, traditional learning models must transition towards being more student-centred, inclusive, connected, and collaborative, fostering creativity and lifelong learning. The Times Now Education Summit 2024 will provide a platform to explore the intersection of tradition and innovation in education and its profound potential to shape lives and societies.
Join us at the ET Now Best Education Brands Conclave 2025 to be part of this transformative journey. Together, let’s shape the future of education and skilling.
Objective
The 8th edition of the ET Now Best Education Brands aims to serve as a transformative platform for reimagining education and skilling systems to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global landscape. Its primary objectives are to:
By achieving these objectives, the summit seeks to redefine the educational landscape, bridging the gap between aspiration and reality, and ensuring education serves as a cornerstone for personal, professional, and societal advancement.
Agenda
Registration
Opening Remarks by ET Edge
Keynote Address: How Artificial Intelligence is Reshaping the Financial Services
Speaker:
- Pratik Shah, Partner & National Leader Financial Services, EY India
Leader’s Dialogue: Building a Future-Ready Organization: A Leadership Blueprint for Growth, Innovation, and Profitability
In a rapidly evolving business landscape, how can leaders drive sustainable growth, foster innovation, and enhance profitability while staying ahead of market disruptions? This session will bring together top BFSI leaders to discuss strategic approaches to building resilient, future-ready organizations that can adapt to changing customer expectations, regulatory shifts, and competitive pressures.
Speakers:
- Naveen Chandra Jha, MD & CEO, SBI General Insurance
- Prabhat Chaturvedi, CEO, NUCFDC
- Deepak Sharma, Board Member (Independent Director), Suryoday Small Finance Bank
- Noopur Chaturvedi, CEO, NPCI Bharat BillPay
Moderator:
- Pratik Shah, Partner & National Leader Financial Services, EY India
Keynote Address: Customer Experience Driven by Digital Labour
Speaker:
- Deepu Chacko, VP - Solution Engineering, Salesforce
Panel Discussion: The Data Capital of the World: Can India Lead the AI Revolution?
This discussion delves into India’s potential to emerge as a global leader in AIdriven banking by leveraging its vast data ecosystem. The session explores how India can harness its "data capital" to drive innovation, enhance financial inclusion, and establish global leadership in AI-powered banking.
- Building an AI-Friendly Banking Ecosystem
- Ensuring Ethical Use of Data and Technology
- Upskilling the Workforce & Preparing Talent for AI Driven Banking
- How India’s burgeoning fintech and AI startups can drive disruption and innovation
Speakers:
- Ramesh Aithal, Chief Digital Officer, L&T Finance
- Hemant Verma, Chief General Manager, CIO & CTO, Punjab National Bank
- Raj Sudhir Jhaveri, Senior Director - BFSI, STT GDC India
- Srinivas Jain, Executive director & Head of Strategy, SBI MUTUAL FUND
- Balaji Narayanmurthy, President & Head of Business Intelligence Unit, Axis Bank
- Saurabh Mittal, Chief Technology Officer, Piramal Retail Finance
Moderator:
- Alexy Thomas, Partner, Technology Consulting, EY India
Fireside Chat: Customer First, Digital Always: AI-Driven CX Transformation
This session will explore how AI-driven technologies are shaping customer engagement, streamlining operations, and driving innovation while addressing emerging trends, strategies, and potential challenges.
- Omnichannel Engagement and Seamless Service Delivery
- Using AI to anticipate customer needs, resolve issues before they arise, and enhance satisfaction
- Striking the right balance between AI automation and human intervention in customer service Conceptualized & Executed by
- Overcoming Resistance to Change within Legacy Systems and Culture
Speakers:
- Rajesh Choudhary, Chief Technology Officer, CSB Bank
- Deepa Ranjeet, Chief Digital Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services
- Tushar Agnihotri, EVP India and APAC, Route Mobile
Moderator:
- Aarthy Rangarajan, Partner Business Consulting, EY India
Panel Discussion: Addressing challenges of adopting Gen AI from Regulatory, Talent and ROI lens
- How do BFSI organizations look at safety and regulatory viewpoint on deploying LLMs in FS?
- How are you qualifying Gen AI use cases for ROI? How has been your ROI realization with AI?
- What kind of talent and org structure have you created and what was different about AI org structure?
- How to lead and decide in such volatile and fast changing technology topic?
Speakers:
- Sriram Naganathan, CTO, HDFC ERGO
- Shelesh Gupta, CIO, SMFG India
- Sameer Jadhav, EVP – Innovation & Digital Products and Partnership, Aditya Birla Capital
- Harish Rama Rao, Senior VP - Product Engineering, ACKO
- Shivaji Ghosh, Delivery Head for Decision Automation, J P Morgan
Moderator:
- Rohit Pandharkar, Partner, Technology Consulting, EY India
Fireside Chat: AI, Cloud, and FinTech: The Trinity Powering Digital Transformation for Banking
Speaker:
- Akshay Yadava, Director, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
Case Study
Trialogue: Building Digital Trust: AI TRiSM in Action
The discussion will focus on navigating global regulations, balancing innovation with compliance, and building trust in an AI-driven financial ecosystem.
- Understanding AI Trust, Risk, and Security Management (TRiSM) and its significance in today’s digital ecosystem
- Ensuring fairness, accountability, and transparency in AI models to build user confidence.
- Strategies to mitigate risks and safeguard AI systems from adversarial attacks and data breaches.
- Examining the impact of data sovereignty laws on cross-border transactions
Speakers:
- Girish Dixit, Executive CISO, Kotak Securities
- Steve Dsouza, Chief Risk Officer, ICICI Lombard
- Pravin Kumar, Chief Market Information Security Officer and Data Protection Officer, National Payments Corporation of India
- ABHISHEK JHA, CISO, CITI Bank
- Ashwin Rao, Enterprise Head - India & SAARC, Cloudflare
Moderator:
- Kartik Shinde, Partner, Cybersecurity Consulting, EY India
Special Guest Address: Bridging the Digital Divide: The Role of Connectivity in Expanding BFSI Services
Speaker:
- Sumnesh Joshi, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Communications, Government of India
Case Study
Special Guest Address: Building an Innovation-friendly IT Governance Framework in BFSI
Speaker:
- Arun Kumar Singh, Ex- Chief General Manager, Reserve Bank of India, RBI Nominated Director - Bandhan Bank
Case Study
Closing Remarks
Cocktails & Dinner
Roundtable 1
Registration & Networking
Opening Remarks by ET Edge
Roundtable Discussion: Data and AI Governance: Banks' Path to AI Maturity
Discussion Points:
- The role of Data and AI governance as Banks pivot towards achieving AI maturity, from experimentation to adoption to being an AI-fuelled enterprise.
- Some of the key challenges faced by organizations while implementing a robust governance strategy
- Understanding how Enterprise AI platforms enable overall Information Governance.
Speakers:
- Hemant Verma, Chief General Manager, CIO & CTO, Punjab National Bank
- Rajesh Choudhary, Chief Technology Officer, CSB Bank
- Deepak Sarda, CTO, Indian Bank
- Anand Sundaram, Head - Data Analytics, IDFC First Bank
- John Varughese, Head IT, Dhanlaxmi Bank
Moderator:
- Subha Chatterjee, Consulting – Editor, ET EDGE Insights
Roundtable 2
Registration & Networking
Opening Remarks by ET Edge
Roundtable Discussion: Future of Customer Service in BFSI: Human Empathy meets AI Agent Efficiency
Discussion Points:
- Optimizing AI-Human Synergy for Effortless Service
- Striking the Right Balance: AI-Driven vs. Human Touch
- AI for Compliance, Risk, and Fraud Mitigation
- Measuring Impact: Driving Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty
Speaker:
- Anagha Katare, Head - Customer Service, Axis Bank
Roundtable 3
Registration & Networking
Opening Remarks by ET Edge
Roundtable Discussion: Next-Gen NBFCs: Harnessing Technology to Thrive in a Digital-First World
Discussion Points:
- Achieving Scale & Speed: Can Technology be the Game-Changer for NBFCs?
- Unlocking New Growth Frontiers: Tapping into Co-Lending, Embedded Finance & Alternative Credit
- Striking the Right Balance: Driving a Digital-First Approach Without Losing Customer-Centricity
- Collaborate to Win: How Can NBFCs Leverage Banks, Fintechs & Ecosystem Partnerships for Scalable Growth?
- Future-Proofing NBFCs: Building Resilience Amid Evolving Regulations, Market Disruptions & Digital Shifts
Roundtable 4
Registration & Networking
Opening Remarks by ET Edge
Roundtable Discussion: Deriving Maximum Value from IT and Security Investments on your Digital Transformation Journey
Discussion Points:
- Balancing innovation with cost efficiency in digital transformation
- With cybersecurity as a top priority, how can financial institutions optimize investments in Zero Trust and SASE?
- How can modern architectures help banks stay agile and responsive?
- What best practices ensure regulatory compliance and customer trust?
Speakers:
- Ashwin Rao, Enterprise Head - India & SAARC, Cloudflare
- Pankaj Pandey, Chief Information Officer, SBI General Insurance Company
Moderator:
- Aniket Bhosle, Technology Consulting Partner, EY India
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