KIIT School of Management (KSOM) hosted its 17th National Finance Konclave on the theme “Digital Finance and Inclusive Growth: Redefining India’s Economic Future.” The conclave explored the growing role of digital finance, fintech innovation, and technology-driven financial systems in promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth across India.

Inaugural Session

The inaugural session began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the distinguished dignitaries. This marked the beginning of the day’s discussions on the future of digital finance and financial inclusion.

Prof. K K Ray, Convenor, set the context for the conclave by highlighting India’s rapid transformation in digital finance. He emphasized the need to balance innovation with financial inclusion, digital literacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection.

Prof. Kumar Mohanty, Director, KIIT School of Management, delivered the welcome address. He highlighted KIIT’s strong industry-academia interface and emphasized the growing importance of FinTech, digital finance, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurship.

Prof. Saranjit Singh, Vice Chancellor, KIIT Deemed to be University, spoke about India’s transformation through the JAM Trinity – Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile numbers. He highlighted how the JAM framework has strengthened financial accessibility and inclusion.

He also stressed that technology should remain a means to an end. Its impact should be measured by how effectively it reaches rural communities, small entrepreneurs, and the informal sector. He called upon students to champion inclusive digitisation and develop solutions that are accessible and affordable.

Prof. Arvind Tripathy, Dean, KIIT School of Management, delivered the Vote of Thanks. He highlighted emerging opportunities at the intersection of finance, technology, and talent. He also emphasized the importance of stronger collaboration between academia and industry.

Keynote Address

Mr. Vikram Gupta, Founder and Managing Partner of IvyCap Ventures Advisors Pvt. Ltd., delivered the keynote address.

He emphasized that the next phase of financial inclusion must move beyond bank accounts and digital payments. According to him, it should also focus on productive capital, skills, entrepreneurship, market access, ownership, and wealth creation.

Highlighting Odisha’s growing start-up and innovation ecosystem, he cited successful ventures such as OYO, IG Drones, FarEye, CureBay, and Datums. He also praised Hon’ble Founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta’s vision in building KIIT and KISS as models of inclusive development.

Panel Discussion on Digital Finance and Financial Markets

The inaugural session was followed by a panel discussion on “Financial Markets and Digital Finance: Towards a Sustainable Economic Future.”

The discussion brought together distinguished finance and BFSI leaders to examine the changing financial landscape and its implications for India’s economic growth.

The panelists shared insights from their extensive industry experience. They discussed how digital finance, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies are transforming financial markets.

The discussion also highlighted the role of these technologies in:

• Financial inclusion
• Access to capital
• Cost efficiency
• Informed decision-making

The panel also addressed important challenges related to cybersecurity, fraud, privacy, trust, and regulation. The speakers emphasized the importance of human oversight, strong digital infrastructure, and responsible innovation.

Another key focus was India’s transition from being a technology consumer to becoming a technology creator and exporter. The discussion highlighted the potential of combining AI and human intelligence to support inclusive, secure, and sustainable economic growth.

Interactive Finance Workshops

The second half of the conclave featured interactive workshops led by senior finance professionals. These sessions explored important areas of India’s evolving financial ecosystem.

The workshops covered topics such as:

• The Future of Finance: Digital Payments, FinTech and Beyond
• Firm Value Creation through M&A
• The Role of Debt Markets in Financing India’s Development Future
• Cross-Border Financial Integration and Economic Resilience
• Digital Public Infrastructure

The official programme also included parallel interactive sessions for MBA-2 Finance students, MBA-1 students, and BBA-3 Finance students.

Strengthening Industry-Academia Engagement

The 17th National Finance Konclave provided participants with valuable industry-led perspectives on the changing financial ecosystem.

The event also reflected KSOM’s continued focus on experiential learning, industry engagement, and developing future-ready Finance professionals.

Through discussions on digital finance, FinTech, AI, financial inclusion, cybersecurity, and emerging financial technologies, the conclave created a platform for students, faculty, and industry professionals to engage with the evolving future of finance.