Past Speakers
Chief Guest
- Smt. Droupadi Murmu Hon'ble President of India
In The August Presence Of
- Shri Mohan Charan Majhi Chief Minister Odisha
- Dr Mukesh Mahaling Minister, Health and Family welfare, Parliamentary Affairs, Electronics & Information Technology Odisha
- Shri Suryabanshi Suraj Minister, Higher Education, Sports & Youth Services, Odia Language Literature & Culture Odisha
Neil Parekh
Deputy Chairman, Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN); Vice Chairman, Asia Pacific, SMBC & Former Nominated Member of Parliament, Singapore
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)
Neil serves as the Group Deputy Chairman and Board Director at the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN). He is also Vice Chairman, Asia Pacific for Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Group. Until recently, he was Partner and Head of Asia and Australia at Tikehau Capital. He previously held the position of CEO, Asia at National Australia Bank.
Neil is a Council Member of the Singapore Business Federation and the Singapore Institute of Directors and serves as an Advisory Board Member of the James Cook University, Singapore, and the Singapore Fintech Association. He also serves as a Senior Adviser to the Atlantic Council in Washington DC. and is a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Directors as well as the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also the Chairman of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He served as a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore from 2023 to 2025. He has also served on the Governing Council of the Association of Banks in Singapore and as Chief Executive Officer of Pegasus Asia, a company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange.
Speaking at
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10:00–10:25amFri 6 FebSummit Stage DialoguesCentral HallOpen
Accelerating Sector Transformation
The Evolving Landscape of Investment and Financial Systems in Emerging Economies
Summit Stage DialoguesCentral HallOpen
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Neil ParekhDeputy Chairman, Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN); Vice Chairman, Asia Pacific, SMBC & Former Nominated Member of Parliament, SingaporeSumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)
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Dr. Debadatta ChandManaging Director & Chief Executive OfficerBank of Baroda
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Sharanjit LeylMC, ChancellorBath Spa UniversityModerator
About this session
Emerging markets are entering a defining decade for finance. Countries like India are building digital-first financial ecosystems that fuse innovation, inclusion, and investment at scale. With over 10 billion monthly UPI transactions, rapid fintech growth toward the $2 trillion mark, and banks leading AI and tokenization pilots, India has become both a blueprint and a testbed for the future of banking.
This dialogue explores how global investors and leading banks are collaborating to reimagine the financial ecosystem, attract capital, and navigate AI-driven disruptions. How do private banks scale digital models profitably while ensuring inclusion? Where will value creation and jobs emerge as technology reshapes emerging market finance? -

