24 October 2013 Printable agenda
9:00 am - 10:00 am	Breakfast and Registration
10:00 am - 10:10 am	Welcome by Financial Times
10:10 am - 10:20 am	Welcome by YES BANK
10:20 am - 10:50 am	Keynote Address - Chief Guest
10:50 am - 11:20 am	Keynote Address: The Global Economic and Financial Outlook A leading international economist sets the scene for the conversations to follow with insights on the global economy and financial system.
11:20 am - 11:50 am	Conversation with the Financial Times
11:50 am - 12:00 pm	Session Keynote: The Regulatory Forces Changing Global Banking
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm	Panel Discussion: The Regulatory Forces Changing Global Banking – Balancing Risk against Growth Although in recent months some aspects of Basel III have softened, the tougher regulatory environment under the international agreement has forced a significant change in global banking. However, not all financial institutions are moving at the same pace or in the same direction, largely because of uncertainty about the effects of these far-reaching reforms. Should banks and financial institutions see the new regulations as an opportunity to restructure systems and processes, and sharpen their competitive edge? Have the senior leadership of financial institutions fully understood the imperatives in the tighter regulations? How are other new regulatory moves, including proposed EU caps on bonuses, being integrated into Basel III? Are reforms deep enough to substantially change irresponsible attitudes to risk or is “too big to fail” the attitude that will continue to prevail? Do regulations go too far and create obstacles to renewed growth by emphasising capital preservation over risk-taking? What do banks have to do to regain the trust of stakeholders, and still continue to grow?
1:00 pm - 2:15 pm	Lunch
2:15 pm - 3:00 pm	Keynote Dialogue: Top Bankers Discuss Strategic Priorities for 2014 Now that recessionary pressures seem to be easing, what is the best approach for the world’s banks to return to growth? Should they hunker down, and build their strength through consolidation from within, streamlining their operations and restructuring for maximum efficiency? Or should they grow stronger by looking to expand through mergers and acquisitions, or setting up new branches? Should central banks encourage banks to slim down or should they advocate the banks bulk up by acquiring smaller players? Will regulatory pressures and the need to address the “trust deficit” lead to large banks being broken up or is the banking supermarket still a reality for the future?
3:00 pm - 3:10 pm	Session Keynote: New and Emerging Areas of Growth
3:10 pm - 4:10 pm	Panel Discussion: New and Emerging Areas of Growth – Insights from Investors, Asset Managers and Banks Institutional investors, private-equity firms, asset managers and investment bankers share insights on their strategy in the current economic, financial and regulatory environment, the markets, sectors and asset classes they are focusing on, and the opportunities and risks they see in both emerging and developed economies. Is an increasingly granular approach to portfolios justified, or is relative concentration the best strategy? What role will infrastructure, energy and real estate play in asset allocations? How are geopolitical conditions affecting investment decisions? Can new trade and investment corridors be built between emerging markets, including India, the Gulf States, Africa, China and Latin America?
4:10 pm - 4:30 pm	Networking Break
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm	Keynote Interview
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Panel Discussion: Innovation in Banking – Fundamentally Rethinking Business Models The banking industry is transforming worldwide. Rapid changes in customer needs, revolutionary technologies and tighter regulatory environments are forcing banks to rethink their business models – and innovate. While some are doing it reluctantly, in order not to be left behind, others are more enthusiastic, introducing such innovations as mobile branches, tablet-based banking and direct cash transfers, all of which have the added advantage of promoting financial inclusion. But are these initiatives in reality transforming the deeply entrenched business models of banks? Are banks truly making innovation the core of their business strategies and framework for growth? Unlike companies, which must constantly innovate in products or services to stay ahead of the competition, banking institutions seem to struggle to be innovative. What are the competitive and financial advantages for banks that become innovation-led? How can incentives and regulations assist banks to adopt an innovative mind set? What impact will the rapid growth of social media have on business models?
6:00 pm - 6:30 pm	Keynote Address
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm	Cocktail Reception
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm	Dinner

25 October 2013 Printable agenda
9:00 am - 10:00 am	Breakfast
10:00 am - 10:05 am	Introduction to Day Two
10:05 am - 11:05 am	Panel Discussion: The Politics of India’s Economic Reforms – A Pre-Election View With India’s elections around the corner, politics have taken centre stage for both the ruling coalition and the opposition. Regardless of which political party/coalition takes the helm in 2014, however, economic liberalisation is likely to continue – the differentiators will be the policies that determine the pace, mode and emphasis of reform. The Manmohan Singh administration in recent months has focused on clarifying policy for foreign direct investment (FDI) in pharmaceuticals, a key sector, and has moved to increase FDI in multi-brand retailing, civil aviation, broadcasting, and banking and insurance. The government’s efforts have met with dissension not only from its political opponents but also from certain thinkers who believe that the ruling party instead should work harder to reform India’s creaking democratic system. They want greater empowerment of the poor, better facilities and opportunities for education, better availability of healthcare, better public services and better banking services for the underprivileged. What are some of the policies that the government has introduced and could introduce to enhance this empowerment? What are the policies that the next government should focus on? How viable is the recent FDI policy, especially in context of empowerment of the poor? Will such economic reforms enable India’s return to higher rates of GDP growth?
11:05 am - 11:50 am	Conversation with the Financial Times: The New Shape of Banking in India A new bank licensee and an existing banking leader discuss with an FT journalist the new competition in India’s banking industry and the opportunities for growth.
11:50 am - 12:00 pm	Session Keynote: The BRICS Bank
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm	Panel Discussion: The BRICS Bank – A Game Changer for Multilateral Lending? At the Durban summit, the BRICS took their first step towards institutionalisation, including a high-profile proposal for a BRICS development bank that aims to rival the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. Given that these West-dominated multilateral financial organisations could neither prevent nor contain the economic crisis in the US and Europe, and are seen to be heavily inclined towards the developed world, the BRICS believe it is time to create a bank that reflects the needs and interests of their own growing economies (along with those of other emerging markets). How feasible is a BRICS bank? Will the governments of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa be able to find common ground in financial and economic policies to make the bank a reality? How will the expected dominance of China in such a bank prove to be an asset for the smaller economies? How will it sit with the other BRICS members, especially India? Will the bank complement the work of the IMF and World Bank? Or will it be fashioned as an alternative bank for the BRICS? How will the BRICS bank change the form of multilateral lending in the non-developed world?
1:00 pm - 2:15 pm	Lunch
2:15 pm - 3:00 pm	Keynote Address
3:00 pm - 3:10 pm	Session Keynote: Sustainable Development
3:10 pm - 4:10 pm	Panel Discussion: Promoting Sustainable Development and Financial Inclusion In India, as in many emerging markets, the delivery of basic public services such as electricity and clean water is a huge task, made more difficult by inadequate infrastructure and a paucity of funds and skills. Although the government has increased its budgetary allocations for essential services, and made financial inclusion a policy priority, the challenge cannot be overcome without the active participation of, and financing from, the private sector. The banking and finance industry, for example, can enhance its priority-sector lending, as well as cater to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. It can also build innovative financial products that attract private money to developing infrastructure, affordable housing or renewable energy in remote areas. What kind of incentives can the government offer to encourage the private sector? How should financial and industrial regulators monitor private involvement without dampening their enthusiasm? What kind of public-private alliances must be forged to ensure development is profitable but sustainable? What role can innovators and entrepreneurs play? How should civil society and the public be involved?
4:10 pm - 4:30 pm	Case Study: Leading Emerging Market Bank
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm	Networking Break
5:00 pm - 5:10 pm	Session Keynote: Leading Regulator
5:10 pm - 6:20 pm	Regulators’ Roundtable: Is It Time to Ease Regulatory Pressures?
6:20 pm - 6:30 pm	Closing Remarks
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm	Closing Cocktails Reception