Whilst India's superiority over Pakistan is clear, both economically and militarily, China is in another league. Some have argued that China has not fought a war in many years and its army has not been 'blooded', whereas India's has been fighting in some capacity or the other almost continuously. Nevertheless, there are many vulnerabilities in India’s national security apparatus whether in terms of equipment, supplies, technology or infrastructure. In the recent past, the nation has adopted a bolder and more assertive stance over issues of national security but how and to what extent is this backed by financial, political and technological support?

Air Chief Marshal Anil Yashwant Tipnis, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC served as Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force from 1998 to 2001, commanding the Air Force to distinction during the Kargil War. He will provide a perspective on India’s current defence and security preparedness, its strengths and weaknesses, and the prospects going forward.

The liquidity crisis at non-bank lenders and higher interest rates seem to have rattled chief financial officers of India Inc. Tightening liquidity is pushing up the cost of borrowing. Going forward, apprehensions over geopolitical issues, rupee depreciation, input price pressures, and state and general elections are likely to make matters worse. The problem is aggravated for SMEs that, according to the latest report by alternate lender C2FO, have been struggling to access funds due to prevailing conditions.

The panellists will outline how liquidity is coming to the forefront as a key factor for determining business success; how the liquidity scenario will change in the next five years; and how businesses are navigating this environment. Ravi Tanniru from C2FO will provide an expert’s view on cash management and optimisation of working capital while Kedar Upadhye from Cipla will provide the practitioner’s perspective.

For decades, offshoring, outsourcing and centralisation have driven the Finance function’s productivity agenda. However, in recent years, cheaper, better and faster technologies have started to reshape the Finance function. Starting with the automation journey is conceptually easy but only a few companies are able to reap the desired benefits. How do CFOs to take advantage of this opportunity? What activities should be automated? How to leverage advanced technologies like machine learning, AI and NLP tools?

Engage on this hot but elusive subject with a panel of leading CFOs as they share their technology adoption journeys and explain how they overcame challenges and derived benefits. Prashant Garg will provide an overview of how technology is impacting the life of CFOs, what new technology trends are emerging, where best-in-class companies are focusing and the way forward.

One of the finer pleasures of life is to ‘feel’ the mountains and to experience their majesty and their permanence. Take a nature walk among towering Deodars and through quaint settlements with the Himalayas on one side and the beautiful Doon valley on the other.

Former captain and the face of the Indian football for the major part of the last two decades, Bhaichung Bhutia had a fantastic 16 years of International football career. He captained India for for over 10 years and scored 43 international goals, more than any other footballer of the country. He is also the only Indian and one among few international players to have played more than 100 matches for his country. Under him, India won the South Asian Football Federation Championships thrice, two Nehru Cup titles (in 2007 and 2009) and the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup which gave India the right to play in the Asian Cup this year for the first time after 1984. He has been decorated with the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri.

Engage with the man himself as shares his life story which is one of grit, determination and inspiration against all odds.

Businesses across the world suffer from three major ‘ailments’ that hinder them from realising their true potential. A few decades ago, hiring a resource required minimal managerial intervention. Today, such decisions are taken only after getting the go-ahead from every possible layer of management. Corporations are forgetting their core values and turning less empathetic towards its employees. In such a scenario, what are the possible remedies that businesses need to urgently adopt? How do you prepare leadership for the future? How do you enable a culture that inspires and promotes collaboration?

Captain Raghu Raman, with a unique career spanning a decade in the Indian Armed Forces, another decade-plus as CEO of three companies in the Mahindra Group and several years of experience in the Government, will share strategies that businesses need to adopt to avoid redundancy.

‘It is the certainty of punishment not the severity of punishment that creates deterrence’. This simple adage sums up the basic principle of law enforcement in any society. From jumping traffic lights to reneging on contracts; from crime and hooliganism to organised rebellion and Naxalism, so many of India’s woes stem from the poor implementation of laws that exist to ensure order. It is easy to blame the administration but the problem is more complex. There are weaknesses in India’s federalist structure where law enforcement is a state subject while law enactment is a concurrent one. The judiciary is under-resourced with cases often taking decades to be resolved. Civil society is often apathetic and, most of all, the police force is hopelessly under-resourced. How does the nation’s law enforcement machinery cope and what will it take to fix things?

Known for his no-nonsense approach to curbing anti-social elements and rioters and for bringing order to chaotic conditions on city roads in Delhi, Maxwell Pereira belongs to the Union Territories Cadre of the Indian Police Service (IPS). By the time he retired, he had nine national and four regional awards adorning the lapel of his uniform, making him one of the most highly decorated police officers in India. A widely published writer, he has earned himself the title of ‘The Thinking Cop'. He will provide a perspective on India’s law enforcement challenges, the need for reforms and his outlook for the country’s future.

Dr Pawan Agrawal, Author and Educationist
(This will be hosted as a joint session with spouses)
Dressed in white outfits and traditional Gandhi caps, an army of 5,000 dabbawalas fulfil the hunger of almost 200,000 Mumbaikars with home-cooked food, daily, on time with an accuracy rate of 99.99% with 100% customer satisfaction. Amazingly, the dabbawalas – with semiliterate workers – have achieved this level of performance at very low cost, in an eco-friendly way and without the use of any IT system or even cell phones. Six Sigma, ISO and many other certifications awarded to this organisation by external organisations only confirm its excellent supply chain and logistics management capabilities.

Dr Pawan Agrawal, who earned his doctorate studying how the dabbawalas operate, will share the lessons that make the 118-year old organisation successful and elaborate on the ideals of passion, teamwork, dedication and hard work.

Anuj Dhar, Indian author and former journalist
(This will be hosted as a joint session with spouses)
As the Second World War came to an end in Southeast Asia in August 1945, Subhas Chandra Bose boarded a plane to shift the base of India's liberation struggle to a new territory controlled by the Soviet Union. Officially, the story goes that he died on August 18, 1945 as the plane crashed in the small island of Formosa (now Taiwan), but multiple investigations later there is no certainty about his fate.

Anuj Dhar, a former investigative journalist, has devoted nearly two decades to uncover the mystery behind Bose's disappearance and has documented how India's political establishment kept swinging between its belief in Bose's death and apprehension that he might return: all in strict secrecy. The story spanning seven decades is perhaps even more engaging than that of a James Bond or a Jason Bourne. Dhar will delve into this rollercoaster of a political thriller to share his findings. Apart from his 2012 bestseller India's Biggest Cover-up, Dhar has authored several other books on topics such as the CIA's activities in South Asia and the mystery of Lal Bahadur Shastri's death in far away Tashkent.