Directions to navigate through the new financial landscape discussed at the third India Investment Conference
The third India Investment Conference, jointly organized by CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals, Indian Association of Investment Professionals (IAIP) and the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM), concluded with a call for action to restore trust and promote best practices in the financial services industry in India.
“Our members in India are optimistic when it comes to the local economy in 2013. At the same time, they point to the low level of public confidence in finance and to the need for financial firms to improve their ethical codes, as high priority items this year. We must take proactive measures to regain the public’s confidence and restore trust,” John Rogers, CFA, president and CEO, CFA Institute, told around 300 delegates at the conference held on 11 January in Mumbai.
Keynote speaker Prashant Saran, whole time member of the Securities & Exchange Board of India, stressed the importance of market transparency and integrity in successfully navigating the new financial landscape.
“Currently, IAIP has around 1,000 members in India. We expect the strong growth of our members and candidates who strive for the best practices and professional education in this vibrant, emerging economy. Together with CFA Institute, we will continue to actively promote ethical behavior and market transparency in India, hence, contribute to the sustainable growth of the financial services industry,” said Sunil Singhania, CFA, president, Indian Association of Investment Professionals.
Other prominent speakers at the India Investment Conference including Roger Urwin, global head of investment content and advisory director at Towers Watson, and Satyajit Das, author/ consultant, S Das & Associates Pty Ltd.. Prof. Aswath Damodaran, professor of finance, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University, undertook a two-hour session on investment philosophies.
During the executive panel discussion on India’s investment outlook, which was moderated by Prabhat Awasthi, managing director & head of India equities at Nomura, Raamdeo Agrawal, joint managing director at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited; Ridham Desai, managing director at Morgan Stanley; Prashant Jain, Executive Director & CIO, HDFC Asset Management; and Sunil Singhania, CFA, head of equity investments at Reliance Mutual Fund, provided insightful perspectives of the Indian economy, macro and micro fundamentals, and the ways going forward.
The conference is supported by Bombay Stock Exchange, MCX Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange as the platinum partners; Bombay Realty as the gold partner; FactSet and S&P Capital IQ as the silver partners; as well as CNBC TV18 and The Wall Street Journal Asia being the media partners.
CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organization is a champion for ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. The end goal: to create an environment where investors’ interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. CFA Institute has more than 113,000 members in 140 countries and territories, including 102,000 CFA charterholders, and 137 member societies. For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org.