Bhubaneswar: 15 December 2025 :: Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) inaugurated Finomics 2025, the annual business conclave of X-Fin: The Finance Association of XIMB, on December 14, 2025. The conclave, themed “Reimagining Capital Markets: From Traditional Deals To Tech-Driven Finance,” brought together industry leaders, faculty, and students to deliberate on navigating change and creating impact in today’s evolving financial landscape. The conclave commenced with a lamp-lighting ceremony by the dignitaries, followed by a welcome address by Dr. D. V. Ramana, Professor of Accounting and Finance, XIM University. He spoke about corporate finance, global markets, and financial systems, highlighting the collaborative role they play in a technology-driven world marked by the rise of multiple tech-enabled enterprises.
The first speaker, Prayag Mohanty, Principal, Fireside Ventures, reflected on his time at XIMB and his transition into venture capital, noting that the early 2010s were constrained not by ambition but by inadequate infrastructure. Weak data systems and limited digital payments made scalability and unit economics difficult to achieve. He highlighted that the maturation of data infrastructure and the advent of UPI marked a turning point, transforming speed, scale, and cost efficiency in consumer-tech models, while underscoring the importance of disciplined early-stage investing. His central message was: “Goal-seeking mirrors Pareto: identify the critical 15–20% that creates 80–85% of the value.”
The second speaker, Satyajit Tripathy, Whole Time Member (Distribution), IRDAI, reflected on his journey and underscored the need to modernise insurance and risk frameworks for the next generation of investors. He highlighted data as a valuable and costly asset and explained that insurance operates through long-term, multi-phased risk diversification across sectors and geographies. His central message was: “The basic principle of insurance is to diversify risk, whether within a country or across international markets.”
The third speaker, Anand Surana, Country Head, UltraTech Cement, spoke on the evolution of capital markets, noting that while savings drive growth, long-term sustainability depends on technological progress. He highlighted how digitalisation and fintech have democratised financial participation, while cautioning that growth is inseparable from risk and requires strong financial literacy. His central message was: “Evaluate opportunity costs, remain invested, and let your capital work because prudent finance allows you to optimize returns without compromise.”
The fourth speaker, Nidhi Murarka Shah, Vice President, Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley, highlighted how AI and advanced analytics are transforming capital markets by converting data into long-term value. She emphasised that while AI is a powerful enabler, it cannot replace human judgment, relationship-building, and deep domain expertise. She added that continuous learning is essential to ensure technology meaningfully enhances professional capabilities rather than substituting them. Her central message was: “We won’t be replaced by AI – we’ll be enhanced by it, enabling better decision making and stronger links across global markets.”
The fifth speaker, Deepak Mohanty, Executive Director, Wells Fargo, highlighted how finance has evolved from a relationship-driven, manual ecosystem to one powered by automation, data and AI. He explained that trading spans pre-trade, execution and post-trade layers, with the life cycle now increasingly automated and data-driven. What was once limited by geography and time is now enabled by anytime, anywhere banking through centralised reporting hubs. His central message was: “Across the trade life cycle, finance has shifted from manual processing to automated, AI-driven execution and settlement.”
The session also featured discussions on leadership and emerging technologies shaping capital markets, followed by an interactive Q&A where students engaged on innovation and self-development. The conclave concluded with closing remarks by Dr. D. V. Ramana, Professor of Accounting and Finance, and a vote of thanks by the coordinator of X-Fin: The Finance Association of XIMB, marking the end of a highly insightful finance conclave.
