Session Title

Building FinTech Talent for Future BFSI

Abstract

The BFSI sector is undergoing a structural transformation driven by FinTech, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data-led decision-making, embedded finance, cybersecurity, and evolving customer expectations. As India moves towards Viksit Bharat 2047, the sector will require professionals who combine financial knowledge with technological fluency, regulatory awareness, analytical capability, ethical judgement, and customer-centric thinking.

This session will examine how academia can contribute to building future-ready FinTech talent for the BFSI ecosystem. It will map emerging FinTech opportunities to new-age job profiles, identify the skillsets expected by industry, and highlight how academic institutions can respond through curriculum innovation, certifications, FinTech labs, incubation support, industry projects, and experiential learning. The session will also address generational dimensions of the workforce, including the strengths and challenges of Gen Z, Gen X, and the emerging Gen Alpha, and propose practical ways to bridge capability gaps through technology-enabled and industry-aligned education.

Bio

Dr. Neha Parashar is a distinguished academic leader, researcher, mentor, and finance educator with more than 22 years of rich experience in academics, research, mentoring, institution building, and industry engagement, specializing in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector. She currently serves as the Director of Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance (SSBF), a constituent of Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune.

A Gold Medalist and University Topper during both her MBA and M.Com programs, Dr. Parashar completed her Ph.D. in Finance in 2008 with a specialization in Behavioral Finance.

Over the course of her distinguished career, she has successfully mentored thousands of students, research scholars, and young professionals, helping them build successful careers in banking, financial services, consulting, FinTech, and allied sectors.

Her academic and research interests span Behavioral Finance, Financial Inclusion, FinTech, Digital Financial Services, Sustainable Finance, Mutual Funds, Risk Management, Financial Literacy, ESG, and Emerging Technologies in BFSI.

Recognized for her thought leadership and scholarly contributions, she has published extensively in reputed national and international journals and has presented her research at leading academic and industry forums across the globe.

Dr. Parashar has successfully led and executed several funded research projects and consultancy assignments. She is a recipient of prestigious research grants and project funding from reputed organizations such as ICSSR, SWIFT, and other national and international funding agencies, reflecting the relevance and impact of her research contributions.

Her work has focused on contemporary themes such as digital financial inclusion, financial literacy, green finance, FinTech adoption, sustainable development, investor behavior, and the impact of digital transformation on financial services.