Day 1 of the 2nd edition of The Future Finance Office brought together India’s leading finance minds in Lucknow for discussions on macroeconomics, leadership evolution, digital transformation, and India’s growth ambitions.
The 2nd edition of The Future Finance Office, presented by BW Businessworld and BW CFO, commenced on 8 May 2026 at The Centrum, Lucknow, bringing together CFOs and senior finance leaders from some of India’s largest organisations for a three-day offsite conference focused on the future of finance leadership.
The event is being held with the support of the Government of Uttar Pradesh and Invest UP as Presenting Partner & Official State Partner, with the Government of UP as Powered By Partner. Supporting partners include SAP Concur (Digital Transformation Partner), CCH® Tagetik (Corporate Performance Management Partner), Adfactors PR (Capital Market Communication Partner), IBS (Knowledge Partner), and Zaggle (Spend Management Partner).
Opening the conference, Dr Anurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, BW Businessworld and Founder, exchange4media, set the context with a reflective address that went beyond business and finance. Drawing inspiration from books he has recently read and films he has watched, Dr Batra spoke about leadership, adaptability, and the importance of broad thinking in shaping the future of business decision-making, setting an engaging tone for the day.
India’s Economic and Geopolitical Outlook
The first key session of the day featured Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist, ICRA, who unpacked India’s macroeconomic environment and the geopolitical factors influencing business and financial decision-making.
The discussion highlighted how today’s finance leaders must navigate uncertainty with sharper foresight, balancing growth ambitions with evolving global realities.
Government Perspective on Growth
A key highlight of Day 1 was the keynote by Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh, bringing a governance perspective to the event and reinforcing the state’s growing role in business and investment conversations.
Finance Transformation and Expanding Leadership Roles
As conversations moved toward the transformation of finance functions, Sumedha Verma, Head SAP Concur India & Finance and Spend Management Leader Corporates, SAP, addressed the growing role of intelligent spend management and technology-enabled operational efficiency.
The evolving nature of finance leadership was further explored through discussions on the CFO’s increasingly multifunctional role, reflecting how modern finance leaders are expected to go beyond traditional financial stewardship to become strategic business partners.
The expanding mandate of the modern CFO was further explored by Sudhakar Rao, Director, ICFAI Group, who spoke about seamlessly adapting to a multi-functional leadership role. The session highlighted how finance leaders today are increasingly expected to balance financial expertise with broader strategic, operational, and organisational responsibilities.
Leadership transition was another major theme, with Shrikant Kanhere, MD & CEO, AWL Agri Business Limited, leading a session on “From CFO to CEO,” examining the leadership journey from finance executive to enterprise head.
Powering India’s Economic Ambitions
The day concluded with a fireside chat on “Powering Growth: Building the Energy Backbone of a Trillion-Dollar Economy,” featuring Mayur Maheshwari, IAS, Managing Director, UP Power Transmission Corporation, in conversation with Ruhail Amin, BW Businessworld.
The discussion spotlighted the critical role of infrastructure and energy in supporting India’s long-term economic growth trajectory.
Day 1 concluded with networking and a gala dinner, setting the stage for further conversations as The Future Finance Office continues in Lucknow. |
