Our speakers

Dr. Raviganesh Venkataraman, CEO, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals


Dr. Ravindranath Kancharla, CMD, Global Hospitals Pvt. Ltd

Dr. Ravindranath Kancharla, M.S., FRCS (Glasgow) FRCS (Edin.) founded Global Hospitals Private Ltd. and also serves as its Managing Director. Dr. Kancharla serves as Vice President of Shiridi Sai Medical Trust, Nellore. He Worked about 7 years in the United Kingdom in various positions at Darlington Memorial Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, St. Mark's Hospital and King's College Hospital. He has performed over 15,000 Laparoscopic Operations including over 9000 Laparoscopic Gall Bladder operations.

Dr. Kancharla was Founding member and served as Treasurer of Endoscopic & Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia, Singapore (First Indian to occupy this post). He served as Hon. Secretary of Indian Association of Gastrointestinal & Endosurgeons from 1998 to 2000. He served as Vice President of Endoscopic & Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia, Singapore from 2001 to 2003. He served as President of Indian Association of Gastrointestinal Endosurgeons from 2000 to 2002 and President Iages from 2002 to 2004. Dr. Kancharla serves as the Chairman of the Board of Global Hospitals Private Ltd.

He serves as a Director of Institute of Laparoscopic Training Center, Hyderabad (Recognized by ELSA, Singapore). He serves as Member of St. Mark's Association, London. He is Guest Faculty of Scientific Committee member for many International meetings of Endosurgery, Laparoscopic Surgery & G1 Surgery. 


Dr. Rex Davis, MD, dunnhumby India

Dr. Rex Davis is a leading retail scientist who has spent his career exploring the phenomenon of human behaviour and decision-making within the retail environment. As a marketer, researcher, and an analyst, Rex brings over a decade of experience to dunnhumby in helping businesses better understand their customers and adopt a customer-first approach as a key growth strategy. Rex oversees the company’s Gurgaon, India office and leads the global analyst and technology teams responsible for storing and interpreting customer data and insights for clients around the world. Prior to his current role, Rex served as Vice President, Insights, USA and was responsible for leading the insights solution group, providing leadership in the development of data modeling techniques and the delivery of customer-driven implications for The Kroger Co. and consumer packaged goods (CPG) partners. Since joining the company, Rex has been instrumental in shaping innovation and best practise standards on a global scale. Prior to dunnhumby, Rex spent seven years in marketing, customer loyalty, and analytics at Coles Myer, one of Australia’s two major retailers. At Coles, as National Loyalty Manager Rex was accountable for the company’s investment in fuel, loyalty, and direct marketing. Before that as Head of Analytics, he was responsible for driving insights out of an extensive database that covered 15% of the Australian retail economy. Striving for ever-increasing levels of insight, Rex is a major asset to our India team as the team maximises the value that India brings to dunnhumby globally.


Dr. Robert Benhenni, CEO of QFA, Inc.

Dr. Robert Benhenni, CEO of QFA, Inc. He is also a lecturer at the University of Bergamo, (Italy) and Portfolio Advisor to Classis Capital, SpA. (Milan)

Robert Benhenni holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics (Statistical Probability) from UCLA (University of California Los Angeles), and an MBA in Finance from the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

  • Deep knowledge of High Yield and Distressed credit investment strategies (e.g., QFA, NYU Stern Salomon Center for the Credit Markets, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, Nicomachean Partners, Natixis)
  • Thorough knowledge of valuation of credit securities including structured credit, full capital structure debt claims and credit derivatives (Credit Suisse, Nicomachean Partners, Natixis)
  • Strong background in the application of statistical techniques to the financial markets such as the application of statistical survival analysis to default prediction (e.g., Morgan Stanley) and the successful application of Bayesian dynamic multifactor econometric models to systematic investments strategies in Futures (e.g., QFA)
  • Thorough knowledge of portfolio construction analytics and asset allocation techniques (e.g., QFA, Natixis)
  • High competence in risk management analytics such as Value-at-Risk, Credit Risk and Stress Testing (e.g., QFA, Morgan Stanley, Nicomachean Partners, Natixis)
  • Strong background in the valuation of derivatives products, cash instruments and corporate firm valuation (e.g., Credit Suisse, Nicomachean Partners, Natixis, JP Morgan)
  • Excellent capacity to explain complex issues clearly and succinctly no matter the professional or academic audience (e.g., Morgan Stanley, NYU Stern School of Business)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

  • Robert Benhenni created the first-ever Middle-Market company performance index providing early investment insights into major stock indexes: S&P 500, S&P SmallCap 600 and Russell 2000, that the media (WSJ, CNBC) have discussed (NYU Stern School of Business, QFA)
  • Built a unique quantitative credit investment strategy in High Yield corporate bonds incorporating the business risk of the firm, the capital structure of the firm and earnings growth forecasts, and managed the fund resulting in superior performance (Natixis)
  • Actively developed the CLO/CBO business: an instigator of the investment strategy to identify CLOs/CBOs relative value trades by quantifying the risk / return profiles of those products (Natixis)
  • Built state-of-the-art credit default models for both non-financial firms and financial firms covering the full U.S. market that showed very high prediction power (Morgan Stanley)
  • Developed a novel capital structure valuation model based on balance sheet simulation valuing senior/junior/secured debt and CDS; plus developed investment strategy applications such as capital structure arbitrage and optimal firm recapitalization models (Nicomachean Partners, Credit Suisse)
  • Built systematic investment strategies in grain and soft commodity futures based on a state-of-the-art Bayesian dynamic multifactor econometric model resulting in stellar fund performance significantly outperforming most of the hedge funds (QFA)
  • Chaired the portfolio risk management committee and successfully managed risk during turbulent times for all funds such as long/short Macro-Fund, long/short Equity, long Credit, and long/short Emerging Market debt (Natixis)

Dr. RS Sharma, CEO, National Health Authority, MoHFW (Govt. of India)

Dr. Ram Sewak Sharma is a former member of the prestigious Indian Administrative Service with a distinguished career in the Government of India and State Governments, leading reforms and leveraging IT to simplify administrative processes. In the process, he has contributed to shaping India's Policies in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). He combines planning and execution skills to ensure that policies work at the ground.

Dr. Sharma is presently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority responsible for managing the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) – the largest health insurance scheme of the World - and the Ayushman Bharat -Digital Mission. Also, he serves as the Chairperson of the Empowered Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19.

Previously, Dr Sharma headed the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) from August 2015 to September 2020, in which period he brought consumer focus to reaching the telecom and broadcasting services to all pockets of the country. And where the regulatory action may have been insufficient, he advocated policy changes to the government.

He provided thought leadership through initiatives, for example, in adopting Net Neutrality principles in India, use of crowdsourced data to measure service quality, and leveraging blockchain to achieve regulatory outcomes.

He pushed for development of indigenous technologies, keeping the country's needs in mind, e.g., to establish a grid of Wi-Fi hotspots or to make interoperable set-top boxes for television broadcast.

He represented India at various international fora and contributed to the policy space in communication technologies and broadcasting. Before joining the TRAI, Dr Sharma worked as Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, where he spearheaded the Digital India program to develop India into a digitally empowered society and a knowledge economy.

He brought in policies related to open source, open standards, and open APIs in all government projects and shaped eGovernance space by converting silo applications in various sectors to modern, multi-tenanted enterprise systems.

Dr. Sharma supported the development and adoption of several digital products in governance and citizen services, such as eKYC, Digital Locker, eSign, Online Reservation System (ORS) in the hospitals, Digital Attendance, Jeevan Pramaan (a system for issuing Digital Life Certificate for the pensioners) and the Digital Consent Artefact. Importantly, he crafted policies for digital payments that led to the creation of the phenomenally successful UPI payment system in India.

Before joining the Government of India as Secretary, Dr Sharma worked for one year in 2013-14 as Chief Secretary in the Government of Bihar and Jharkhand, where he provided leadership to the entire administrative system of the State. He dealt with law and order, administration of the criminal justice system, revenue system and all other aspects of the work, for which a State Government is responsible under the Constitution. While there, he modernized governance and public service delivery systems using technology in several areas, such as land and property registration systems, municipal governance, Public Distribution System (PDS) and taxation systems.

Dr. Sharma is best known for the role he played as Director General & Mission Director of the Unique Identification Authority of India in the years 2009 – 2013.

Working closely with Mr Nandan Nilekani in overall design and implementation of Aadhaar, he brought to fruition Government of India’s ambitious project to provide a unique identity to all its residents. Today it is the world’s largest identity system, capable of biometrically authenticating every individual resident in the country.

He conceptualized (and later implemented) several services that leveraged the authentication infrastructure for better governance and for bringing in cost-effectiveness in both government and private enterprise.

In his other assignments, he has worked as District Magistrate in several districts in Bihar, Director of Treasuries, Secretary in different departments in the State and as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India.

In September 2020 Rupa Publications brought out his book The Making of Aadhaar: World's Largest Identity Platform (ISBN-13: 978-9390356126), which has been very well received.

Dr Sharma holds a PhD from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi; Master’s in Computer Sciences from the University of California, USA; and Master’s in Mathematics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.


Dr. Ruchi Dana, Partner & Executive Board Member, DANA Group

Dr Ruchi Dana is a qualified medical practitioner, who has transitioned successfully into a seasoned entrepreneur and Business Leader. Ruchi did her MD from AMU and her full-time MBA from Stanford University. Ruchi also received her PMP Certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation from Stanford University. Ruchi is a frequent speaker at various industry conferences and sits on multiple Corporate, startup, non-profits and University boards including Dana Group of Companies, Dubai, Duluth Medical Technologies Inc, USA, NGO Aaroogya Foundation, India and the California State University, Chico Cybersecurity Advisory Board. Ruchi has been recognized by Forbes Middle East as the “Next Generation Business Leader, Arab World” for 3 consecutive years 2017, 2018 and 2019. She has also been recognized by Campden Wealth as the “Women to Watch ” in September’18 issue, and was conferred with the YuvaRatna Award, 2018. Ruchi has also been recognized as “Top 75 Family Business Leaders” 2019 by Campden Research (UK). Recently, Dr Ruchi was featured on the Forbes ME Top Power Businesswomen 2020.

Dr Ruchi is actively involved in strategic planning for Dana Group and manages its investments in Healthcare and Digital innovation. Ruchi has also worked with Golden Seeds, an investment firm in New York and New Silk Route Growth Capital, a PE firm in Dubai, she has focused on healthcare related investments at both these firms.


Dr. S Prakash, Joint Managing Director, Star Health Insurance - India


Dr. S. B Vikram, CMD, Vikram Hospital Pvt. Ltd

S. B. Vikram,,M.D. serves as Managing Director and Physician of Vikram Hospital Private Limited. Mr. Vikram served as Consultant Physician at B.M.Hospital Mysore. He holds a MBBS from JSS, Mysore in 1991. He holds a MD from JNM, Belgaum in 1995. 


Dr. S. Subramanian, MD & Head of Investment Banking, Axis Capital Ltd

Dr. S. Subramanian is the Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking at Axis Capital Limited.

He has over 27 years of experience in the financial services, during which period he set up and ran equity research at DSP Financial Consultants and the equities broking business at HG Asia Ltd. and UBS Warburg.  In the last 13 + years at Axis Capital, Subramanian has led several land mark transactions including those of Coal India, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Reliance Petroleum, NTPC, etc. in the Indian Capital Markets.  

He holds a Doctoral Degree from the Indian Management Ahmedabad.  His dissertation topic was titled “The Impact of Political and Economical Events on Stock Price Behavior.”  During this period, he also studied at ESSEC in Paris under a French government scholarship as an exchange scholar.

His other interests include reading and traveling.  He has delivered several lectures and talks at the Executive Development Programme at various IIM’s and conferences organized by Euro Money, Metal Bulletin as well as by Bombay Chamber of Commerce. 


Dr. Sadananda Maiya, Founder & MD, Maiyas Beverages and Foods Pvt. Ltd.

Maiyas Beverages and food is a 4 years old company founded by Dr. P. Sadananda Maiya who was also the founder and Managing Director of MTR Foods Limited. He sold MTR FOODS to Orkla, a Norwegian conglomerate in 2007. Since then, he has spent the past few years in researching new techniques in Food processing and Cooking. The result is MAIYAS BEVERAGES AND FOODS PVT LTD. Currently we are having 7 landmark restaurants in Bangalore and one of the them is at International Airport.

He is done his Mechanical engineering & he joined MTR foods where he developed several products which is still popular worldwide he is the first person to use Nano technology in food and beverages. Result is Xpress Rasam (1 min Rasam first time in the world). also products like Curd rice, Curd wada, Banana milk shake, cold filter coffee, Sugarcane juice with 1 to 2 year shelf life, without using any preservative or additives.