Russia and India – a single financial horizon: results of the international master class at the conference "Business Transformation: Challenges and Solutions"

On May 16, 2026, as part of the X International Scientific and Practical Online Conference of Students, Undergraduates and Postgraduates "Business Transformation: Challenges and Solutions", a large-scale master class "Financial institutions and technologies of the future: a joint view of Russia and India" was held. The moderator was Varvara Vadimovna Nazarova, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor, Head of the Finance Department and Academic Director of the Finance Master's program.

The almost two-hour event brought together more than 30 listeners from Russia, India and other countries. The participants not only presented the results of relevant research, but also built a lively dialogue between the scientific schools of the two countries, discussing digital risks, the role of women in FinTech and new methods of assessing corporate responsibility.

The session was opened by an Indian research team. Dr. Rituparna Choudhury (UPES, Dehradun) and Dr. Sumeet Gupta presented a model of institutional growth through interconnected subsystems using the example of an Indian financial institution. The study showed that the synergy between regulation, IT architecture and customer services accelerates the development of an organization by 30-40% faster than linear reforms.

Then Neeti Misra (UPES), together with Dr. Sumeet Gupta, made a presentation on " Women in AI and Blockchain Technology Innovations: Driving Edge for Financial Technology Transformation" The speakers proved that gender diversity in teams developing algorithms for the financial sector directly reduces the risk of algorithmic bias and increases trust in digital products. The audience noted practical cases of Indian fintech startups where women leaders have implemented ethical AI.

Dr. Akash Sharma, Dr. Sumeet Gupta and Sagar Tiwari (UPES) presented two consecutive studies: first on the impact of financial institutions on corporate performance and market behavior, and then on the quantification of VAR models for measuring risks. The Russian audience highly appreciated the comparison of VaR (Value at Risk) methodologies in the context of emerging markets volatility.

The Russian School of Finance was worthily represented by Sergey Khovansky (PhD in Economics, Associate Professor of the Finance Department of the National Research University of Higher School of Economics – Saint Petersburg). He discussed the topic "The effect of delisting stocks on the average idiosyncratic volatility of stock markets." Khovansky's conclusions showed that the exclusion of low-liquid securities from the stock exchange reduces the "information noise" and makes the market more predictable for a long-term investor.

Vadim Lazuko (a visiting lecturer at the Department of Management of the National Research University of Higher School of Economics - St. Petersburg) completed the master class on the topic "AI-Augmented Assessment of Corporate Responsibility as an Institutional Performance Factor." He presented a prototype model that analyzes ESG reports and the company's media field using AI, predicting the long-term sustainability of the business. The audience noted that such a tool can be in demand by both Central banks and private investors.

According to the moderator, the main outcome of the master class is the confirmation that "finance of the future is not based on isolated technological breakthroughs, but on a joint methodology for risk assessment, human capital and cross-cultural dialogue."