Send us a text In this episode of Money Majlis, I have the privilege of sitting down with Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, the founder and chairman of Bandhan Bank—a man whose journey from humble beginnings to the helm of one of India’s leading private banks is nothing short of inspirational. Our conversation traces the incredible evolution of Bandhan, from an NGO for marginalised women in 2001 to India’s largest microfinance institution today, with an asset book of USD 21B and serving ove...

Send us a text In this episode of Money Majlis, host Suvo Sarkar talks to Dr. Nejib Ben-Khedher, Divisional Senior Vice President of Emirates Skywards, to explore the remarkable evolution of one of the world’s most ambitious loyalty programs. With over 35 years of global experience in the airline and travel industry, Dr. Ben-Khedher shares how he has led Skywards’ transformation from a traditional frequent flyer program into a dynamic lifestyle ecosystem serving more than 35 million members a...

Send us a text In this episode of Money Majlis, the second of two episodes on agentic AI in financial services, host Suvo Sarkar meets Eran Agrios, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Financial Services at Salesforce, for a dynamic conversation about the state of AI-driven transformation in banking. With over 17 years of leadership experience at Salesforce, Eran brings a rich perspective into the impact of agentic AI on the service delivery of financial services. The pressure ...

Send us a text In this episode of Money Majlis, first of two episodes on agentic AI in financial services, Suvo Sarkar sits down with Bill Borden, Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Financial Services at Microsoft, for a sweeping conversation on the future of banking and leadership in an AI-driven world. Bill’s journey from working at top US banks to shaping Microsoft’s worldwide strategy sets the stage for a dialogue that’s as pragmatic as it is visionary. Spotlighting the transformative...

Send us a text In this episode of Money Majlis recorded on the sidelines of the Istanbul Fintech Week 2025, host Suvo Sarkar sits down with Sopnendu Mohanty, Group CEO of the Global Finance and Technology Network and former Chief Fintech Officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Together, they trace Singapore’s extraordinary journey from fintech outsider to one of the world’s leading innovation hubs, attracting billions in investment and setting global benchmarks for trust, collaboratio...

Send us a text In this Advertising-special episode of Money Majlis, we sit down with Sasan Saeidi, global client lead at WPP & VML and the current world president of the International Advertising Association to understand the playbook of modern advertising. Sasan’s journey—from New York’s Madison Avenue to the vibrant streets of Dubai—reads like the script of a modern-day Mad Men, but with a distinctly international twist. Sasan shares what makes regional brands unique, and why und...

Send us a text This week on Money Majlis XTRA, we travel to Jaipur for a truly uplifting conversation with D. R. Mehta, the visionary founder of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti—better known as Jaipur Foot. Mr. Mehta’s life work has restored dignity and mobility to millions, offering hope where there was once despair. In this episode, you’ll hear how his relentless pursuit of innovation and service has made Jaipur Foot the world’s largest provider of free prosthetic limbs and mobility...

Send us a text In this episode of Money Majlis, recorded at the Dubai Fintech Summit 2025, you are invited into a dynamic conversation between host Suvo Sarkar and Justin Grooms, President of Bolt Financial. Justin Grooms, who has led Bolt’s global strategy since 2019, shares a front-row perspective on the seismic shifts happening in payments and e-commerce. With Bolt’s universal shopper network now connecting over 80 million users, Justin offers rare insight into how independent retai...

Send us a text In this episode of Money Majlis, Suvo Sarkar goes on a journey with Khalifa Alshamsi, CEO of e& life and e& international, who explains the rationale and opportunity of e& expanding into financial services, lifestyle, entertainment and cybersecurity. Can a company be an incumbent and challenger at the same time? How do you diversify into new industries and target markets? Does a bold new strategy require a fully new mindset of “going for more”? Is collaborati...

Send us a text In this riveting episode of Money Majlis, host Suvo Sarkar travels to Bangalore for a debate with the legendary T.V. Mohandas Pai, a trailblazer in finance, technology, education, and philanthropy. Known for his transformative contributions as the former CFO of Infosys and as a venture capitalist and chairman of Manipal Global Education, Pai shares his insights on navigating the intersections of business, technology, and social impact. Discover how Pai helped scal...

Send us a text Welcome to a special episode on customer loyalty where Suvo Sarkar is in deep discussion with Ajay Row, a globally acknowledged expert on loyalty programs and the founder & chairman of Customer Capital. Why is data the most valuable commodity but is freely given away? What are the 6 key assets of a loyalty program? Are points better than discounts? Should we try to dazzle and delight every single customer? And how are digitisation and AI transforming the “card-points...

Send us a text In this episode of Money Majlis, I sit down with Chris Skinner, renowned futurist and author, to explore the future of banking and finance. Skinner, known for his influential insights on fintech and digital transformation, shares his views on how technology is reshaping the financial landscape. We discuss his latest book, “Intelligent Money” and how banking is poised for a “reversal of roles” where money thinks for us. Skinner delves into the rapid growth of fintechs and their...

Send us a text In this episode, Ashok Vaswani, international banking veteran and CEO & MD of Kotak Mahindra Bank, explains why he believes money is more emotional than rational, how Indian banking is racing ahead and how his bank is transforming for scale to claim a space among the top 3 private lenders in India. What is the new “finternet”? Why is the Indian technology stack being exported overseas? Where do Indian bankers get their new confidence from? Is it the end of the road f...

Send us a text In this XTRA episode of Money Majlis, I talk with Christina Boutrup, journalist, author and China analyst, about how the world’s biggest digital economy is transitioning from a low-cost manufacturing hub into a high-tech innovation centre. The recent launch of the Deep Seek AI platform makes you wonder whether the restriction of chip imports from the US has pushed China to be even more innovative and frugal. How is the speed of innovation so high in China? Why does Byte ...

Send us a text In this exciting episode, listen to the former president and CFO of SoftBank Group International, Alok Sama, talk about the man behind the legend of Masayoshi Son. Is the iconic founder of SoftBank an iconic visionary who can predict the future or a lucky gambler who bets the house? Sama, the chief dealmaker of the most influential technology investor in the world, SoftBank, tells us the fascinating tale of private jets, 5000-dollar wines, dinners with tech bros, elabora...

Send us a text In this first episode of Season 2 of Money Majlis, we bring you a priceless conversation with Mark Mobius, the “Indiana Jones of emerging markets investing”. Is the asset management industry in decline? How have ETFs revolutionised investing? Why is active investing better than passive? What matters more for an asset manager - size or speed? How does private equity feed into public markets? Mark delves into the history of emerging markets and the describes the uph...

Send us a textIn this last episode of Season 1, Suvo Sarkar is in discussion with Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, the leading P2P platform in MENA. Does P2P lending have the potential to disrupt banks? Will open banking force banks to collaborate with fintechs? And can the USD 250 billion funding gap for SMEs in the region be solved by the P2P model? Moore explains how Beehive hones its credit model with alternative data sources, why audited accounts are not important and w...

Send us a textWelcome to another episode of Money Majlis focused on consumer marketing. Suvo Sarkar is in conversation with a doyen of the Indian business world, Bharat Puri, managing director of Pidilite Industries which owns the famous adhesive brand Fevicol, a case study on branding in many business schools. Why does a low-involvement brand like Fevicol dominate the Indian consumer psyche over decades with its tongue in cheek irreverence? How does a company and ad agency build a lifet...

Send us a textIn this insightful episode about the business of Corporate Venture Capital (CVC), Suvo Sarkar is in a deep discussion with Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures, the much-awarded CVC arm of TDK. What are some of the factors that are driving legacy corporates to invest in start-ups? Why does innovation have to be external as opposed to internal? Do CVCs turbocharge innovation? What is the ideal oversight for a CVC? And what metrics should we use to measure the success o...

Send us a textIn this fascinating episode, Suvo Sarkar talks at length with a leading investment expert from India, Bharat Shah, executive director of ASK group, about the future of the Indian equity market. Is India over-valued compared to other global markets? Will it continue delivering double digit returns in the next 10 years? Which sectors will outperform? Bharat and Suvo, friends for 40 years and MBA classmates, debate if investing is a science or an art; if the principle of ...