The Indian Institute of Management Jammu today began the 3rd International Finance and Accounting Conference (IFAC 2026) on the theme “Financial Strategies for Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth to achieve Viksit Bharat@2047” at the IIM Jammu.

The two day conference was inaugurated by Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Swaminathan J.

Dean Faculty and Research, IIM Jammu, Professor Ali along with Dean Academics, IIM Jammu, Professor Nitin Upadhyay presided over the inaugural ceremony. Professor Pranab Ranjan, Conference Chair and Dr. Ashish Kumar, Joint Conference Chair, also graced the momentous occasion.

In his keynote address, Swaminathan J highlighted Institute’s growing stature as a premier academic institution in the country and across the globe.

Speaking to an audience of distinguished experts and MBA students, he framed his address as a conversation with the future leaders, emphasizing that the financial system India builds towards 2047 must rest on three pillars: safety, fairness and reliability. He underscored that development extends beyond GDP to quality of life and that finance, at its core, is a people-centric enterprise built on trust, clarity and integrity.

Encouraging principled leadership, he highlighted key lessons for sound decision-making: respecting customers, understanding financial sustainability, encouraging constructive challenge and discussing risks transparently. He stressed that in an era where technology scales rapidly, both value and vulnerabilities multiply, making responsible design and fair customer outcomes critical for inclusive growth.

He concluded that achieving Viksit Bharat@2047 demands principled performance and platforms like IFAC 2026 connecting academic learning with real-world financial transformation.

Professor Jabir Ali, Dean Faculty and Research, IIM Jammu, emphasized that education must transcend classroom learning to foster a deeper understanding of public policy and its real-world impact, particularly in advancing inclusive and sustainable economic development.

Underscoring the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, he highlighted the critical role of higher education institutions in shaping responsible leaders and policy thinkers who can contribute meaningfully to India’s growth journey. He reaffirmed that IIM Jammu is committed towards setting the tone for this national vision through research-driven insights, strong academia–industry–government collaboration and ethical leadership rooted in innovation and sustainability.

Referring to collaborative engagements with the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, he noted that such platforms as IFAC 2026 enable students to develop a holistic understanding of industry, governance and economic transformation.

Professor Nitin Upadhyay, Dean Academics IIM, acknowledged the guiding influence of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in shaping India’s financial architecture. He appreciated the conference’s timely and forward-looking theme, “Financial Strategies for Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth to achieve Viksit Bharat@2047.”

He emphasized that the deliberations at IFAC 2026 would explore multiple dimensions of finance and accounting, offering valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners to design robust mechanisms that contribute meaningfully towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

During the interactive question and answers session with the students, Swaminathan J addressed queries on monetary policy transmission, global spillovers, financial sector vulnerabilities and the balance between growth and inflation management, encouraging young scholars to contribute meaningfully to India’s financial policy ecosystem.

Professor Pranab Ranjan Das, Conference Chair, IIM Jammu, while presenting the theme, Financial Strategies for Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth to achieve Viksit Bharat@2047, highlighted the financial reforms, sustainability and strategic pathways for long-term transformation. He expressed confidence that the conference would generate actionable policy insights and emphasized collaboration among academia, industry, and policymakers to build a resilient, future-ready economy aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Dr. Saugata Bhattacharya, Member, MPC; Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist, Bank of Baroda; CMA Dr. S K Gupta, MD, ICMAI Registered Valuers Organization; Prasanna Balachander, Executive Director, ICICI Securities; Dr. Narendra Ahlawat, MD & CEO, MCX Clearing Corporation Ltd. and Akshay Panth, CIO, SBI Ventures, along with Tamal Bandyopadhyay, Consulting Editor, The Business Standard, also graced the inaugural ceremony.

The discussion offered a multidimensional perspective on India’s financial transformation toward Viksit Bharat@2047, highlighting structural shifts in global savings and liquidity amid quantitative tightening and the imperative for India to compete effectively for limited global capital while deepening domestic financial markets.

Panelists drew attention to slowing deposit growth and the migration of retail investors toward capital markets, underscoring the importance of strengthening the savings ecosystem alongside sustained credit expansion.

The panel converged on a clear message that India’s journey toward inclusive and sustainable growth will require adaptive institutions, deeper and more diversified capital markets, strengthened domestic savings, and principled financial leadership aligned with long-term national development goals.

IFAC 2026 continued with concurrent technical sessions featuring research presentations by the scholars and practitioners, reinforcing IIM Jammu’s commitment to academic excellence, policy engagement and national development.