Financial Planning Congress to discuss new portfolio choices

Money touches almost every aspect of our lives, but how informed are the average Indian?s financial decisions and how can he improve on them? That?s what the Financial Planning Congress 2007?an annual congregation of the who?s who from the financial services industry, regulators and the financial planning community?will debate at Hotel Le Meridian in New Delhi on Thursday. The Financial Planning Congress is an annual, day-long event organised by The Indian Express and Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) India. The theme for this year?s Congress: Economic and Financial Literacy: Seeking a Blueprint for India.

For the first time, the Congress will see three key regulators together, for the securities market, insurance and pensions, including chief guest Sebi chairman M Damodaran, talking about issues through the prism of financial planning. Says Ranjeet Mudholkar, chief executive officer, FPSB India: ?This is the right time for them to focus on financial planning, as the economy is booming and money management is becoming complex. Good financial planning processes and systems, by enabling further mobilisation of funds, can contribute to this growth.?

Besides Damodaran, other speakers at the Congress from the regulatory space are Dr KP Krishnan, joint secretary, ministry of finance, Meena Chaturvedi, executive director, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, and G Prabhakara, member (life), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority.

Prominent speakers from the financial services industry include Sunil Mehta, country head and CEO, AIG India, Ajay Bagga, CEO, Lotus Mutual Fund, Ashvin Arora, managing director, OptiMix, C. Jayaram, executive director, Kotak Bank and Sanjay Sachdev, country manager (India), Shinsei Bank Group.

The Congress seeks to explain the importance of financial planning in the backdrop of new asset classes, and increasing service providers and financial products. It will touch on a wide range of issues under the financial planning umbrella, from retirement planning to new asset classes, for both urban and rural citizens.

Broadly, this year?s Congress has three sub-themes. One, taking financial services to the rural masses, who have been largely excluded from the financial services revolution sweeping through urban India. Mehta of AIG will speak on tailoring insurance solutions for the bottom of the pyramid, while a panel will discuss ways to increase rural penetration.