Delhi Chapter: The AI Imperative: Innovation, Governance and the Risk–Return Equation

Daman Dev Sood is a Resilience Specialist, Professor of Practice, Mentor, Author, Speaker, and Culture Architect with 40+ years of industry experience, including 20+ years in resilience. 

He has worked with leading global organizations across 20+ countries, driving initiatives in operational resilience, business continuity, crisis management, risk, cybersecurity, and resilience culture. 

A former Program Director – Operational Resilience at EY, he has delivered 30+ BCM interventions, 100+ resilience assessments, and numerous executive crisis simulations. With 17,500+ hours of training and teaching experience, he has developed 40+ professional courses and authored 11 books. 

He is a Fellow of BCI, Senior Member of IEEE, BCI Hall of Fame inductee, IEEE Ambassador, and LinkedIn Top Voice. He has received 6 BCI Global Awards and multiple recognitions for his contribution to resilience and professional development.

Megha Khetarpal is a global product leader and fraud-prevention expert with 20 years of experience building identity, trust and risk solutions across financial services. At TransUnion, she has led products generating over $100M in revenue, including a fraud-defence solution deployed across 10+ countries.

Her work sits at the intersection of AI, risk, fraud, identity and trust, with a particular focus on the risks and governance challenges emerging as AI becomes increasingly autonomous. 

Megha is also Visiting Faculty at Masters' Union and Great Lakes Institute and regularly engages with industry, government and law-enforcement bodies on AI-era fraud and emerging risks.

A seasoned financial sector professional with over 32 years of experience in Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs), with expertise across Enterprise-wide Risk Management, ICAAP, ESG Risk, Credit and Internal Risk Rating, Infrastructure and Real Estate Project Financing, Mortgage Lending, RMBS, Regulatory Compliance, Treasury Operations, Audit, Business Strategy, AIFs, and InvITs. 

In his current role at IIFCL Kishor is presently leading the enterprise-wide risk management framework across credit, market, ALM, operational, third-party, IT, and other critical risk domains. Concurrent responsibilities include serving as Compliance Officer and Head of Audit, providing strategic oversight of compliance and audit functions. 

Previously served for over 25 years at National Housing Bank (NHB), including heading its Mumbai Regional Office, with responsibilities spanning treasury, business development, regulation and supervision of NBFC-HFCs, compliance, and operational risk. Also played a pivotal role in the restructuring and regulatory resolution of one of India’s largest distressed HFCs. 

Key contributions to national-level initiatives include the Sovereign-backed Real Estate AIF for Affordable Housing, Partial Credit Enhancement (PCE) Scheme, RMBS, and PMAY-CLSS, reflecting extensive experience at the intersection of risk management, infrastructure and housing finance, regulation, and public policy. 

Niharika Gupta is a senior risk and analytics leader with expertise in credit risk, model risk management, AI governance, and regulatory compliance across the banking and financial services sector. At ICRA Analytics Limited, she leads strategic consulting and innovation initiatives, helping financial institutions strengthen risk frameworks through advanced analytics, technology, and robust governance.

Her experience spans model development and validation, internal rating systems, IFRS 9 / Ind AS 109, stress testing, enterprise risk management, and Model Risk Management programs for banks, NBFCs, housing finance companies, fintechs, and development finance institutions. She works closely with senior leadership to address complex regulatory and business challenges and drive risk transformation.

Her recent work focuses on the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Risk Management, and Governance, helping institutions navigate AI adoption with emphasis on model governance, explainability, fairness, accountability, and regulatory compliance. Her expertise combines deep financial risk knowledge with practical experience in emerging AI/ML applications.