Centre for Financial Studies (CFS)

SPJIMR’s Centre for Financial Studies (CFS) contributes perspectives and policy advice to the financial services industry in Mumbai and beyond, in the areas of Financial Innovation and Markets & Risk. CFS deploys an extensive network of industry experts and faculty to offer specialised training programs to financial institutions. The Centre’s thought leadership efforts are currently focused on FinTech innovations and on adapting Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks to Indian conditions.

With rapid changes in the business landscape, driven by technology & global forces, every manager constantly needs to upskill to stay relevant & achieve career growth. CFS has deep expertise in both traditional areas and emerging areas of Finance. Our key focus areas are Financial Innovation and Markets & Risk. Across these focus areas, we cover FinTech, ESG, Capital Markets, Risk, Investment Banking and more.

We leverage our expertise to offer high-quality short-duration education programs; called Management Development Programs (MDP). SPJIMR’s illustrious faculty, with some of the best scholars and practitioners in the industry, designs and conducts these MDPs

To date, we have executed over six programmes for 360 hours. These programs have been well received and helped over 200+ participants bridge skill gaps required to take their careers to the next level as well as make an enhanced impact on their organisations.

CFS offers customised and open Management Development Programs (MDPs) for corporates and individuals.

• Customised MDPs

  CFS partners with leading names in the industry to offer customised Management Development Programs. These programs are designed to meet the unique training & developmental needs of the Corporates. The institute’s world-class infrastructure consisting of modern classrooms, FinTech Lab and Design Thinking Lab provides an excellent learning environment that helps participants to refocus and immerse themselves into the courses designed for them.

  These courses can also be designed and conducted at a mutually convenient date and venue and offered either in online or offline mode.

  Our portfolio of Customised MDPs includes a diverse mix of themes across our focus areas - Financial Innovation and Markets & Risk. Some of these courses cover the following topics:

  • Financial Strategies for CXOs
  • Corporate Finance & Risk Analysis
  • Strategic Perspectives in FinTech and Blockchain
  • Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting
  • Boot camp in Investment Banking & Capital Markets
  • Credit Analysis & Credit Structuring
  • Advanced course in Capital Markets & M&A Advisory
  • Project Finance & Financial Modelling

  In addition, CFS also partners with world-class faculty from other SPJIMR departments, such as Organisation and Leadership Studies, to offer best-in-class Leadership and Team Management courses. We have engagements with leading corporates to provide customised, combined, functional and leadership courses covering Finance, Team Management and Leadership.

  To know more about these courses, please connect:

  Contact Details

• Open MDP’s

  SPJIMR also offers several open programmes for individuals to bridge their skill gaps as live virtual certification programmes in FinTech, Block Chain, Financial Analytics, Risk Management & more.

  These courses are sought after by participants ranging across the leadership hierarchy from junior staff to c-suit level.

  Know More

CFS undertakes Research, Conferences & Webinars, Consulting and Education in Financial Innovation and Markets & Risk. These areas cover some of the most contemporary areas of focus in Finance and CFS is coveted for its thought leadership driven by SPJIMR’s world-class faculty and infrastructure.

Financial services are seeing a spate of innovations and disruptions through technology and innovative concepts in lending, structuring, and risk management.

At CFS, we have developed thought leadership on some of the leading innovations in Finance. In Fintech, CFS studies new technologies in Payment Systems, Blockchain applications in lending and banking, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applications in Text Mining, Behavioural Finance, and Credit Scoring, among others. It also emphasises studying the evolving innovations in Lending and Structuring.

Another segment of financial innovation focuses on ESG/Sustainable Finance. Sustainable Finance integration Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria into financial services. By integrating Sustainability and ESG factors into the business models and culture, Sustainability Reporting has become a standard practice in finance. The ESG segment of the Centre for Financial Studies at SPJIMR aims to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable economy, by promoting the finance community’s contribution to realising the SDGs. The Centre aims to include meaningful world experiences for learners, develop collaborative faculty research to generate new knowledge about the pressing challenges in emerging economies and connect leaders to form peer networks for developing innovative programs.

Markets & Risk covers some of the mainstay areas of finance such as Capital Markets, M&A Advisory, Alternative Investments, Project Financing, Risk Analytics & Quantitative Finance and Risk Advisory.

The Academic Council for Markets & Risk works with the Advisory Council to produce high-quality white papers & thought leadership covering contemporary problems and topics seeking ideation and debate in these areas.

For more information on these initiatives, please connect

Contact Details

• Key Leadership

  Mr. Manoj Mohan

  Manoj Mohan is the Executive Director of the Centre for Financial Studies. He has been in the corporate world for close to two decades. In his 15+ years at Standard Chartered, Manoj has undertaken varied roles in Investment Banking. His latest leadership role at Standard Chartered was as Executive Director, Loan Syndicate & Distribution. He is an expert in Credit, Structuring and Institutional Sales with deep expertise in handling C-suite relationships. He was also amongst the founding directors on the Board of Secondary Loan Market Association (SLMA).

  Mr. Mohan is passionate about Personal Finance & Life Skills education and has promoted his start-up, My Tenth Cent. He regularly writes and produces YouTube content on these topics on his blog/channel - My Tenth Cent. He is an alumnus of the PGDM programme of SPJIMR and graduate from IIT (BHU).

  Email: manoj.mohan@spjimr.org
  P: 022 - 022 - 61464321

  Prof. Vidhu Shekhar

  Vidhu Shekhar is the Associate Head of the Centre for Financial Studies and SPJIMR faculty in the Area of Finance, specialising in Fintech and Financial Economics. He is a Ph.D. from IIM Calcutta, MBA from IIM Calcutta, and B. Tech(H) from IIT Kharagpur. Post his MBA, he spent six years working in the Financial Services Industry across Investment Banks and Hedge Funds. He is also a co-founder of a stealth mode FinTech start-up that is currently building an Automated Conversational Financial Advisor for the Indian market.

  Email: vidhu.shekhar@spjimr.org
  P: 022 - 61464390 (direct)

• Key Administrators

  Ms. Mrunmai Brid
  Centre Manager- Centre for Financial Studies (CFS)
  Email: mrunmai.brid@spjimr.org
  Telephone: 022 - 61464265(direct)

  Research Team

  Dr. Pragya Gupta
  Research Associate - Centre for Financial Studies (CFS)
  Email: pragya.gupta@spjimr.org

  Ms. Mansi Gupta
  Research Associate - Centre for Financial Studies (CFS)
  Email: mansi.gupta@spjimr.org

  Ms. Manali Phatak Dharap
  Research Analyst - Centre for Financial Studies (CFS)
  Email: manali.phatak@spjimr.org

CFS endeavours benefit from the views of world-class Advisory Councils associated with each of these areas. These Advisory Councils have leading experts who work closely with our Academic Councils to advance the Research and Education endeavours.

An Academic Council governs each of the CFS focus areas. It consists of SPJIMR faculty and visiting Faculty Affiliates. These world-class thought leaders are responsible for our Research and Education efforts in Financial Innovation and Markets & Risk.

In addition to Academic Council, CFS also has a Research Associate & Research Analyst Fellowship program offering opportunities to some of the brightest talents to pursue research at SPJIMR. Our Research Fellows work closely with the Faculty on Academic Council to produce white papers and other thought leadership work in the key focus areas.

Academic Council