Centre For Financial Studies (CFS)

Centre for Financial Studies (CFS)

The Centre for Financial Studies is a Centre of Excellence at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research where academicians, finance professionals and policy makers collaborate and share insights to inform industry practice and public policy.

About us

India’s premier Business School SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) has set up the Centre for Financial Studies (CFS) with the intention of bridging the gap between industry and academia. Situated in the heart of India’s financial capital and its economic hub, Mumbai, SPJIMR has unparalleled advantages including access to world-class faculty, a deep and long-standing industry connect and an illustrious student and alumni network. In the 2019 QS Global rankings, SPJIMR was ranked among the top 50 academic institutions in the world in the subject area of Finance.

Vision & Mission

Vision

CFS seeks to become the leading knowledge partner for the country’s financial sector. The centre is committed to developing thought leadership in financial services industry, while providing a platform for collaboration by experts from academia, industry and government.

Mission

SPJIMR’s Centre for Financial Studies aims to:

Undertake and support collaborative research projects that have relevance for the industry and for policy making.
Create a community of practitioners, trained in financial services matters, through high-quality training and Executive Education modules.
Work with the industry through consulting and advisory services.

Area of Focus

The Centre for Financial Studies will focus on five core areas.

Accounting: Adopting an interdisciplinary and critical stance, CFS will examine contemporary accounting practices in local (Indian) and international contexts. We particularly aim to contribute to the emerging debate on desirable corporate financial and non-financial reporting practices.

Corporate Governance: The issues of Governance, Risk, and Compliance have been witnessing special attention in the light of recurring events of losses in financial and non-financial companies. CFS will aim to conduct analysis and research in various areas within governance, particularly those relevant to corporate behaviour in the Indian context.

Financial Inclusion: CFS will engage in the study of various financial inclusion initiatives and policy measures being implemented in India (and similar geographies). The centre will undertake research that aims to provide informed views to practitioners and policy makers to achieve greater financial inclusion.

Fintech: In the area of Fintech, CFS will focus on studying new technologies in Payment Systems, Block chain applications in Lending and Banking, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications in Text Mining, Behavioural Finance and Credit Scoring among others.

Policy/Regulation: The financial services sector is undergoing a period of rapid change and will face several policy and regulatory changes as it evolves. CFS will aim to participate in the debate on these policy issues in a nonpartisan, evidence based, and constructive way.

CFS will collaborate with experts from the Industry, professional services and regulatory bodies to further the knowledge and insights in the above areas of focus.

Governance

The Centre will be guided by an Industry Advisory Council
Additionally, CFS is being mentored by the Governing Council of SPJIMR which comprises of highly respected leaders including Deepak Parekh (Chairman HDFC), R Gopalakrishnan (former Executive Director, Tata Sons), Dr. Shrikant Datar (Arthur Lowes Dickinson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School) and Ireena Vittal (former partner, McKinsey).
CFS is led by the Centre Head, Prof. Neeraj Swaroop, and supported by the faculty members in the Finance Area, under the guidance of the Dean, Dr. Ranjan Banerjee.

Centre Head

Prof. Neeraj Swaroop is currently a faculty of SPJIMR, in the Areas of Finance and Marketing. Prior to joining SPJIMR, he has spent over 35 years in industry, across Banking and Manufacturing (FMCG) companies. His last role was that of Regional CEO for South East Asia for Standard Chartered Bank. Currently he continues to be engaged with the industry through Non Executive and Advisory roles. Mr Swaroop holds an MBA degree from India’s premier business school, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

Contact Details

Prof. Neeraj Swaroop

Head of Centre for Financial Studies

Telephone: 022 - 61464208(direct)

Email: neeraj.swaroop@spjimr.org

Ms. Mrunmai Brid

Centre Coordinator - Centre for Financial Studies (CFS)

Telephone: 022 - 61464265(direct)

Email: cfs@spjimr.org