Speaking

Book me to speak.

I speak on AI in finance, the changing shape of the CA profession in India, and what it actually takes to build a serious finance practice and a tech company from outside the metros. I take a small number of speaking engagements each year and care a lot about preparing for the room I'm in.

Five topics I'm currently happy to take on.

1. AI in the CA practice: what's actually working

The realistic, tested view of how AI changes the work of a Chartered Accountant. What it does well today (research, drafting, review, automation of repetitive workpaper tasks). What it does poorly. Where the genuine productivity gains are, and where firms are wasting money chasing the hype. Drawn from my own practice and from clients I've shipped AI workflows for.

Best for: CA bodies, ICAI events, finance team trainings, audit-focused conferences.

2. The CA profession at an inflection point

A more strategic talk on where Indian CA practice is heading. Compliance is intensifying. Software is changing the work. Clients want sharper counsel. Tier-2 firms are being told to imitate metro practices to stay relevant. I argue the opposite: that the most interesting future for the profession is regional, technologically literate, and intentionally small.

Best for: CA forums, ICAI national/regional events, finance leadership audiences.

3. Building software for Indian businesses

The Teknosage thesis: most ERPs and finance tools in India are built by people who don't do the compliance work. The result is software that fights its users. What changes when the people building the software are also using it under real deadlines. What we've shipped, what we've learned, and what we're still figuring out.

Best for: Founder events, SaaS / startup audiences, finance-tech conferences, B-school sessions.

4. Building from Raipur, on purpose: the case for Tier-2 builders

The economics, talent question, and political reality of building a serious business from outside the metros. What's harder, what's easier, and what India's tech ecosystem still gets wrong about Tier-2 cities. Drawn from running a CA practice, a tech company, and a community in Raipur.

Best for: Founder events, regional startup conferences, government/policy audiences, education events.

5. Community-building, slowly

What I've learned from eight years inside JCI and from running The Secret Society. The difference between networking and relationships. Why most "communities" don't last. What actually compounds, and what doesn't.

Best for: Community-led events, leadership programs, founder retreats, alumni groups.

A partial list of where I've spoken.

Recent

AIGNITE 2025: speaker
Amritkal: National Conference on Bank Audit & AI, Raipur, March 2025
Multiple ICAI events: ongoing
Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board: AI for finance teams
Banking professional sessions: bank audit and AI
Amity University: finance and AI
MIAC: guest faculty
16-seat paid AI cohort (self-launched)

Formats I take on

Keynotes (30–45 minutes + Q&A)
Workshops (half-day or full-day)
Panel discussions
Fireside chats
Closed-door corporate sessions
Faculty/teaching engagements

What you can expect when you book me.

I don't show up with a stock deck. Every talk is rebuilt around the room: your audience, the event's theme, what you actually want them to walk away with. That means I'll ask you for context, audience details, and (if relevant) the other speakers and what they're covering.

I respond to logistics on time. Travel coordination, AV requirements, intro text, photographs: I have a coordinator's note already drafted that I'll share once we confirm.

I prefer in-person. Online keynotes work, but the rooms I care about are the ones where you can read the audience. If your event is in Raipur, central India, or anywhere in India, I travel.

I bring a point of view. I'm not the speaker who'll tell your audience the future is exciting and AI will change everything. I'll give them something they can use Monday morning, even if it makes the room a bit uncomfortable.

Send a request.

I read every request. If we're a fit, I'll be in touch within three working days.