Surya FinTech Customer Confluence 2025, held on 7th November at St. Regis, Mumbai, was a memorable gathering that brought together industry leaders, long-standing customers, and treasury professionals to reflect on Surya’s 25-year journey and explore what the next chapter holds. The event carried a strong sense of celebration and gratitude, recognizing the partnerships, shared learnings, and collective achievements that have shaped Surya into a trusted balance sheet management partner for banks and financial institutions.

A Thoughtful Opening to a Milestone Day

The event opened with remarks by Chairman Mr. D. N. Prahlad, who reflected on Surya’s early journey and its strong foundation in Financial Risk and Balance Sheet Management. He shared the inspiration behind the name Surya-symbolizing continuous energy and innovation-and spoke about how early data-processing challenges led to the creation of the Data Harmonizer, which continues to anchor Surya’s platforms.

He highlighted the company’s widespread presence across banks and NBFCs, its focus on future-ready products including early readiness for IRRBB, and concluded with the company’s strategic expansion into Avenza Consulting Services.

Keynote Session by Mr. M. D. Ranganath

In his keynote, Former Infosys CFO Mr. M. D. Ranganath spoke about the evolving role of technology and analytics in treasury functions, emphasising how banks today are looking to adopt AI where it can create real business impact—whether through EPS growth, higher employee productivity, enhanced customer experience, or more accurate and error-free credit management. He noted that institutions are increasingly seeking systems that can adapt quickly to fast-moving technological change, enabling treasury and risk teams to stay ahead of market shifts. Reflecting on Surya’s journey, he highlighted the rapid development of the early BALM product and how ALM has now become the central nervous system of the bank, integrating critical risk and financial intelligence. He also praised Surya’s plug-and-play implementation approach, which has helped banks accelerate deployment while strengthening decision-making through integrated data, analytics, and the company’s new initiatives, including AI-driven forecasting, enhanced behavioral modelling, and smarter, automated MIS.

Customer Journeys: Stories of Collaboration and Progress

Leaders from three prominent institutions shared how they are strengthening their balance sheet management capabilities:

Axis Bank – Shared by Mr. Rajesh Nair

Mr. Nair reflected on a relationship that began in 2001 when Axis Bank had just 50 branches. He discussed how Surya’s partnership has grown alongside the bank’s expansion to more than 5,000 branches, crediting the consistency in Surya’s leadership and delivery teams as a foundation for the collaboration, and noting that this continuity has helped sustain a strong, long-term partnership.

ABFL – Shared by Mr. Chandramohan Amritkar

Mr. Chandramohan spoke about Surya’s support since the introduction of RBI's guidelines for NBFCs. He highlighted the smooth implementation delivered within four months and the dependable support provided to both ABFL and ABHFL in meeting regulatory and internal expectations, adding that this steady reliability has made Surya a trusted partner in their risk management journey.

HDFC Bank – Shared by Mr. Bharat Rathod

Mr. Rathod reflected on HDFC Bank’s partnership with Surya, which began in 2017 during a comprehensive vendor evaluation. He outlined the bank’s large-scale data environment—over a billion daily records across multiple systems—and noted how Surya enabled the implementation of ALM and LCR within 10–12 months. He also highlighted the rapid rollout of IRRBB and Surya’s support during the HDFC Bank–HDFC Ltd merger, including the first consolidated LCR generated on Surya’s platform, further reinforcing the bank’s confidence as it now looks toward deeper engagement with Surya’s upcoming digital offerings.

Applicability & Future of AI by Gopal Sharma

AI and the Treasury Function of the Future

In his session, Mr. Gopal Sharma outlined how AI-led forecasting, modelling, and scenario analytics are becoming integral to modern treasury management. He discussed the industry’s shift toward predictive, data-driven decision-making and highlighted the expanding role of automation and intelligent insights in treasury functions. The session on Applicability & Future of AI explored how artificial intelligence has evolved—from early computational models to today’s powerful generative AI systems. It highlighted the rise of AI agents, the importance of context engineering in building truly effective solutions, and real-world examples where organisations are using agents for research, analysis, and automation. The discussion also covered the measurable and intangible impacts of Gen AI, especially on productivity and fatigue, and provided a simple framework for identifying high-value use cases across customer experience and operational efficiency. The key takeaway: while AI is transformative, it is currently a “Copilot” that enhances human capability rather than replacing it.

Masterclass by Prof. Moorad Choudhry

A key highlight of the day was the masterclass by Prof. Moorad Choudhry, one of the world’s leading authorities on treasury and balance sheet management. His session, “Top 5 Challenges in Bank Balance Sheet Management Today,” offered clear perspectives on liquidity pressures, rate risk, market uncertainty, and the growing need for stronger governance, culture, and scenario-led analytics across balance sheet management.

1. IRRBB: The Old Challenge That Has Become Urgent Again Prof. Choudhry stressed that IRRBB remains a priority as fixed-rate products continue driving exposure. The NII–EVE balance remains a strategic challenge, while non-parallel shocks often reveal hidden risks. True resilience requires moving beyond compliance to genuine balance sheet optimisation.

2. Risk Culture: The Foundation of a Strong Balance Sheet He emphasised that risk culture—not just policies—is what prevents failures. Consistent application, strong first-line challenge, and shared accountability are essential. Recent failures highlight that without a culture of “everyone is a risk manager,” even good frameworks fall short.

3. ALCO Governance: Strength at the Core Prof. Choudhry reiterated that ALCO must be aligned with the Board’s Risk Appetite and play a proactive, decision-making role. Lessons from recent failures point to governance gaps, making clear, decision-ready MI vital for effective oversight.

4. Liquidity Risk Management: Old Lessons, New Realities He noted that liquidity risk remains the most fundamental risk, with recent failures driven by weak funding models and concentrated deposits. Social-media-driven outflows demand faster preparedness. Short-horizon LCR views and the Liquid Cash Ratio can greatly enhance stress resilience. AI now supports richer analytics and scenario modelling, though data quality and legacy systems remain constraints.

5. Stablecoins & ALM: A New Dimension in Balance Sheet Management Stablecoins are emerging as deposit alternatives, influencing liquidity patterns and customer behavior. Their structures introduce new liquidity and operational risks, requiring inclusion in stress tests, behavioral models, and contingency planning. As regulation evolves, ALM teams must assess digital-asset flows to maintain balance sheet resilience.

Panel Discussion: Strengthening Balance Sheets for Tomorrow

The panel discussion moderated by Prof. Choudhry explored the evolving landscape of ALM practices and the need for technology-driven optimization. The conversation focused on governance, data visibility, and resilience-building as institutions navigate regulatory shifts and changing market environments.

A Warm Closing & Vision for the Future

In a simple and heartfelt closing note, Mr. Sujanapal P thanked customers, business users, IT teams, and leaders across institutions for the trust and partnership that have made Surya FinTech a key part of their daily operations—from MIS and ALCO reporting to regulatory compliance and balance sheet management. He reflected on Surya’s 25-year journey, guided by the values instilled by Chairman Mr. D. N. Prahlad—customer focus, ethics, and a commitment to creating mutual value. He noted that the company’s progress has been shaped by the ambitions and expectations of its customers, which continue to inspire Surya to innovate, strengthen delivery, and enhance its platforms. Looking ahead, he reiterated Surya’s focus on staying agile, embracing new technologies, and continuing to be the partner of choice. Echoing Peter Drucker, he emphasized that Surya will continue to shape its own future together with its customers, closing with heartfelt thanks to everyone present.

An Evening of Connections and Celebration

The Confluence concluded with an engaging networking dinner, allowing participants to exchange ideas, reconnect, and celebrate the milestone together.