UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak to grace BW Businessworld’s CFO conference

India’s most senior finance leaders converge in Lucknow on May 8–10, to reimagine the future of the CFO role — as the line between finance leadership and enterprise leadership disappears for good

by e4m Staff
Published: May 4, 2026 7:23 PM | 4 min read

BW Businessworld will host the 2nd Edition of The Future Finance Office from May 8 to 10, 2026, at The Centrum in Lucknow, with Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak as the Chief Guest.
The conference aims to address the evolving role of CFOs in organizations, focusing on how finance departments can prepare for future challenges through structural, technological, and strategic advancements.
The agenda includes sessions on macroeconomics, technology in finance, regulation, fundraising, and sustainability, with an emphasis on interactive participation from finance leaders.
Notable speakers include Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist at ICRA, and Madan Bahal, Co-founder of Adfactors PR, with attendance expected from senior finance leaders across various industries in India.

BW Businessworld is proud to announce the 2nd Edition of The Future Finance Office, scheduled from May 8 to 10, 2026, at The Centrum, Lucknow. Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, will grace the conference as Chief Guest — lending the occasion both political significance and a powerful signal of the state’s intent to position itself at the heart of India’s financial leadership conversation.

In 2021, BW Businessworld predicted a coming wave: that CFOs, by virtue of their enterprise-wide visibility and strategic command, would increasingly ascend to the top seat. That prediction has proved accurate. CFOs are now CEOs, board members, and architects of organisational direction — not just stewards of numbers. The Future Finance Office was conceived to serve this evolved mandate, and the 2nd Edition sharpens that mission.

About The Conference

The inaugural edition of The Future Finance Office, held in November 2025, brought together 70 finance leaders from some of India’s largest organisations — all with revenues upward of INR 2,000 crore. The response was unequivocal. Built on that foundation and sharpened by the direct feedback of those leaders, the 2nd Edition returns with a refined agenda, expanded scope, and a single, urgent question at its centre: how does a modern finance department equip itself — structurally, technologically, and strategically — for what comes next?

All sessions will be conducted in a fully interactive format, led by finance leaders themselves. Every participant is a contributor, not a spectator. The conference is designed to produce not just insight but actionable frameworks that attendees take back to their organisations.

Agenda & Key Sessions

The 2nd Edition will span a rich, practitioner-led agenda covering Macroeconomics and India’s Geopolitical Situation, Technology and AI in the Finance Function, the Digital Finance Office, Regulation and Governance, Fundraising, and ESG and Sustainability. These are not panel discussions designed for passive consumption. They are working sessions shaped and led by the CFOs and finance leaders in the room — reflecting lived experience, not theoretical prescription.

Distinguished Speakers

Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, will deliver the Chief Guest address, bringing a policymaker’s lens to the intersection of governance, growth, and financial leadership at a time when Uttar Pradesh is aggressively positioning itself as one of India’s foremost investment destinations.

Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist at ICRA, will deliver the Special Address, offering her authoritative read on the macroeconomic landscape shaping financial strategy in 2026 and beyond.

Madan Bahal, Co-founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR, will deliver the Keynote Address, examining how financial leaders must also navigate communication, reputation, and the public architecture of trust in an era of rapid information flow.

Organisations in Attendance

The 2nd Edition will be attended by CFOs and senior finance leaders from some of India’s most consequential organisations, spanning manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, financial services, renewable energy, technology, FMCG, and infrastructure. Confirmed organisations include Godrej & Boyce, Phoenix Mills, TVS Sundaram Industries, Aditya Birla Capital, Aditya Birla Chemical, Allcargo, ANAND Group, APL Apollo Tubes, Bayer CropScience, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, BPTP, Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Dr Lal PathLabs, Ecom Express, Emami, Epsilon Carbon, Ernst & Young Global Delivery Services, Ernst & Young Services, ICICI Lombard, Jubilant Pharmova, L&T Technology Services, Mahindra and Mahindra, Mahindra Electric Mobility, Mankind Pharma, Praj Industries, Raymond, Rockman Industries (Hero Group), Sansera Engineering, Siemens Energy India, Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy, Syngene International, Tata Medical and Diagnostics, Umesh Modi Group, Apollo Tyres, Hero Enterprise, Goldisolar, Maruti Suzuki India, Spandana Sphoorty Finance, ProcMart, Balaji Wafers, Credila Financial Services, VerSe Innovation, Welspun Corp, Century Plyboards India, and Energy Efficiency Services.

Event Details

Conference: The Future Finance Office — 2nd Edition

Dates: May 8–10, 2026

Venue: The Centrum, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Chief Guest: Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh

Website: bwevents.co.in/bw/the-future-finance-office-2026/

For Partnership Enquiries

Aparna Sengupta: [email protected] | +91 9958000128

Hoshie Ghaswalla: [email protected] | +91 9811010037

Partners

BW Businessworld's The Future Finance Office — 2nd Edition in association with BW CFO World, is presented by Invest UP as the Presenting Partner. The conference is supported by SAP Concur as Digital Transformation Partner, CCH Tagetik as Corporate Performance Management Partner, Adfactors PR as Capital Market Communication Partner, and SalarySe as Financial Wellness Partner