The agenda

A session by Navtej Sarna, Former Ambassador of India to the United States & Author.

As geopolitical rivalries, conflict and supply chain disruption reshape international relations, this session explores how India is positioned in these turbulent times. 

As the old engines of market leadership are tested, global equity investors are being forced to redraw the opportunity map. This session examines how AI, higher rates, dollar strength, policy risk and shifting supply chains are reshaping the global equity opportunity set. It will explore whether the next cycle rewards software, infrastructure or strategic bottlenecks and how investors can distinguish durable returns on capital from hype, overinvestment and valuation excess across the U.S., China, India, Southeast Asia and emerging markets.

Stretch your legs, grab a snack, and head to the Morningstar Theater for insightful sessions featuring our ‘Meet the Managers’ series

Limited seats, first-come first-served

AI will not replace the advisor’s judgement—but it may change the advisor’s edge. As clients expect faster answers, sharper communication, and more personalised guidance, the real question is not how powerful AI is, but how advisors can use it to become more responsive, better informed, and more scalable without sounding generic or losing trust. The discussion will focus on the practical shifts already underway: where AI can reduce low-value work, strengthen client conversations, improve portfolio communication, and create more time for judgement-led advice. It will also address the boundaries that matter—data privacy, compliance, accuracy, and fiduciary responsibility - so advisors can separate useful adoption from costly experimentation. 

The fixed income landscape is undergoing a significant transformation as geopolitical risks, inflation uncertainty, and evolving central bank policies reshape market dynamics. As traditional relationships between asset classes become less predictable, this panel will explore whether bonds can continue to serve their historical role as portfolio stabilizers. The session will delve into the resilience of fixed income in a more volatile world, India's growing integration into global bond markets, and the impact of recent policy reforms and benchmark index inclusions on foreign investor participation. It will also explore the evolving role of Indian bonds in investors' portfolios and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead as fixed income markets adapt to a changing global environment.

The investment landscape keeps expanding, and with it, the complexity of building a portfolio that truly works. As new instruments and asset classes compete for a place in investors’ portfolios, the adviser's role has evolved from product selector to portfolio architect. This session explores how top practitioners weigh competing options, resolve trade-offs, and construct portfolios engineered for genuine, long-term performance.

Globally, the picture remains challenging for active strategies, with limited success against passive peers — and passive funds command a majority of industry flows, reflecting a structural shift in investor preferences. In India, active strategies continue to find favor in a market where stock-picking opportunities remain abundant, yet rising passive adoption driven by index funds and ETFs is steadily reshaping the competitive landscape. The session will examine what these trends mean for fund selectors, where active management still earns its keep, and how India's trajectory compares to the accelerating global shift toward passive investing.

Lunch and networking continue alongside sessions at the Morningstar Theatre featuring ‘Meet the Managers’.

Limited seats, first-come first-served

Limited seats, first-come first-served

Limited seats, first-come first-served

In a world shaped by geopolitical shocks, oil volatility, sticky inflation, higher rates, dollar strength and the AI frenzy, investor behaviour has become as important as market fundamentals. With easier access to leverage, thematic products and always-on trading platforms, fear, FOMO and herd behaviour can quickly turn market noise into permanent capital loss.

This session explores how behavioural science can help investors recognise biases, avoid hype cycles, manage risk more thoughtfully and build the discipline needed to make better decisions when markets feel unanchored..

This fireside chat traces Motilal Oswal's journey from a young entrepreneur in a nascent Indian market to building one of the country's leading financial institutions. Moving beyond markets and portfolios, the conversation explores the human side of long-term thinking — resilience through crises, building lasting institutions, and navigating reinvention without losing identity. Reflections on leadership, culture, and the mindset that sustains an institution across decades, not just cycles

Stretch your legs, grab a snack, and head to the Morningstar Theater for insightful sessions featuring our ‘Meet the Managers’ series

Limited seats, first-come first-served

In the pursuit of wealth, health is often the first casualty. This session steps away from markets and portfolios to address an increasingly urgent reality — the alarming rise of heart disease and lifestyle disorders among young, high-achieving professionals. A candid conversation with a leading cardiologist on what the data is telling us, and what we must do differently.

India's equity markets are entering a new phase, shaped by premium valuations, strong domestic participation, evolving market dynamics, and structural growth opportunities. As investors look beyond the exceptional returns of the past decade, important questions emerge around future return expectations, market leadership, investment styles, and the risks that could accompany success. This panel will bring together leading equity fund managers to discuss how the investment landscape is evolving, where the next wave of wealth creation is likely to emerge, and how investors can navigate an increasingly complex market with a long-term perspective

Closing remarks by Mohit Aggarwal