On the eve of one of the most anticipated events, A Balasubramanian, CEO, Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund and Chairman CII MF Summit speaks to Cafemutual on what the participants can expect to look forward to at the event.
Since the last CII Summit, what has changed
for the industry?
The industry had a lot of challenges and expectations last year. A lot of things have changed from the regulatory point of view. The regulator has been very supportive in taking the industry to the next level. The industry has grown 26% last year.
What is the theme this year and why have you chosen it?
The theme is ‘Unearthing the growth potential in the untapped markets’. The industry has touched an all-time high AUM of Rs 8.68 lakh crore. But the potential is huge in both T-15 and B-15 markets. One of the sessions in the event focuses on key learnings from overseas markets, particularly, the US which is the largest market in the world. Yet another session will be on learnings from the telecom and FMCG industry.
CII MF Summit has always been the platform for the regulator to make important announcements. What are you looking forward to hear from the regulator this time?
This year we are not expecting much from the regulator. We are looking for a direction from the regulator on allowing us to introduce pension fund products.
What can distributors look forward to from the event?
Distributors can look forward to learn the US mutual fund industry and about the FMCG and telecom industry. The main session which is relevant from their point of view is a session on 'Re-engineering the business model in an evolving distribution landscape'
The event has a great lineup of speakers and topics. Which session are you personally keenly looking forward to?
While each session is important and has a role to play, I’m looking forward to two sessions. The first one is on how the telecom and FMCG sector have grown. The second session is 'Changing Regulatory Landscape: India and Global Markets'.
What were the challenges for you as Chairman this time?
My challenge is to send the right and positive messagethrough the various sessions that have been lined up.
Cafemutual is the Online Partner of CII Mutual Fund Summit 2013
