Event information
The GC Summit India is a premier event that brings together the most influential minds in the corporate legal sphere, creating a dynamic platform for conversation, collaboration, and innovation. This upcoming Summit is a celebration of the evolving role of General Counsel in shaping business strategy, navigating regulatory landscapes, and driving corporate success in one of the world’s most vibrant economies.
Set against the backdrop of India’s rapidly transforming legal and business landscape, the event explores the key challenges and opportunities facing in-house legal teams, offering cutting-edge insights tailored to the needs of today’s legal leaders. More than just an event, it serves as a gateway to inspiration, learning, and invaluable connections with industry peers and thought leaders.
The GC Summit India is your opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and redefine what it means to lead in today’s fast-paced world.
Agenda
11.00am – 11.30am Registration and refreshments
11.30am – 11.40am Welcome address and keynote
- Margherita Birri, Legal 500
11.40am – 12.30pm The Art of Hiring and Keeping the Best In-House Legal Talent
Attracting and retaining top legal talent is now more competitive than ever, requiring companies to rethink their hiring and retention strategies. This panel will explore how organisations can build high-performing legal teams that align with business objectives while staying ahead of fast-paced shifting industry demands. The discussion will delve into what makes a great in-house lawyer today, from core legal expertise to cross-functional skills across multiple areas. As the demand for these specialised capabilities grows, companies must also refine their hiring strategies to remain competitive. Retention will be another key focus, with discussions on fostering career progression, promoting diversity and inclusion, and creating an engaging work environment that keeps legal professionals motivated and invested in their roles. This session will provide practical takeaways on understanding what top talent seeks in an employer and implementing forward-thinking hiring and retention strategies. It will also explore what organisations must do to position themselves as leading destinations for the best legal talents.
- Karl Fernandes, senior partner, Vahura
- Parveen Mahtani, chief legal officer, Mahindra Lifespace Developers
- Sapna Bhawnani, executive director, head of legal and APAC legal lead for UBS Optimus Foundation – social finance, UBS AG, Mumbai, and UBS Optimus Foundation
- Navroze Palekar, general counsel, Cyient
- Preeti Balwani, global general counsel, Crisil Limited
12.30pm – 1.20pm The Evolving Role of General Counsel in strategic deal making
The role of General Counsels (GCs) in strategic deal-making is evolving rapidly, reflecting the increasing complexity of transactions and the need for legal teams to be deeply integrated into business strategy. This panel will explore how GCs are no longer just legal gatekeepers but are now key strategic advisors in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and other investment activities. As businesses navigate regulatory challenges, due diligence complexities, and evolving risk landscapes, GCs play a pivotal role in shaping deal structures, mitigating risks, and ensuring compliance while facilitating seamless execution. The discussion will also highlight how GCs collaborate with C-suite executives, external advisors, and investors to drive value creation, protect corporate interests, and enhance deal success. By examining real-world case studies and emerging trends, this panel will provide insights into how the modern GC is redefining their role in high-stakes transactions and investment strategies.
- Abhinav Bhalaik, equity partner, Argus Partners
- Prateek Shoff, senior vice president, Brookfield Asset Management
- Anooshree Sinha, executive director and GC, Eversource Capital
1.20pm – 2.40pm Lunch
2.40pm – 3.10pm Competition Compliance: Conundrum or cakewalk?
- Karan Singh Chandhiok, partner and head of competition and regulatory practice, Chandhiok
- Deeksha Manchanda, partner, Chandhiok
- Subha Narayan, senior associate general counsel, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages
- Dr. Mukul Shastry, general counsel and whole-time director, Cube Highways
- Dr. Sanjeev Gemawat, managing director and group general counsel, Essar Group
3.10pm – 4.00pm White-Collar Crime, Corporate Fraud & Regulatory Investigations: Industry-Wide Risks
White-collar crime and corporate fraud are escalating across industries, with regulators tightening enforcement amid evolving financial crimes, corporate misconduct, and compliance failures.
In India, rapid economic growth and digital transformation have amplified risks, making strong governance and proactive risk management essential. This panel will examine key threats, including financial misreporting, insider trading, bribery, corruption, and cyber-enabled offenses such as data breaches, ransomware attacks, and deepfake fraud used for financial manipulation and corporate espionage.
The panel will discuss enforcement trends, high-profile investigations, and best practices in due diligence, forensic audits, cybersecurity and also the regulatory frameworks and compliance protocols that the businesses must navigate while safeguarding reputation , ESG considerations and operational integrity. This session will offer insights into emerging threats, proactive compliance strategies, and the role of AI-driven fraud detection that is helping industry leaders stay ahead of evolving risks.
- Mr. Anand Desai, managing partner, DSK Legal
- Mr. Vikrant Singh Negi, partner, DSK Legal
4.00pm – 4.15pm Coffee Break
4.15pm – 5.05pm Cross-Border Dispute Resolution: Challenges, Innovations, and India’s Evolving Litigation Landscape
Cross-border dispute resolution has become an increasingly pertinent issue in today’s globalised economy, where international transactions, trade agreements, and investments span multiple jurisdictions. This panel will bring together leading legal professionals to explore the complexities and emerging trends in resolving cross-border disputes effectively.
The discussion will delve into the challenges posed by differing legal frameworks & systems, enforcement related concerns and developments, the approach of courts in cross border commercial disputes and the different forms of dispute resolution mechanisms. While arbitration is often the go-to method, the panel will explore the evolving use of mediation, negotiation, litigation, and hybrid dispute resolution processes in cross-border contexts. Panelists will also examine the interplay between national courts and international dispute resolution mechanisms, highlighting recent developments in arbitration laws. The session will also address the impact of evolving geopolitical dynamics on cross-border disputes and the importance of ensuring neutrality, efficiency, and fairness in all dispute resolution proceedings.
A key focus will be on India’s evolving role as a hub for international dispute resolution and its legal landscape in addressing cross-border conflicts. With recent reforms aimed at enhancing India’s arbitration ecosystem and other dispute resolution methods, the panel will assess the effectiveness of these measures in positioning the country as a preferred venue for resolving international disputes. It will conclude with a forward-looking discussion on how businesses and legal professionals can adapt to the shifting global dispute resolution landscape, fostering greater certainty and efficiency in cross-border engagements
- Ravitej Chilumuri, partner, Khaitan & Co
- Shilpa (Sachdeva) Bhullar, group risk & compliance officer, business counsel and committed to ethical governance and global growth, PI Industries Ltd
5.05pm – 5.15pm Closing Remarks
- Margherita Birri, Legal 500
5.15pm – 6.15pm Drinks and canapes
Speakers
Karl Fernandes, senior partner, Vahura
Karl Fernandes is a Senior Partner and a founding member of Vahura.
He has built and leads the In-house search practice group at Vahura. As a specialist, Karl personally focuses on leadership searches across Legal, Policy, and Compliance functions. He is a trusted advisor to General Counsels across the country.
Before Vahura, Karl worked as a Consultant with Randstad, where he was responsible for the entire recruitment process. During this stint, he successfully delivered many challenging assignments for clients.
He was also a Talent Acquisition Partner with Firstsource Solutions where his dual responsibilities included leadership hiring and employee engagement for 300 staff personnel across 47 delivery centres.
Parveen Mahtani, chief legal officer, Mahindra Lifespace Developers
I am a gold medallist in law and attended Harvard Business School. I am presently the Chief Legal Officer of Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd.
I have been recognised by Business World Legal as World Top 100 General Counsels in 2022 and 2024. I have also been recognised as “Distinguished Legal Minds -India” by Legal Era in 2022.
I have received the Women in Law Award for Exceptional Legal Service in Law by Legal Era in 2020 and the Excellence Award for Exemplary Service – Legal by the International Leadership Development Council and the Academy of Management Professionals at the Women Excellence Awards in 2020.
I have been honoured as “Woman Leader in a Male Dominated Industry 2019”. I was featured by the Indian Corporate Counsel Association in their book titled “India’s Finest In-House Counsels” published in 2016. I have also been acknowledged as one of “Asia’s Top 25 In-House Counsels” by the Asian Legal Business. I have also been featured as top in-house legal teams by Legal 500 UK: GC Powerlist: India (2024, 2019 and 2017)
I have also been honoured as “Top 25 General Counsels in India” in 2018 by the ICCA in London. Ihave been featured in the featured in the book “Legal Luminaries” published by the ICCA and the book “ Constellations- The Shining stars in the Legal Fraternity” in 2019.
I have an initiative called “Amwizer – Knowledge by Experience” where I host online sessions with industry experts to inspire and motivate young adults. I also particularly work in the space of inspiring, teaching and motivating children with special needs. I am an avid reader and writer and regularly speak at various forums.
I am a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel.
Sapna Bhawnani, executive director, head of legal and APAC legal lead for UBS Optimus Foundation – social finance, UBS AG, Mumbai, and UBS Optimus Foundation
As the Head of Legal for India and a member of the Asia Pacific Legal Leadership Team, Sapna supervises and coordinates the legal and regulatory activities and acts as the legal and strategic advisor for UBS Group entities in India. She is actively involved in all issues arising out of India including disputes, cyber crimes (CERT-In and Cyber Cell), employee issues and investigations and regulatory investigations and enquiries (e.g. RBI, SEBI, Enforcement Directorate, CBI, SFIO) and being the strategic advisor to the country management for all legal entities in India.
She is the chairperson for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) committee for UBS Mumbai and Gurgaon offices and is also a member of the India Philanthropy Committee for UBS.
As the APAC Legal Lead for UBS Optimus Foundation – Social Finance, she assists in providing different solutions for each social finance problem by using a wide range of tools to achieve social and environmental impact, like: grant making, outcome-based financing such as outcomes contracts, direct investments into impact enterprises, and blended finance in the form of equity and investments convertible to equity, debt (in form of impact loans), funds, etc. She covers various jurisdictions within APAC including Africa, UAE, South East Asia, Singapore, Hongkong, India and Australia.
Navroze Palekar, general counsel, Cyient
Navroze is the General Counsel of Cyient Ltd. – a Hyderabad based multinational corporation that delivers Intelligent Engineering solutions for digital, autonomous, and sustainable future for customers globally. He is a seasoned legal professional with a Master’s Degree in Law and an Award for Outstanding Achievement from Boston University. A seasoned professional with over 20+ years of experience in the IT/ITeS sector, Navroze has led strategic initiatives apart from scaling up teams for contract negotiations, dispute management, creating compliance frameworks by developing cost-effective compliance strategies, IP portfolio management, and audit processes. He has a strong focus on client engagement, business results, and cultural integration, that enhance brand equity and business success
Preeti Balwani, global general counsel, Crisil Limited
Preeti Balwani is a seasoned commercial attorney with over 20 years of experience both in house and in private practice. She is currently the Global General Counsel for Crisil Limited and on the board of its subsidiary. Prior to Crisil, she has served as the General Counsel and Board member for Coca-Cola Bottling (Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages) and Kraft Heinz in India.
Ms. Balwani is a graduate from Indian Law Society’s (ILS) Law College, Pune University (BSL.LLB) and also holds a Masters’ Degree in Maritime Law (LLM) from the University of Southampton.
Prior to moving in-house Ms. Balwani, served as an external counsel for Indian companies providing them legal advice on M&A, for over a decade. She has advised on over two hundred (200) cross border transactions including joint ventures, asset sale and purchases, share sale and purchase, private equity investments. One of the more publicized transactions was the sale of the Indian legal entity of Kraft Heinz to the Zydus Wellness group for USD Seven Hundred Million (USD 700 Million).
Ms. Balwani is passionate about giving back to society, she likes to spend her free time volunteering with organizations to impart free legal education. She has been invited by Chambers & Partners, to be part of the Advisory Board for Diversity and Inclusion. She is also on the Advisory Board for India Business Law Journal which is a part of the Vantage Asia magazine group of publications.
Preeti has been recognized by several publications as a leading in-house counsel including Chambers & Partners, Business World, Forbes and Legal 500.
She routinely speaks at forums on gender diversity and inclusion, women leaders and women on the board, brand protection and legal operations. She is an avid traveler and amateur Indian classical dancer.
Abhinav Bhalaik, equity partner, Argus Partners
Abhinav is a key member of the Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Law practice of the Firm.
Abhinav regularly advises various private equity firms, venture and investment funds, corporate strategic investors, multinational corporations, and investment banks on a variety of complex domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, growth capital and early-stage investments. He also represents portfolio companies of clients with respect to general corporate counselling, transactional matters and shareholder disputes. Abhinav’s sector focus includes healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing and industrials, financial services, consumer, and sports and gaming.
Abhinav was previously a partner at SAM & Co., Mumbai. He finished his B.A. LL.B. with honors in corporate law from the National Law University, Jodhpur, India.
Prateek Shoff, senior vice president, Brookfield Asset Management
Prateek joined Brookfield in 2019, and is a Senior Vice President in the Infrastructure group, heading the legal function for India and Middle East. Prior to Brookfield, Prateek spent 1 year at Tata Sons Limited where he worked on transactions across the Tata Group including on internal restructurings, acquisitions, and divestment transactions.
Before moving in-house, Prateek was with Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas in their mergers and acquisition practice for over 6 years, where he worked on transactions in the telecom, power, real estate, insurance sectors among others. He holds an B.A. LL. B (Hons.) from WB National University of Juridical Sciences.
Anooshree Sinha, executive director and GC, Eversource Capital
Anooshree is the general counsel for Eversource Capital, a fund manager operating in the green infrastructure and impact investment space in India through an owner-operator model. She has over two decades of international and Indian experience in private equity and M&A transactions. At Eversource, she advises on regulatory issues, capital raise, investments, divestments, governance and risk management across Electric Mobility, Renewable Energy, Resource Efficiency, Industrial Decarbonization, and Urban Sustainability sectors. Anooshree holds a Master of Laws from Harvard University, a B.A. LLB honours degree from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore.
Mr. Anand Desai, managing partner, DSK Legal
Anand, the Managing Partner of DSK Legal, is widely regarded as a trusted advisor in high-stakes white-collar crime matters. With over four decades of domestic and international experience, he has successfully represented prominent Indian and multinational corporations, high-net-worth individuals, business leaders, and celebrities in complex criminal proceedings. His practice includes matters involving allegations of financial fraud, corporate misconduct, regulatory violations, and crisis litigation.
A seasoned litigator and negotiator, Anand is frequently called upon to navigate clients through multifaceted criminal and civil actions, often under intense public scrutiny and media attention. He is known for his ability to manage sensitive issues involving law enforcement and investigative agencies, and for his strategic, pragmatic approach to resolving reputational and regulatory crises.
Mr. Vikrant Singh Negi, partner, DSK Legal
Vikrant brings extensive experience in white-collar crime, cyber laws, forensic investigations, and complex dispute resolution. His practice focuses on financial fraud, anti-money laundering (AML), insider trading, market manipulation, and crisis-driven commercial litigation. He regularly advises on matters under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), export control regulations, and employment laws, including whistleblower frameworks.
Vikrant has conducted confidential internal investigations involving global anti-bribery laws such as the FCPA, FEPA, UK Bribery Act, Sapin II, and India’s Prevention of Corruption Act. He frequently counsels clients on data privacy, copyright frauds, and emerging risks related to generative AI and cyber incidents.
He represents clients before investigative and enforcement authorities including the ED, SFIO, CBI, NCB, DRI, and EOW. Vikrant also works closely with companies on corporate governance and compliance, developing anti-bribery and AML programs, advising on M&A-related risks, and strengthening internal protocols to mitigate regulatory exposure.
Ravitej Chilumuri, partner, Khaitan & Co
Ravitej is a Partner in the Dispute Resolution practice group in the Mumbai office, specializing in domestic and cross-border civil and commercial disputes. He regularly appears before various High Courts in India, international and domestic Arbitral Tribunals as well as the NCLT and NCLAT. Ravitej specializes in shareholder disputes, financial services litigation, and construction disputes. He also advises clients on pre-litigation strategies and litigation mitigation strategies.
Shilpa (Sachdeva) Bhullar, group risk & compliance officer, business counsel and committed to ethical governance and global growth, PI Industries Ltd
I am a seasoned corporate law and governance professional with over 19 years of in-house experience. For the past 12+ years, I have led legal and compliance teams across diverse and evolving markets, including Asia, Africa, the EU, the Middle East, and the US. My expertise spans the Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, and Service sectors, where I have successfully navigated complex regulatory environments and supported business growth in dynamic and expanding markets.
At PI Industries, my focus has been on spearheading legal frameworks and compliance structures that align with corporate development, strategic initiatives, and R&D. With a robust tenure in legal affairs, my expertise encompasses commercial law, dispute resolution, intellectual property, sustainability, and risk governance. Our collaborative efforts have successfully integrated ethics and regulatory compliance into PI Industries’ dynamic environment.
My recent work has involved enhancing the compliance infrastructure to support informed risk assessments, which are crucial for operational continuity and exploring new markets. Having led the legal and compliance team in a Specialty Chemicals, High-growth supply-chain unicorn, Pharmaceuticals I bring a wealth of experience in managing legal and corporate affairs across diverse regions. This rich background informs my commitment to ethical governance and underpins the strategic direction of PI Industries’ global expansion.
Committees Serving: Internal Complaints Committee (Chairperson), Risk Management Committee (CRO), Sustainability Council (Advisor), Grievance Redressal (Chief Grievance Officer), Vigil Mechanism (Vigil Officer).
External Committee Serving: CII Legal Affairs Sub-Committee on ESG & Climate Change (Member), and CII Legal Affairs Sub-Committee on IPR (Member).
External Committee Served: CII Legal Affairs Sub-Committee on Consumer Protection and Product Liability & Product Recall (Chair).
Honored to be recognized by Legal 500 GC Powerlist (2023 & 2024), IBLJ In-house Counsel (2023), and BW Legal -Top 100 GCs (2023 & 2024).
Karan Singh Chandhiok, partner and head of competition and regulatory practice, Chandhiok
Deeksha Manchanda, partner, Chandhiok
Subha Narayan, senior associate general counsel, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages
Dr. Mukul Shastry, general counsel and whole-time director, Cube Highways
Dr Mukul Shastry currently serves as the General Counsel and Whole-Time Director (GC & WTD) of Cube Highways, India’s largest privately owned toll road platform, managing a portfolio of over 8,400 lane kilometres and assets exceeding INR 30,000 crore. With more than two decades of diverse legal and leadership experience, Dr Shastry brings a unique blend of expertise across litigation, academia, regulatory affairs, and corporate law.
Prior to his tenure at Cube Highways, Dr Shastry held senior legal roles at prominent Indian conglomerates, including the RPG Group, Adani Group, and Welspun Group. He began his professional journey as a litigating lawyer, transitioned into academia as an Assistant Professor at NLU Jodhpur, and later served as a Legal Officer at the Reserve Bank of India—offering him a well-rounded and multidimensional legal perspective.
Dr. Sanjeev Gemawat, managing director and group general counsel, Essar Group
In association with...
Argus Partners is a leading Indian law firm known for its high-quality legal services and commercial insight. With offices across major cities, the Firm advises leading corporations on complex transactions. Its multidisciplinary approach, client-centric focus, and consistent rankings by global legal directories underscore its reputation as one of India’s most respected and fastest growing law firms.
Chandhiok & Mahajan is a leading full-service law firm in India, providing our clients with high-quality and bespoke legal services across practice areas. Given our experience in domestic and foreign markets, we support some of the largest domestic and international corporations, government organizations, restructuring and insolvency specialists, financial institutions, private equity and venture capital funds, and promoter groups.
Our key transactional practice areas include Corporate Commercial, Antitrust and Competition, Mergers & Acquisitions, Restructuring and Insolvency, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Banking & Finance, Aviation, Data Privacy, and Capital Markets.
We have offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.
DSK Legal is a leading full-service law firm in India delivering innovative legal solutions across diverse practice areas and industries. With a client-centric approach, we provide strategic, commercially viable advice backed by deep sectoral expertise. Our team of experienced lawyers is committed to excellence, helping clients navigate complex legal landscapes with clarity, efficiency, and integrity.
Khaitan & Co is a top tier and full-service law firm with over 1200 legal professionals, including 300+ leaders, and presence in India and Singapore. With more than a century of experience in practicing law, we offer end-to-end legal solutions in diverse practice areas to our clients across the world. We have a team of highly motivated and dynamic professionals delivering outstanding client service and expert legal advice across a wide gamut of sectors and industries.
Vahura helps leading organisations and specialist qualified professionals to find each other and grow together. At the forefront of Legal recruitment in India since our founding in 2011, our expertise now also includes recruitment for Compliance, Finance, Boards, and more – across EMEA and APAC regions. Combined with our management consulting practice, we enable organisations to build strong leadership teams that can tackle the most complex strategic challenges. Thanks to our deep industry expertise and our vast network, we are now the trusted partners for corporates, law firms, and investment funds, among others.