A 10-member delegation representing the SSSIHL Center of Excellence in Actuarial Data Science participated in The IFoA India Conference 2024, held from 29 November to 1 December in New Delhi. Centered around the theme ‘Actuaries of the Future’, the landmark event brought together over 500 participants, including CXOs, CEOs, senior actuaries, university leaders, actuarial professionals, and students from India, the UK, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and other South Asian countries.
The highlight of the conference was the Actuarial Innovation Challenge 2024, where the SSSIHL Actuarial Alchemist team emerged as the winner among 10 finalists selected from over 157 teams. The team, comprising Anand Sai Gosikonda, Eshwar Sai AK, and Sai Chetan Kuncham, wowed the audience with their innovative product, Micro Business Resilience Insurance, designed to safeguard small businesses against unforeseen risks.
The three-day event opened with an inspiring keynote by Dr. Arvind Virmani, Member of NITI Aayog, and featured 15 specialized workshops exploring critical topics such as Explainable AI, climate risk, IFRS 17, and actuarial leadership in the financial sector.
On 30 November 2024, Karol Gawłowski (Chair, Actuarial Data Science at IFoA), Satya Sai Mudigonda (Visiting Faculty and Coordinator, SSSIHL Center of Excellence in Actuarial Data Science), and Dr. Rohan Yashraj Gupta (SSSIHL Alumnus and qualified GI Actuary) delivered an engaging session on Explainable AI (XAI). Karol offered an insightful deep dive into SHAP techniques, while Satya Sai Mudigonda and Rohan showcased practical applications of XAI through their case study, Ayushman Bharat Pricing and Fraud Detection Models.
Adding to the institute’s proud moments, SSSIHL alumnus Sankar Krishna was awarded his Associateship Certificate at the conference.
The delegation also leveraged networking opportunities to engage in meaningful discussions with the Presidents of IAI and IFoA, as well as actuarial educators and industry leaders from organizations such as Swiss Re, Accenture, Chubb, and IRDAI. These interactions paved the way for exploring the future of actuarial education and industry best practices.
We extend our appreciation to the IFoA India team for organizing this transformative conference that brought together the best minds to shape the future of the actuarial profession.