Prof. Arunkumar holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru, sponsored through an RBI doctoral fellowship. In addition to his M.Phil (Central University Pondicherry) and UGC-NET qualifications, he completed his Certificate course in Management from Asian Institute of Management, Manila and completed Certificate Course in MSME credit from Israel. He is also certified in Financial Risk Management by the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (CISI), London. In addition, he participated over 200 advanced training programs globally, focusing on finance, banking, policy, leadership and administration.

Prof. Arunkumar’s professional journey began as a faculty of Economics and Commerce, followed by roles as a Research Fellow and Deputy Director at the Centre for Budget and Policy Studies (CBPS), Bengaluru. His career in industry spans across senior leadership roles, including Assistant General Manager (AGM) – Economist at Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), and key executive positions such as Deputy General Manager and General Manager in the credit and risk management areas. Prof. Arunkumar later functioned as the Chief Risk Officer of a commercial bank in India and international banks abroad. He has also led cross-functional teams, supervised large-scale projects, and introduced policies and processes that enhanced operational efficiency.

In academics, experienced in managing undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs across University and Autonomous business school, with particular focus on enhancing skill-oriented curricula and experiential learning. During this period, developed programs that integrate both theoretical knowledge and practical applications, ensuring students are well-prepared for the business world. He has been teaching subjects related to banking, finance, risk management, development policy and economics. While in Industry, Prof. Arunkumar had been a regular visiting faculty in various training academies and centres of banking and finance.

Prof. Arunkumar’s research covers areas such as access to credit, technology, policy for small enterprises, microfinance, development banking, sustainable finance including sustainable development, and digital financial inclusion. His contributions to academia are reflected in his working papers, journal articles, book chapters, and books. He is also a regular commentator on financial and economic matters in mainstream newspapers.

The recent co-edited book titled: “Institutions and Public Policy for India’s Sustainable Development” was released in January 2025, which was published by Routledge/Taylor and Francis, London.

Dr. Srikant has 15+ years of teaching and research experience and is currently working in areas including Agentic AI, Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), Scientific Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Computer Vision (CV). He has also been working in active vibration control using control systems, AI for structural dynamics, and renewable energy applications. Dr. Srikant is certified in Data Science and Machine Learning. Currently Dr. Patnaik is the advisor for multiple startups which focuses on delivering the Gen AI and Agentic AI solutions to the companies for real-time implementation. Previously, he served as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate on the DRDO-JATC project at IIT Delhi in the Applied Mechanics Department. This work focused on mathematical modeling and the experimental realization of artificial muscle actuators for the rehabilitation and power augmentation of upper-limb exoskeletons. Dr. Patnaik is also serving as project manager for several Government departments for AI projects where he is leading AI team consisting faculties, students and industry professionals developing AI products.