The Pan-Asia Risk and Insurance Management Association (PARIMA) concludes its Regional Conference 2026 in Mumbai, drawing risk leaders, insurance professionals and industry experts from across India and the Asia Pacific region to examine the shifting risk landscape under the theme 'The New Risk Order'. Held on 12 June, the one-day conference opens with a welcome address from PARIMA before moving into a programme of sessions spanning the energy transition, natural catastrophe exposure in fast-growing markets, surety, artificial intelligence, transactional liability insurance, geopolitics and analytics. In a session on securing the energy transition, Sean Walker, head of commercial, insurance and chief technical officer at APAC Zurich, addresses the resilience demands facing India's renewable build-out. “India's renewable energy transition is accelerating at unprecedented scale, but climate risk is already reshaping how these assets perform. Building resilience into design, siting and operations now is essential to protect infrastructure, sustain growth and ensure the transition delivers long-term, reliable energy security,” Walker says. A later session, 'Risk Without Borders: When Geopolitics Rewrites Economics', examines how geopolitical developments continue to reshape trade, investment, supply chains and organisational resilience. Jayesh Gadekar, chief strategy officer at JB Boda Group, argues that the role of the risk manager is changing. “In today's evolving risk landscape, risk managers must move beyond insurance purchasing to becoming strategic business partners. The real differentiator lies in leveraging data, technology, and predictive insights to anticipate risks, strengthen resilience, and create measurable value for the organisation,” Gadekar says. The closing plenary, 'When Risks Converge: Using Analytics to Build Resilience and Growth in a Volatile World', considers how organisations can use data and analytics to better understand interconnected risks and identify opportunities amid uncertainty. Joe Peiser, chief executive officer, risk capital at Aon, points to the elevated status of the discipline. “We're operating in a more volatile and interconnected risk environment than ever before. Risk and insurance are now C-Suite concerns. Data and analytics help organisations cut through complexity and make smarter decisions about risk and insurance,” Peiser says. Annacel A. Natividad, president of PARIMA, says the turnout reflects the growing importance of the profession. “The strong participation at this year's Mumbai Conference underscores how critical the role of risk management has become in today's evolving landscape. As risks grow more interconnected, risk professionals must move beyond traditional approaches and take on a more strategic role in guiding organisations through uncertainty and change,” Natividad says. The conference also features the Next-Gen Risk Takers challenge, a public-speaking contest for emerging risk professionals. Kritika Bajaj, senior manager, insurance at Cube Highways Transportation Assets and Advisors, takes the Mumbai title ahead of fellow finalists Bhaumik Pandya of DKSH Holding and Dr Poonam B. Gilani of Airtel. Stop winners earn a subsidised place at the inaugural Grand Final on 14 October, held during the PARIMA Singapore Masterclass Day. The event was supported by platinum partners Aon, JB Boda Group and Zurich; gold partners FM, ICICI Lombard and QBE Asia; and silver partners AIA, Marsh and Prudent.
