Good day, MD Salman Rahmani. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

Yes, I am reading.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia.

Yes, I uh.

Completed my 10th from UH, Bihar board and UH, I got admission in intermediate in Aligarh Muslim University and I passed with First Division and I got enrolled in ICI uh, Craig, the foundation of CA program. But after passing that examination, I switched to BCOM and I.

Take

Continued become and passed the BCOM with First Division.

Uh, and then I got admission in, uh, master of Finance and Control, uh, equivalent to uh, MBA finance in financial management where I passed.

With First Division and distinction which increased me to get admission in PSD in Department of Business Administration where I did my.

Where I submitted my thesis and I also passed the.

Net program of.

UGC, yeah, conducted by NTA. I qualified net in commerce and management as well.

Thank you for sharing your academic journey, Professor.

Thank you for joining this academic interview, Professor. Let us begin with exploring your professional journey. Could you summarize your academic background and experiences that align with the Finance Professor role?

Yes uh, throughout, uh, when I, uh, choose uh, commerce as my stream in +2 uh, I found it very realistic and uh, uh, I was deeply interested in pursuing finance course where, uh, then I got admission in BCOM, most of the subjects were relevant and. I was good in accountancy and economics.

So I got admission in MFC where I most of the subject we are from finance background like international finance, financial management, managerial accounting and other finance related subject. And in most of the subject I did well where I got distinction which increased me to get admission in finance in Department of Business administration. And I qualified.

Net in both management and commerce and.

I did my research on the topic Impact of Fintech that is Financial technology on Indian banking sector and when when I got admission most of we didn't access to.

Ample amount of data because primary data was.

Most of the research were backed by primary data and.

Thank

My research was is backed by secondary data.

Understood, Professor. It seems your academic journey demonstrates a strong foundation in finance studies, culminating in research on Fintech's impact on Indian banking. What motivated this specific focus on Fintech—was it practical relevance, emerging trends, or something particular in your academic pursuits?

Yeah, thank you. But, uh, when I got admission, uh, in PSD, uh, I, uh, went through, uh, Scopus and Web of Science, uh, research papers in fanons and I found several. Buzzwords and 1. The fintech was one of the prominent at that time and still it is considered as buzzword in finance. Then I discussed with my.

Professor. Supervisor.

Not much researched at that time so I went for that topic.

And my supervisor, uh, told me to pursue PSD in that topic.

I see, Professor. Choosing a topic based on both emerging trends and research gaps is indeed an academically strategic decision. During your PhD research on Fintech’s impact on the Indian banking sector, what were the key findings or insights that you believe distinguish your work?

Yes.

Uh, the findings reveals that, uh, I, uh.

Constructed.

Fintech Index and which you.

Was first I think in India. As far as my knowledge is concerned that is first index that has been constructed aligned with the fintech evolution in India and I found where I used more than 27 indicators to demonstrate that indice that the indices is from 2017, 18 to 2023.

24 and uh, I found the evolution has deeply affected the.

Performance of the banks like it has positively and significantly impacted the ROARONWROCE and NIM as far as stability is concerned where?

Uh, the banks, uh.

Are not stably sorry banks? I found most of the banks, uh, we are facing stability crisis in tackling fintech evolution because of the disruption in the ecosystem.

And the third one which I, I I want to mention that.

Fintech also have, uh, improved the efficiency, but the efficiency that has been achieved by the banks was not just from.

The investment that was made by the outsiders in the invest in the fintech ecosystem, but the banks own investment had changed the trajectory in bringing efficiency in the banking ecosystem. But it's as far as the fintech industry is concerned which has separately. Has been studied I we found that.

The IT has played a role of role role as a disruptor in the modern banking system. However, if collaboration is done with the the banks and the fintech industry, positive role will emerge. A positive industry will emerge which will thrive the Indian economy.

And it will contribute the overall financial ecosystem of India.

Very intriguing findings, Professor. Developing a Fintech Index uniquely tailored to the Indian context is a commendable contribution. It’s evident that your research not only identifies significant impacts on bank performance but also emphasizes the need for collaboration between banks and fintech firms. Given your deep engagement with this field, how do you envision incorporating these insights into your teaching, particularly at the postgraduate level?

Yes, I found uh, uh, the intriguing findings and uh, uh.

It will help me incorporating the modern technology into my teaching and it will enhance the capability of.

Of teaching of students as well as the capability of the teacher. That would be me in this case and.

I will incorporate, uh, the.

AI and harness the, uh, modern technology that will, uh, that will point out the personalized, uh.

Weakness of those students who are suffering from a particular.

Particular issue regarding a particular subject it it can easily point out that issue and can help that student with a good solution. And I definitely use these methods like AI and other methods which will improve the teaching. As well as in my learning also I will incorporate it.

Thank you, Professor. Integrating modern technologies such as AI to address personalized student learning challenges is a progressive approach. It signals your commitment to fostering an adaptive and efficient educational environment. Next, could you discuss your approach to guiding student research—how would you mentor students navigating complex topics like financial analytics or fintech innovations?

I have learned.

Yes.

I have a.

Studied secondary data based research and into In my research I used secondary data and I accessed the data from several sources like UNDP, MF, IMF, World Bank and RBI and Provost IQ. These were the data set from where I explored the data and. I used it in several ways.

Professor,

I didn't have the foundation at that time when I got admission because secondary data based research were not there at that time. So I exhausted myself in my research so that I can acquire. An insight out of that research and I am highly satisfied what I. Did in my research journey, uh, first of all, I applied uh, the methods like DEA that is, uh, data envelope, uh, analysis and Malmoquist technique. And uh, I also utilize the methods by which I uh, constructed the index for the fintech inclusion in India and these VO and after applying these methods.

I also used, uh, several regression, uh, math models and apply after applying these, uh, we, uh, reach the results. So, uh, after, uh, having this journey in my experience, so I experienced this journey very insightful, so.

After joining the institution, I will guide those students who are deeply interested in doing research. I will also enlarge the horizon of my own research, and I will. Use my research experience in enhancing their interest as well as. I will guide what I have learned from my experience.

Thank you, Professor. Your extensive research methodology, coupled with your drive to mentor students and expand your own research horizon, represents a strong dedication to academic mentorship. You’ve illustrated a profound ability to guide students and invigorate their interest in complex financial analytics and methodologies. Now moving forward, how do you balance teaching foundational courses while integrating advanced, nuanced topics like Fintech or financial analytics, especially for students with diverse academic backgrounds?

I will try to find out the.

Yeah, first of all.

The background the the background from where the students come and after learning the background of those student I will.

Please continue,

Device a research teaching plan for those students who needs what and after personal personalizing those.

Needs of the students.

Got

I will develop the methods for those students according to their requirement. The requirement will decide the.

Teaching methods which I will, uh, deliver the you.

That will be the uh.

Classroom focused, student focused methods.

And whatever I learned, I will apply most of my, uh, capability, uh, in, uh, in, in, in incorporating my skills in, uh, delivering lectures.

Understood, Professor. Your emphasis on tailoring teaching methods to accommodate the students' diverse backgrounds, while maintaining student-focused and classroom-centered approaches, exemplifies the dedication expected in academia. To further elaborate, how do you ensure clarity and structure in your lectures, especially when addressing complex topics such as financial analytics or international financial management?

What I will do that?

First of all I will try to know.

What is the background of those students and how they are aware of the topic And if they are aware, I will devise teaching plan differently. If they are not aware, I will device teaching plan differently and I will execute according to the need of those students and as far as my teaching capability is concerned, as far as my delivery is concerned.

Uh, I will, uh.

Break my, the break, I will break down the overall the complex issue that is the, complex, uh, subject into pieces. And I will, uh, try to incorporate the real life exam examples, uh, in my teaching process so that learning should be, uh, achieved so that student, uh, can understand the things easily and.

And.

I will try uh.

My level base to incorporate examples, real life examples and like and AI and other technology to.

Uh, enhance the overall results in the classroom.

Thank you, Professor. Breaking down complex topics into manageable segments, using real-life examples, and leveraging technology such as AI showcases your thoughtful approach to structured teaching. These strategies are indeed impactful in enabling comprehension and fostering engagement in the classroom. Let us now turn to your experience in guiding research projects. How do you evaluate student progress in their research and ensure alignment with academic rigor?

Yes.

First of all.

I will try to find out whether.

The topic is.

Insightful or not? Whether the topic is emerging or not, whether the topic.

Has.

Yes, whether the topic.

Contains any gap.

To whom I will guide.

Two no to go through the extensive literature.

After going through the extent extensive literature, I will apply the. I will try to find out the gaps, where the gaps will decide which method should be incorporated, how it should be elaborated and how the project reach to success. This will all be decided after having the.

Background in the backup.

Of the study plan.

Thank you, Professor. Your meticulous approach of exploring literature, identifying gaps, and aligning methods to ensure the project's academic strength demonstrates a strong commitment to research supervision. To assess further, could you share your approach to publishing in reputed journals and how you guide students towards achieving similar standards of publication quality?

Sorry to interrupt, we're down to the last 5 minutes.

Yes. I have, uh, published my research papers, uh, in, uh, good journals, but they are in UGCKO and, uh, because I was highly, uh, invested in my research topic in my thesis, because that topic was new and that there is novelty in that topic in the, in the research finding itself, uh, there is novelty, so.

I was totally. Occupied in that.

Working on a papers which are currently, uh, very relevant to my topic. And, uh, I am also learning, uh, out of my experience where I got from my, uh, research journey and, uh, uh, these all will be, uh, frame a suitable pathways for those who will be in my guidance.

Work so I didn't, so I managed. So I didn't find suitability to publish paper on different topic. Now I am currently working on papers that is aligned with my topic and. I have also published. I am trying to.

Thank you, Professor. You’ve clearly expressed your dedication to producing high-quality publications rooted in your research focus and ensuring that your guidance pathways are framed by your experience. Let us take a final moment to discuss your vision. How do you see yourself contributing to the overall academic and intellectual community in this institution if selected for this role?

Yeah, if I selected first of all, uh, I will try to make myself uh.

Make myself uh, yes, I I I I will try my label base to.

Get myself comfortable deal and if I I will try to because throughout I in my. Students life I lived in residential hostels, so I it will not be a big problem for me to recite there because I always entertain a diverse environment and in that diverse environment I will try to build a community duo. I will try to be a part. Of that community, which will be based on research aspiration and.

These all are the programs and, uh, uh, the intellectual journey that will start the, uh, will be, uh, very insightful. Uh, as far as my effort is concerned, I will try my level best to give my, uh, potential, uh.

Incorporation of teaching methods in lectures.

To keep myself aligned in that community which may that which is established as far as my knowledge is concerned, I will try to incorporate myself in that community, that is the intellectual community which survives the.

Thank you, Professor. Your aspiration to immerse yourself in the institution’s intellectual community while contributing through research, teaching, and collaboration is noteworthy. That concludes our discussion. Is there anything else you’d like to add or clarify before we wrap up?

First of all, the discussion between you and me is very, that was very thoughtful and insightful and uh, uh, I learned a lot and it also redirected my motivation, uh, and enhanced my, uh, my own motivation to achieve that post, to get that post deal and the.

Yes, uh.

The desire, that is.

In me to become an assistant professor, there will be a dream that will be a dream come true for myself and I hope I will join.

Thank you for sharing that, Professor. Your passion and motivation are evident, and it has been insightful from my end as well. I appreciate the thoughtful engagement throughout our discussion. If you’re ready, I’ll conclude the session now. Can you confirm if this is acceptable?

Our scheduled time for the interview is now up. Before we conclude, do you have any questions related to the role or the company?

No, you have uh.

Performed very good and your voice was clear throughout the discussion and you gave me ample amount of time to describe myself.

And thank you.

Thank you, Professor. It has been a pleasure speaking with you, and I appreciate your kind words. Would you like to confirm that I can officially conclude the interview?

Yes, I confirm. Uh, you can conclude this officially.