Named after Hamilton "Tony" James, erstwhile President and Executive Vice Chairman of global investment firm Blackstone, the Centre was set up through a record bequest by Mathew Cyriac Chairman of Florintree Advisors, co-founder of Yali Capital and an IIMB alumnus from the class of 1994.

This is not just a tribute but a promise to an India of the future where Indian talent takes centre stage in global investment dialogues, Cyriac said before the launch. Cyriac was the gold medallist in his batch and received IIMB's Distinguished Alumni Award 2025. His donation is among the biggest in individual alumni giving in IIMB history and will include funding for the Centre, sponsorship of four classrooms in the name of important faculty members and scholarships to PGP and doctoral students specialising in finance.

Leading figures from the global PEVC community will speak at the event. These are as follows:

• Executive Chairman of L Catterton India and former Chairman & CEO of Hindustan Unilever Chief Guest Sanjiv Mehta

• Senior Partner & Global Co-Leader, McKinsey & Company Keynote speaker Vivek Pandit

Professor Ashok Thampy, Chairperson of the IIMB Centre and Chairperson of the Florintree Chair of Private Equity and Venture Capital will discuss the Centre's mission. The Tony James Centre will be a catalytic force in making the future of PEVC in India and around the world.

The Centre is to act as a focal point for top-notch research, industry engagement and policy debate. It will engage global experts, do research on new PEVC trends and develop the next generation of ethical finance leaders.