<p>Over the past three decades, the banking industry in India has transformed from a tightly regulated, public sector-dominated landscape into one of the most dynamic financial ecosystems in Asia. This dialogue between two veterans explores key enablers of the competitiveness of emerging multinational enterprise banks from India and innovation in Indian banking. It is contextualized through historical evolution, current positioning, and future international aspirations. Drawing on Mr. Gupta’s deep experience as a top leader at Kotak Mahindra Bank, AI-enabled experiments, and Dr. Momaya’s pioneering research on ‘Competitiveness of Firms’, particularly for challenge arenas, the insights from the dialogue offer a leadership lens on context, capabilities for innovation, and sectoral transformation.</p>