Palash Jain

Results-driven Internal Audit and Risk Manager with over 7 years of experience in the NBFC and housing finance sector. Demonstrated expertise leading statutory, credit, and risk audits, currently managing the West Zone Affordable Housing (Roshni) vertical. Proven track record directing high-performing blended teams, designing Risk-Based Audit Plans (RBAP), and presenting critical findings to the Audit Committee Board (ACB).

Skilled in leveraging data analytics (IDEA, Power BI), AI tools, and automation (VBA) to identify process gaps, align policies with regulatory guidelines, and implement robust system controls.

Manager - Zonal Audit Lead - West Zone (Affordable Housing - Roshni Vertical) at PNB Housing Finance Co. (2023-03 – Present)

• Direct internal audit operations for the West Zone Affordable Housing vertical, overseeing Branch, Concurrent, Centralized Function, and Process Audits across 4 states (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat).
• Lead and mentor a blended team of 12 professionals (4 on-roll employees and 8 vendor auditors); facilitated comprehensive audit training for 30+ internal and external personnel.
• Develop and execute the Risk-Based Audit Plan (RBAP) for Pan-India affordable business branches.
• Identify critical process gaps through extensive system walkthroughs (including Salesforce) and due diligence, driving implementation of Business Rule Engine (BRE) controls and regulatory policy alignments.
• Pioneer audit automation using advanced prompt engineering via AI tools (Gemini, Copilot, Claude) to generate and execute VBA code, optimizing data extraction and Pan-India sampling methodologies.
• Prepare and present quarterly Audit Committee Board (ACB) and Major Risk notes to executive leadership.
• Leverage IDEA data analytics, Power Query, and Power BI for comprehensive risk assessment; deploy Pentana (IAMS) for standardized audit reporting.
• Execute complex securitization audits for housing finance portfolios to ensure regulatory compliance and risk mitigation.
• Key Achievement: Awarded the MD Certificate and inducted into the exclusive MD Toppers Club in Q1 FY 2026 for exceptional performance.

Hindsighting and Risk Manager at Tata Capital Housing Finance Co. Ltd. (2022-02 – 2023-03)

• Spearheaded Credit and Risk Audits in alignment with corporate policies for both Home Loan and Loan Against Property (LAP) verticals.
• Conducted rigorous NHB compliance audits to ensure adherence to regulatory frameworks.
• Executed KYC/AML audits, mitigating risk exposure and ensuring accurate customer due diligence.

Finance Manager (Internal Audit) at Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co. Ltd. (2019-08 – 2022-01)

• Managed the auditing of 26 branches across 5 Area Offices within the assigned region, ensuring compliance with internal SOPs, RBI mandates, and statutory authority guidelines.
• Identified 15+ fraudulent activities and process lapses, escalating Incident Reports to the FCU team for further investigation.
• Analyzed complex data sets to pinpoint process vulnerabilities, circulating detailed Audit Reports to mid and top-level management.

Management Associate / Credit Risk Analyst at Home First Finance Co. India Ltd. (2018-10 – 2019-08)

• Conducted in-depth credit history, income, and investment analysis for prospective home loan customers.
• Performed comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analyses over case profiles, including property and legal document verification.
• Evaluated risk factors associated with various profiles, structured mitigation strategies, and drafted robust credit proposals.

Credit and Risk Analysis Intern at Kotak Mahindra Bank (2018-06 – 2018-07)

• Prepared Credit Monitoring Arrangement (CMA) reports and Credit Risk Assessment Notes (CRAN) for Working Capital Finance loan aspirants.

Article Assistant at Joshi Mahajan and Co. (2014-02 – 2017-02)

• Executed Statutory, Stock, Tax, Cost, and Internal Audits for corporates, MSMEs, and banking clients.
• Filed Income Tax, TDS, and VAT returns; prepared Income Tax Appeals (ITAT, CIT, ITO).

Master of Business Administration in Finance – Prestige Institute of Management and Research (2019)

CA Intermediate (Both Groups) – ICAI (2017)

Bachelor of Commerce in Taxation – Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (2014)