New Delhi, March 29 -- As the audience rose in unison and the applause swelled into a sustained, standing ovation, Aditya Puri - usually implacable and restrained - allowed himself a rare smile, and raised his arm in quiet acknowledgement of a room full of peers paying tribute to a remarkable career.

It was the closing moment of day two at the ninth edition of the Mint India Investment Summit. On a balmy Friday evening in Mumbai, after two days of sharp, often fractious debates spanning the economy, global volatility, dealmaking, and artificial intelligence, the mood shifted. The conversations gave way to celebration - of institutions and leaders who had defined the year's deal landscape.

Puri, former managing director of HDFC Bank, rec...