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From the President
CA. (Dr.) Debashis Mitra
President, ICAI
Dear Colleagues,
From the President
To succeed, you must have tremendous
perseverance, tremendous will.
- Swami Vivekananda
Dedication, Passion, Sincerity and
the Will to Succeed was in abundant
display as the Institute organised the
21st World Congress of Accountants
(WCOA 2022). I would like to applaud
and congratulate each one you for the huge
success of the Congress, held from November
18-21, 2022 in Mumbai. The event was held
for the first time in India in more than 118
years history of the Congress. By successfully
organizing such a grand event we have
unveiled our leadership potential to the
world. I am sure that the memories of the
Congress will linger in our minds for years
to come. The words of gratitude and
appreciations showered by global
accountancy leaders have humbled us.
The World Congress was attended by more
than 60 Global Professional Accounting
Organisations, 6500+ delegates in physical
mode and 3300+ delegates virtually. In total
6 THE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT DECEMBER 2022
about 10000 Professionals attended the
event from more than 120 countries of
the world. This was the largest
attendance in the history of the Congress.
WCOA 2022 was inaugurated by Shri
Om Birla, Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha
and Keynote address during
Inauguration was delivered by Smt.
Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Union
Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs.
More than 150 speakers in 40 sessions
shared their thoughts and insights. The
Exhibition stalls were a huge success
and attracted delegates in large numbers.
A report of the event is included in the
Journal.
The continuous dialogue and interaction
with various international bodies and
side-line meetings pushed our learnings
and experience. One of the important
lessons learned was “need for
collaboration” to ensure greater presence
of the Institute globally.
Global Collaborations
MoU Signed with Institute of Chartered
Accountants of Nigeria and Institute of
Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN)
ICAI entered into MoU with the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and
renewed existing MoU with the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN).
Both the MoUs were signed on side-lines of
the WCOA2022 and were exchanged in the
presence of Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble
Dy. Chief Minister, Maharashtra.
The MoUs will establish mutual co-operation
for the advancement of accounting knowledge,
professional and intellectual development,
advancing the interests of the membership
and positively contributing to the development
of the accounting profession in Nigeria and
Nepal.
International Engagements
On the sidelines of the WCOA2022, the ICAI
hosted and supported various other
International meetings and forums commencing
from 14th November, 2022.
www.icai.org

From the President
• IFAC Council and Board Meeting
The Institute had the privilege to host the
Council and Board meetings of
International Federation of Accountants
on 15th &16th November, 2022 in Mumbai.
These meetings provided insights on the
global trends and developments impacting
the profession and the way forward to be
relevant.
• CAPA Council and Board Meeting
We hosted the Council and Board
meetings of Confederation of Asia &
Pacific Accountants on 16th & 17th
November, 2022 in Mumbai. During the
meetings deliberations were held
regarding development of the profession
in the region.
• SAFA Board Meeting
The 75th Board meeting of South Asian
Federation of Accountants was held on
17th November which was also addressed
by Ms. Asmaa Resmouki, President IFAC.
The Board deliberated on measures to
augment the competence and capability
of the profession in the region.
• PAFA Event
Coinciding with the WCOA2022, the Pan
African Federation of Accountants
(PAFA) celebrated the Africa Day on 17th
November, 2022. The programme was
hosted by ICAI. The event was attended
by about 135 delegates and heads of
accounting bodies from Africa. The event
showcased the African economy and
potential professional opportunities for
Accountants in Africa.
• XBRL Asia Round Table
XBRL International held its 11th XBRL
Asia Round Table (XART) on November
16th & 17th. 2022, at Mumbai. On November
17th, the Chairperson of Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Ms.
Madhabi Puri Buch addressed the XBRL
Asia Round Table and presented SEBI’s
initiatives on ESG.
www.icai.org
587
• Round Table Meeting with Professional
Accounting Organizations (PAO)
The Institute organised a Round Table
meeting on Collaborative approach
amongst PAOs for strengthening the
profession globally on 18th November,
2022. The initiative was applauded by the
PAOs and about 30 of them attended the
event and agreed to collaborate in areas of
mutual interest. The thought leaders
participated in a Tree plantation
programme to support and promote
sustainability.
Interactive Meeting with Hon’ble Union
Minister for Commerce & Industry,
Textiles and Consumer Affairs, Food &
Public Distribution
It was our privilege to have Hon’ble Union
Minister CA. Piyush Goyal address the
WCOA 2022. He spoke about the
From the President
important role of the profession globally.
An Interactive meet of the Minister
with the leaders from global
professional accounting bodies was
organised to discuss about how the
global accountancy profession can play
a pivotal role in galvanizing economic
development as India takes up the
presidency of G-20 from 1st December, 2022
with the vision “One Earth, One Family, One
Future”. The Hon’ble Minister called for
collaboration amongst the global accounting
fraternity in achieving the agenda of
sustainability and building resilient
economies of the future. The meeting was
attended by more than 70 Global Accounting
Professionals.
Let’s take a look at the some of the other
developments which have taken place in the
last one month:
Meeting with the Hon’ble Union Finance
Minister and Secretary, MCA
I along with CA. Aniket S. Talati, Vice
President, ICAI met Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman,
Hon’ble Union Minister of Finance and
Corporate Affairs on 7th November 2022 to
THE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT DECEMBER 2022 7
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From the President
discuss matters related to the profession and
apprise her about the WCOA 2022.
It was also our privilege to meet the new
Secretary of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Dr.
Manoj Govil on 1st November 2022 to apprise
him about the Institute’s activities and matters
related to the profession.
Pre-Budget Memorandum Meeting
A meeting relating to our Pre-Budget
Memorandum was held with Shri Nitin
Gupta, Chairman, CBDT, in which a
presentation was made by ICAI regarding its
suggestions for the forthcoming Union
Budget,2023.
Mega Career Counselling Programme
The Committee on Career Counselling of the
Institute organised a Mega Career Counselling
Programme on 31st October, 2022 with the
From the President
support of its Regional Councils and
Branches. Through this programme
students from Class IX to Graduation
were imparted Career Counselling in
order to enable them to take the best
suited decision for their future.
Approximately 1,30,000 students
participated across the Country along
with the Principals, Teachers and Career
Counsellors. The programme was organised
by 81 branches and four Regional Councils
simultaneously.
ICAI Campus Initiatives
I would also like to inform you that 134
companies participated in the 56th edition of
Campus Placement Programme for the May
2022 Final exam passed students. A total of
5,194 candidates were offered jobs out of
which 3,521 candidates accepted the offer.
The average salary offered to newly qualified
CAs was Rs. 12.48 lakhs.
ICAI through its Committee for Members in
Industry & Business (CMI&B) and Women
Members Empowerment Committee (WMEC)
also conducted the first ever placement
programme specifically designed for women
members only.
8 THE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT DECEMBER 2022
ICAI National Call Sahayata Beta Version
In order to provide prompt services to the
expanding base of members and students, the
ICAI is in the process of development of a
National Call Sahayata service. A beta version
of this was launched on November 21, 2022 in
the august presence of Shri Devendra
Fadnavis, Dy. Chief Minister, Maharashtra
during the WCOA 2022. The National Call
Sahayata shall act as one point of contact for
the members and students of the
Institute.
Conclusion
Hosting the 21st World Congress of
Accountants was an unforgettable experience
for Team ICAI. I would like to express my
heartfelt thanks on behalf of ICAI to the
International Federation of Accountants
(IFAC) for having given us the opportunity to
organise this Olympics of the Accountancy
Profession.
Many of you must have noted that in the new
video of ICAI’s Motto song released during
the World Congress, the flight of Garuda the
Eagle is not restricted to India. At the Institute,
we shall do everything possible to further
enhance our international footprints
consequent to the successful hosting of the
Congress.
Wishing all of you the very best in your
professional pursuits.
CA. (Dr.) Debashis Mitra
President, ICAI
Kolkata, 26th November, 2022
www.icai.org