• Sessions underscored regulatory excellence, digital leadership, ESG-driven growth and the evolving role of chartered accountants in building trusted institutions and supporting the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047
• Hosts 2nd ICAI Awards in category of Financial Reporting & Accounting Reforms in Local Bodies

The second day of the World Forum of Accountants (WOFA) 2.0 commenced with a high-impact session titled "Bullish on Bharat: Powering the Capital Market Revolution", setting the tone for an engaging day of deliberations on capital markets, digital transformation, sustainable growth and regulatory excellence.

The session featured eminent experts of panel comprising of CA. Navneet Munoot, MD & CEO, HDFC AMC; CA. Anil Singhvi, Managing Editor, Zee Business; Dr. Vijay Kedia, renowned investor and CA. Biharilal Deora, Director, Abakkus Asset Manager. The panel shared valuable insights on India's evolving capital market landscape, long-term wealth creation, strengthening investor confidence, governance-driven growth and the growing role of informed financial stewardship in strengthening market resilience.

Followed by a keynote address by Mr. Ashish Chauhan, Managing Director, National Stock Exchange. He said, "In today's market-driven world, trust is the backbone of economic growth and plays a crucial role in building trust market. For India to grow and sustain its economic momentum, Chartered Accountants will continue to play a vital role in driving the industrial revolution. With 12.5 crore investors and counting, India's markets rely on their expertise. ICAI's WOFA provides a global platform to showcase how the Chartered Accountancy profession strengthens markets and enables investment and entrepreneurship, empowering India's entrepreneurs to thrive globally."

Later, an insightful session on Viksit Bharat 2047 was delivered by Dr. Krishna Gopal, Sah Sarkaryawah, RSS, who inspired participants with his vision for a developed India driven by ethical leadership and strong institutional foundations.

Continuing the momentum, a special session on "Decade of Transformation: The Indian Digital Leadership" was delivered by Shri Sridhar Vembu, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist, Zoho. He shared insights on India's digital journey, innovation-led growth, indigenous technology development and the need for long-term thinking, simplicity and self-reliance in building globally competitive digital solutions.

Following this, President, ICAI, CA. Charanjot Singh Nanda, and Vice President, ICAI, CA. Prasanna Kumar D, formally welcomed Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, Comptroller and Auditor General of India. In his keynote address on "Reimagining Public Accountability for the 21st Century", he said, "Public accountability begins with strong and mature internal control systems that go beyond procedural compliance to proactive, risk-based governance. In an era of complex and digital public administration, such controls are the first line of defence in safeguarding public resources, ensuring transparency and improving efficiency. CAG of India is strengthening public accountability through data-driven audits, beneficiary-level analysis, sustainability reporting, and the responsible use of analytics, geospatial tools, and AI under defined governance safeguards. Dedicated centres for data management & analytics, financial audit excellence, and continuous capacity building of audit resources, support this transformation across all tiers of government."

Post lunch, the session started with the address by Shri Anand Mohan Bajaj, Deputy C&AG on Technology as a Catalyst for Sustainable Growth and Governance. In his address, he emphasized the role of Technology as a Catalyst for Sustainable Growth and Governance. He said "The evolving digital landscape demands that Chartered Accountants adopt data-driven and technology-led audit practices. WOFA, alongside ICAI, is instrumental in building a profession that upholds accountability, transparency and trust in public systems. He further emphasized that by 2030, India's digital economy would contribute more than 20% of the national income, powered by innovations in AI, cloud computing, and a strong digital infrastructure".

The event progressed to the theme Nation First: Regulatory Excellence for Transparent and Trusted Future with expert speakers- Shri Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Chairman, SEBI, Shri Nitin Gupta, Chairperson, NFRA & Shri Ravi Mital, Chairperson, IBBI.

Shri Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Chairman, SEBI, said "Chartered Accountants play a critical role in anchoring trust in India's financial ecosystem. As capital markets expand in scale and complexity, professional judgment, ethical conduct and independent thinking will be central to ensuring transparency, fairness and long-term market credibility."

Shri Nitin Gupta, Chairperson, NFRA also added "Robust financial reporting and audit quality are critical for India's economic aspirations. ICAI's WOFA provides a global forum for dialogue among professionals and regulators to reinforce trust, accountability and confidence in financial systems."

Shri Ravi Mital, Chairperson, IBBI stated "ICAI plays a pivotal role in strengthening corporate governance through independent, competent and empowered audits. Through platforms like WOFA, the Chartered Accountancy profession can further enhance audit independence, board effectiveness and stakeholder trust".

Subsequently, a special session on "Future-Ready Banking for a High-Growth Economy" was conducted by CA. S. Ravi, Former Chairman, BSE, and CA. Atul Kumar Goel, Chief Executive, Indian Banks' Association (IBA). The speakers discussed the evolving role of banks in supporting economic growth, digital banking, risk management, financial inclusion and credit expansion.

The session "Aligning Banking with the Mission of a Developing India" led by CA. Sunil Kumar Gupta, further elaborated on aligning financial systems with national development goals, strengthening credit frameworks and supporting MSMEs and infrastructure growth.

The segment "Inspiring Young Minds: Confidence, Courage and the Power of Belief" witnessed engaging presentations on Real Estate Growth with Financing: Opportunities in Global Markets by Mr. Saurav Jain, Founder & Managing Director, BNW Mortgages, and The Pinnacle of Success: A CA Perspective by CA. Yadhu Mittal, Senior Vice President - Strategy & Compliance, BNW Developments, inspiring young professionals to think globally and act strategically.

The gathering was further enriched by special addresses from renowned actor Mr. Gulshan Grover, who shared his journey through the topic Commerce Education to Stardom, and celebrated actor-singer Mr. Ammy Virk, who offered glimpses by the session -The Journey of My Life emphasising perseverance, discipline and self-belief.

A special talk show titled "Inspiring Excellence: The Essence of the ICAI Motto (Ya Aeshu Suptaeshu Jagruti)" was organised, featuring Mr. Anup Soni, Actor & Anchor, and Mr. Atul Satya Koushik, Theatre Director. The session reflected on the timeless relevance of ICAI's motto as a guiding light for professional integrity, vigilance and excellence.

The impactful day concluded with the presentation of prestigious second edition of the ICAI Awards under two categories - Excellence in Financial Reporting 2024-25 and Promotion of Accounting Reforms in Local Bodies 2025-26. The awards recognise and honour outstanding contributions of chartered accountants and institutions towards strengthening India’s financial ecosystem. The Award was presented by CA. Satish Golchha, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Delhi, the Chief Guest of the ceremony. He presented the awards and lauded the profession’s role in upholding transparency, accountability and public trust stating, "Integrity and accountability are vital for public confidence. ICAI’s WOFA brings professionals together to strengthen collaboration and reinforce public trust."

The day concluded with a vibrant cultural evening, infusing the occasion with warmth and celebratory spirit.

About ICAI

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is a statutory body set up by an Act of Parliament under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 for the regulation and development of the profession of Chartered Accountancy in India. The Institute functions under the administrative supervision of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. With around 9.85 lakh students and over 4 lakh members, today ICAI is the largest professional accountancy body in the world. ICAI has a wide network of 5 Regional Councils and 177 Branches within India and a global presence with 52 Overseas Chapters and 29 Representative Offices spanning 81 cities across 47 Countries worldwide.