Kolkata: The Association of Corporate Advisers & Executives (ACAE) hosted its Annual Conference 2025 under the theme ‘RISE.’ This event marked a significant milestone in promoting excellence, progress, and prosperity within the corporate advisory and executive community, taking place at the Taj Bengal, Kolkata. The conference gathered a distinguished assembly of thought leaders, professionals, business executives, policymakers, and academicians to discuss India’s path toward 2030 and the evolving roles of governance, technology, and ethics.
The Annual Conference organized by the Association of Corporate Advisers & Executives (ACAE) was inaugurated by Justice A.K. Patnaik, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and was attended by: Adv. (CA) Tarun Kr. Gupta, President of ACAE; CA. Pramod Dayal Rungta, Chairman of ACAE; CA. Shivani Agarwala, General Secretary of ACAE; CA. (Dr.) Debashis Mitra, Past President of ICAI; CS. Mamta Binani, Past President of ICSI & many other eminent personalities.
Speaking to the media, Adv. (CA) Tarun Kr. Gupta, President of ACAE, said, “The Annual Conference 2025 is a reflection of ACAE’s unwavering commitment to empowering professionals with knowledge, ethics, and foresight. With ‘RISE’ as our guiding theme for the conference, we seek to inspire the community to embrace innovation, strengthen governance, and build capabilities that will shape India’s journey towards 2030.”
The conference unfolded through a series of power-packed sessions. The session on India at 2030: Emerging Sectors highlighted opportunities in Defense & Space Tech, Clean & Renewable Energy, and Healthcare, with eminent speakers Raj Sethia, Adrit Palchoudhury, and CA. R. Venkatesh sharing their perspectives on how these sectors can shape India’s global leadership, moderated by Shailesh Saraf.
The theme of Building Trust through Ethics & Governance was explored through discussions on the role of independent directors, compliance officers, and auditors in driving corporate accountability, with valuable insights from CA P R Ramesh, CS Savithri Parekh, and CA Pinaki Choudhury, moderated by CA Ashok Barat. Technology’s disruptive potential took center stage in Emerging Technologies in AI, where experts like CA Anand P Jangid, K P Narayanan, and CA Umang Palan discussed triple-entry accounting, connected banking, and the leap from generative to agentic AI, moderated by CA Sanjib Sanghi.
Another highlight was the session on Emerging Opportunities for Professionals, where CA Prashanth K L, CA Vikash Sharda, and CA Deepak Gupta examined themes such as creating Indian Big 4 firms, BRSR, and the rise of Global Capability Centers (GCCs), moderated by CA Ravi Patwa.
The conference culminated in an inspiration session by noted author and speaker Dr. Anand Ranganathan, who spoke on “The Courage to Disagree: Rising above Conformity in the Age of Consensus.” His thought-provoking words left the audience inspired to embrace bold ideas, independent thought, and fearless leadership. Over 500 delegates participated in the conference, which blended rich insights with the spirit of ACAE’s 65-year journey as a temple of knowledge. The Annual Conference 2025 not only reflected on India’s aspirations for 2030 but also reaffirmed ACAE’s commitment to RISE – Research, Industry Connect, Skilling, and creating an Edge, as guiding principles for the future. With a strong membership base of over 1,650 professionals, ACAE continues to be a trusted advisor, a platform for learning, and a beacon of collective wisdom as it carries forward its legacy into the future.
