KUWAIT CITY, Dec 24: The Kuwait Chapter of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (KCICAI) organized its 3rd Annual International Conference, themed "Expand Your Horizon," with the objective to provide finance professionals a dynamic platform to broaden their knowledge, skills, and perspectives in an ever-evolving financial landscape. The conference brought together industry experts, thought leaders and practitioners to explore innovative strategies, emerging trends, and transformative technologies that are reshaping the finance sector.

The conference's tagline – CARE "Create, Adapt, Reinvent, Excel," encapsulates the core philosophy driving the event—empowering finance professionals to navigate a rapidly changing world with creativity, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous improvement. By fostering an environment of learning and upholding excellence, one can guarantee sustained growth and relevance in an ever-changing marketplace.

Distinguished speakers at the event included, Dr. U S Vishal Rao, a Scientist, and Inventor of Artificial Voice Box; Utpal Sheth, CEO at RARE Enterprises (a Rakesh Jhunjhunwala Firm) and Mohammed Qahtani, a World Champion of Public speaking who shed light on these expanding horizons and the frontiers of the future by creating opportunities where none existed, “Adapted” to challenging situations, “Reinvented” the default rulebook and inevitably “Excelled” in their respective fields

After the registration and networking, the program started with the National anthem of Kuwait, the National anthem of India, ICAI motto song, followed by the lighting of a traditional lamp. KCICAI Chairperson, CA Rabin Gonsalves, welcomed the audience officially briefing them about the event and achievements of the chapter during the past.  A video message of CA Aniket Sunil Talati, President of ICAI was played as he couldn’t attend the program personally.

Following thereafter, Vice Chairperson CA Aditya Dhanuka welcomed and introduced The Chief Guest H.E. Dr. Adarsh Swaika, the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, who in his inaugural address, appreciated the Indians, the largest expatriate community in Kuwait - working in all fields, for their dedication and hard work for the country they live and for being an important part of the development of India.

CA Sweta Chipra, the executive committee member of KCICAI, proficiently delivered the introduction of the Guest of Honor, CA Suresh Prabhu, Former Union Minister and Senior Parliamentarian, Government of India. CA Suresh Prabhu won everyone’s hearts with his humorous speech which covered many ongoing issues.  He spoke about the difficulties of passing the CA exams which is still a nightmare for him and many as it still awakens him from sleep with a fear of exams even after so many years.  He highlighted the saturation of infrastructure and the necessity of planning new ventures for the professional growth and satisfaction of themselves as well as the countries they work to face global challenges.

A souvenir was released to mark the event by Chief guest and other dignitaries. Special Dignitary Sabah Mubarak Al-Jalawi, Chairman Kuwait Accountants & Auditors Association (KAAA) was present during the event.  CA Rohit Agrawal, Secretary of the KCICAI, was privileged to introduce Adullah Marwan Al-Essa, board member of the Kuwait Accountants & Auditors Association (KAAA). Adullah spoke about the necessity of regularly updating knowledge by studying and acquiring additional certification for Chartered Accountants.

CA Venkata Ramana Badida, executive member of KCICAI, added a personal touch to the event with the introduction of CA Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, Vice President ICAI, who then gave a brief on how Indian CAs contribute to the growth of the country they work for and to the growth of the world.  He explained the growth of digitalization and easy access to data compared to the old filing system which reduced the extra work of CAs.

All the dignitaries were honored with mementos from office bearers of KCICAI.

A panel discussion on “India: At the Threshold of Greatness” was conducted between A trailblazer in the field of finance Anuj Singhal, Managing Editor, CNBC Awaaz, an investment maestro CA Sunil Singhania, CEO & Founder of Abakkus Asset Manager LLP and CA Sanjeev Agarwal, CEO & Managing Director, Middle East & India, Protiviti Member Firm.  The growth of manufacturing, India’s contribution to the world, the financial saving situation of families, taking risks in trading, alternative energies, etc., were discussed by the panel.  A question-answer session was conducted during which panel members answered the queries of the audience on these issues.

A raffle draw was conducted to keep the excitement in the audience in which Novel Wilfred Cutinha among the audience won 8 grams of gold sponsored by Malabar Gold.

As the news of the sad demise of H.H. Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait announced, the event was concluded immediately with a minute of silence and playing Quran verses on the screen.

The following events were missed for the day due to the mourning and respect to the departed soul of HH Amir. 

• Dr. U S Vishal Rao’s talk on " Possibility to Actuality - Making of a Possiblitarian". 
• Utpal Sheth’s talk on " Wealth Management Techniques from a Dalal Street Wizard".
• Mohammed Qahtani’s talk on "The Journey of a Stuttering Champion".
• Felicitation of Event Sponsors, media personnel, and Overseas ICAI Chapter members.
• Vote of thanks by CA Aditya Dhanuka, Vice Chairperson KCICAI.

The conference intended to provide a platform for professionals to exchange ideas, share best practices, and explore innovative solutions to contemporary challenges in the finance and accountancy sector. Attendees gained valuable insights into the latest industry trends, technological advancements, and regulatory changes.

Key themes explored during the conference included digital transformation, sustainable finance, ethical considerations in financial decision-making, and the role of accountants in driving organizational success. The event successfully fostered a sense of collaboration and knowledge-sharing among attendees.

KCICAI expresses gratitude to the esteemed speakers, sponsors, and participants who contributed to the success of its 3rd Annual International Conference. The institute remains committed to advancing the profession of chartered accountancy and looks forward to future endeavors that will continue to expand horizons and drive excellence in the financial industry.