A man with astute intellect, quick understanding and sharp vision, CA. Atul Kumar Gupta has been elected as President of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India for the term 2020-21 on 12th February 2020. Having served the profession for about two decades, he joined the Central Council of ICAI in 2013 wherein he is currently serving for third consecutive term, i.e. 2013-16, 2016-19 and 2019-22. He got elected as Vice-President in February, 2019 for the term 2019-2020.

Widely respected for his strong organisational skills and deep insight in the affairs of profession, CA. Atul Gupta has immensely contributed to the cause of profession during his term in Central Council, and earlier as Regional Council member and Chairman of the Northern India Regional Council. With his commitment, dedication and service to the profession, he endeavours to take the profession to newer zeniths, and also come up to the expectations of stakeholders consequently.

A commerce and a law graduate by education, CA. Atul Gupta has imbibed a unique perspective to view and critically address the matters. He has led the cause of profession through various committees of the Institute, serving as Chairman of Digital Accounting and Assurance Board, Board of Studies, IT Committee and Indirect Taxes Committee, among others.

CA. Atul Gupta is known and appreciated widely for his key contribution as facilitator of the Goods and Service Tax regime, particularly in its formative years. Under his stewardship at Board of Studies, the New Scheme of Education and Training that was benchmarked with the revised International Education Standards, was launched in 2017, with thorough revision of the content of the study materials of Intermediate and Final level courses.

He, earlier, has been the Chairman of SAFA Committee on Education, Training & CPD and Director of XBRL India and ICAI-Accounting Research Foundation (ARF) in the past.

Through ICAI-ARF, he is credited for the promotion of the agenda of research in profession. After anchoring the ICAI-ARF team in the project of preparation of accrual-based financial statements of the North-Western Zonal Railways for the year 2014-15, CA. Gupta has mentored the team in the project of preparation of accrual-based financial statements of the Indian Railways for the years 2015-16 and 2016-17. Under his Chairmanship in the year 2010-11, the Northern India Regional Council of the Institute got the Best Regional Council award.

As President of the Institute, CA. Gupta is now Chairman of all Standing Committees including Executive, Finance and Examination Committees, besides being the ex-officio member of all Non-Standing Committees and Editor of ICAI Journal, The Chartered Accountant. He is Chairman of the ICAI Research wing ICAI – Accounting Research Foundation and Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) India. He is also Director of the Governing Board of Indian Institute of Insolvency Professionals of ICAI and ICAI Registered Valuers Organisation.

CA. Atul Gupta is member of very important committees constituted by the government and regulators relating to policy formation that include Government Accounting Standards Advisory Board (GASAB) and Audit Advisory Board- both constituted by the C&AG of India, Committee to Advise on Valuation Matters, Committee of Experts to examine the need for institutional framework for regulation and development of Valuation Professionals of MCA, Board Member, Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority (IRDA), Insurance Advisory Committee and Apex Committee of IRDA, and Member of SEBI’s Primary Market Advisory Committee.

On International front, he is Board member of South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) and representing ICAI in International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC).

With his deep insight of the affairs of profession, CA. Gupta has always kept the profession on high priority at national and international levels. He has addressed numerous technical meetings and seminars/ conferences and represented the Institute and its professional initiative in the past, including those at Association of Corporate Treasurer, Chartered Institute of Taxation and Financial Reporting Council, ICAEW, Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountancy, UK and American Accounting Association.

A man with clear vision and deep understanding of the subject and respected for his down-to-earth approach to the issues at hand among his professional colleagues. CA. Gupta has a surpassing ability to deal with most challenging situations. Having an exceptional ability to bring out a range of alternative solutions on the table in any given situation, he has to his credit successful closures of many difficult tasks in a time-bound manner. With straightforward approach to profession, he has always been concerned about the quality of services and expectations of his professional colleagues and their aspirations. Profusely interested in the brand Indian CA and ICAI, he has always volunteered to act as a bridge between the stakeholders and the Institute.

He symbolises the transformational perspective which is going to be crucial for relevance of all economic entities and more particularly regulators, so that the transformation addresses the expectation gap while being focal to upholding transparency, probity and trust as the guiding virtues for the work programme of ICAI in times to come. Being the ardent reformer; he has a holistic grasp on the imperative of digital transformation, the developments taking nationally and globally in regard to accountancy profession and through his experience in public life all over two decades; he intends to metamorphize the overall regulatory perspective as laid under the enabling Act and Regulation governing the Chartered Accountancy profession.

Being thoroughly conversant with the professional concerns and demands of his times, CA. Gupta has authored many relevant books and has published numerous articles in leading newspapers, magazines and professional newsletters, and delivered lectures in about 1500 seminars and conferences.

A supporter of putting Indian accountancy profession on global map, CA. Gupta has also passionately represented the profession on various International forums through a number of meetings and conferences and making impeccable thereat.

Source: ICAI

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