“WE CARE”- An Initiative of ICAI for Senior Chartered Accountants

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) since its very inception has always provided thought leadership to the generations in a proactive and progressive manner. ICAI has been playing a key role nationally, regionally and globally not only towards the growth of the profession, but also has been contributing to the business, industry and commerce across all sectors. 

The reason behind the milestones achieved by ICAI is its hard-work, dedication and commitment of the CA fraternity & senior visionaries who have been guiding the accountancy profession with their selfless dedication, relentless commitment and rich values. 

In these unprecedented times of COVID-19 outbreak, the ICAI has initiated number of steps to ensure that the accountancy profession in India is not only having inclusive growth but also to ensure that its members & students are kept updated on various professional matters of contemporary relevance. With our efforts, we are able to reach and connect with the different segments of our membership be it in practice, industry, public service, entrepreneurship or women.  

In order to acknowledge the contribution of senior members to the Profession, ICAI has recently launched an initiative “We Care – A Unique Social Security Scheme and Benevolence Program for Senior CAs”, a unique social security and benevolence program for Senior CA members of age 75 years and above. This initiative would provide support to this valuable segment of ICAI  fraternity which endeavours for providing respect, continuous engagement, care and support of the Profession by creating a sense of belongingness. The initiative was launched by Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs & Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises through virtual mode in the presence of President, Vice-President & Central Council Members of ICAI.  

Hon’ble Minister Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal while applauding the efforts being made by ICAI said “Such initiatives are need of the hour as care for elderly has been the pillar of Indian Heritage and our value system. It is heartening to learn that ICAI is taking concrete steps for expressing gratitude towards its elderly members & showing concern for their well-being & extending support to them as & when required.” The Minister further added “This initiative undertaken by ICAI is laudable and will set an example for many other organizations to emulate. This will also instill Indian traditional values in the younger generation & inculcate the sentiments of appreciating, respecting & caring for elders.” 

 “We Care” initiative aims to take stock of the wellbeing, health, financial condition and any other issue being faced by the senior Members. 

On this occasion, CA. Atul Kumar Gupta, President, ICAI said “The Institute assiduously aspires to attain the Absolute Best for all its members and is diligently dedicated to their constant improvement and growth. ICAI stands tall as a facilitator and crusader of affirmative action and thereby letting consequent growth and development flow.” 

President, ICAI further added “The Institute, over the years, has garnered paramount respect for meeting business environment changes with decisive action and discerning reaction. This has been  possible with the wealth of experience of senior members, their  strategic thinking for the betterment of profession & constant support.” 

The initiative “We Care” would work for senior members by: 

• Building a technology based holistic support ecosystem  
• Dedicated helpdesk for 24x7 assistance 
• Need based Financial & other assistance for medical treatment & other issues 

This initiative of the Institute is a humble attempt to put forward its gratitude towards the senior visionaries of the accountancy profession. ICAI would leave no stone unturned to respect, engage, care and support the senior CA members to live their life with dignity, independence & comfort. 

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TiE Mumbai continues to nurture the entrepreneurship ecosystem

 

Mumbai, 20 October 2020: The coronavirus has proven to be the ultimate disruptor, stronger than any technology in the global economy. While we are adopting various ways and means to make businesses resilient, the pandemic presents a true test of our ability to find ways to survive and thrive in the face of adversity. 

“Through real life examples, case studies, experience sharing, masterclasses and development programs, TiE Mumbai is continuously striving to mentor Startups and drive business recovery from the impacts of COVID.” said Naveen Raju, Executive Director, TiE Mumbai. 

Some of the online sessions organized in the past month by TiE Mumbai were –

Chat with the Masters of Aggregation Food & Hospitality Industry- This session focused on tips on Scaling Up and Turnaround Strategies from Industry experts who were instrumental in creating noteworthy brands like Lemon tree Hotels and Uber in India. They spoke on how to build sustainable long-lasting brands, focused on Green shoots in co living space & hospitality & tourism industry, ways to scale up and what the future of the cloud kitchen industry may look like.

FireSide Chat between Karan Bhagat and Dhanpal Jhaveri

Venture Investing Masterclass with Sanjay Mehta- Running a business is very different from investing in one. So how do you make money from investing in early-stage startups? What sets successful startup investors apart? Should you pick your own investments, or rely on an angel network? This course helped the participants to learn to source quality deal flow, ask the right questions before making an investment, support portfolio companies through the lifecycle, and enable highly profitable liquidity events. In addition to the critical pre-investment topics of deal flow, due diligence and negotiation, this course covered post-investment topics including governance, fundraising and exit, as well as hands-on practice in evaluating opportunities. This was a professional development program aimed at helping one take the next step in their venture capital career.

Entrepreneurship through the eyes of Tanmay Bhat- Tanmay Bhat is an ace comedian and entrepreneur. This exclusive session detailed the Life and experiences of a creator, positioning & pitching oneself, starting Up again - Zero to 2 million on Youtube, how should brands create content and collaborate with creators?, Power of Community, performing artist in the tech enabled startup world and money & finance.

Rizwan Koita in conversation with Ganesh Natarajan- Rizwan Koita is the Co-founder & CEO, CitiusTech and he spoke on How to build, manage and succeed in multiple businesses, how to truly dominate in a business domain and gave valuable Insights for entrepreneurs on knowing the right time to sell your       stakes. 

Discover your untapped potential; Reinforce your leadership style with Resolving Problems through Sensitivity in Startups with Ragini Rao – Ragini is a Psychotherapist & Trainer- Training & Supervising Transactional Analyst. This program took the participants through a journey of introspection to evaluate where one stand vis-a-vis key personality traits seen in successful entrepreneurs; and what one would like to develop as their own unique style, to be successful. The program used the framework of Dr. Eric Berne's world-renowned theory of Transactional Analysis, taking the participants through some core concepts which helps understand one’s own personality. 

One on One Mentoring Session on Financial Growth Hacking – this session covered topics like Revenue Optimization, Business Model Review, Financial Management & Cash Flows, Scaling-Up & Growth, Partnership & Alliances, Organization Building - People & Process and Funding & Capital Management.

Emerging Opportunities for SMB's from IT & ITES- With the emergence of digital technologies, the IT&ITES industry has seen disruption in recent times. The industry is at the cusp of transition, with many companies creating enabling environments to harness productivity. Business leaders are looking at technological solutions and cranking up their innovation game to move ahead in a post-COVID 19 economy. This session explored how the IT & ITES industry can make use of innovative technologies to ensure continued business growth.

Mihir Dalal's Big Billion startup: The untold Flipkart story to be adapted to a webseries soon!

Prabhleen Kaur, of Almighty Motion Picture, has bought the rights of Mihir Dalal's best seller 'Big Billion Startup: The Untold Flipkart Story' for adapting into a web series.


Mihir Dalal, author of Big Billion Startup: The Untold Flipkart Story says, "The Flipkart story with all its fascinating personalities and historic importance in India's startup world is tailor made for the visual medium. I'm thrilled that Almighty Motion Picture, an acclaimed production house, has bought the movie rights to Big Billion Startup."

Anish Chandy, Founder of Labyrinth Literary Agency, "We sold the rights to Almighty Motion Picture to adapt the Flipkart book because of their creative pedigree and speed of execution. They will ensure that this story will reach millions of viewers."

Expressing the excitement Producer Prabhleen Kaur says, "I am very excited to pick Mihir Dalal's 'Big Billion startup - The untold Flipkart Story'. I think Indian audiences world over are ready & more interested in such stories now than ever. When Anish Chandy pitched the book, after reading 1 page I knew it's a game changer. I was reading the book on the flight, when I landed I had to complete the book so I sat in the lounge and completed reading it. It is such an intriguing content."



On work front Almighty Motion Picture have also begun preliminary pre production and casting for Vanit Nalwa's "Hari Singh Nalwa" and Ashwini Bhatnagar's “Mahajabeen as Meena Kumari".

Royal Enfield Twins FT wins at Daytona I of the American Flat Track (AFT) championship

 

 

~ Rider Johnny Lewis set up the first competitive victory for Royal Enfield in its modern history

 

~ Team Moto Anatomy X Royal Enfield finishes at second place at the AFT finale at Daytona

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (USA) October 19, 2020 — On a humid night in Daytona, Florida, USA,  Johnny Lewis made history for Royal Enfield by capturing the checkered flag in the ‘Production Twins’ class during the American Flat Track (AFT) Finale at Daytona I. Lewis led from start to finish on the Twins FT to give Royal Enfield its first ever win in the series. The win also marks the first racing competition win in Royal Enfield's modern history.

 

The team arrived in Daytona in high spirits, and despite having issues in the first Friday practice, Lewis showed resilience by winning his Semifinals, giving him grid choice. Lewis made a strong initial start to the race, fending off the rest of the field. The Main was then red flagged due to a downed rider and the grid was reset. During the second restart, Lewis rode the inside line aggressively, taking the holeshot and distancing himself from the field to confidently take the checkered flag.

On Saturday, Johnny once again put in a great performance, highlighting how well his knowledge of this track was able to help him set up the chassis. He breezed to an easy 1st place in qualifying before rain came in and delayed the event for a few hours. In order to regain time and prep the track, the Semi-final races were canceled, with racing commencing after the wet layer was scraped off the track.  This race was again red flagged at the first lap, and at the re-start, Johnny slotted into second place and held it for the rest of the race, never really being challenged. 

"My confidence was high going into this weekend," said Johnny Lewis, rider and Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield team owner. "I left Charlotte to practice at my home track and work on the chassis setup since it's a similar track to Daytona. Everyone has worked extremely hard to get to this point. One of my mechanics, Ben Groh, has been with me every day since August 1. I'm thrilled to earn this win for the teams in India, the UK and North America.”

"Just over a year ago we decided to go flat track racing in AFT," said Adrian Sellers, Head of Royal Enfield Custom Program. "The goal for our first year was to learn and work towards competitive results.  We couldn't have hoped for a better end to our first season with this weekend's 1-2 finish.  Following up on the first race's 1st place finish, grabbing 2nd in race two goes to show that the Moto Anatomy Powered by Royal Enfield team is ready to fight for podiums.  It has been a rollercoaster of a development year, and ending it on this high note gives us a great boost of confidence as we go into the off-season testing.  Taking the risk and participating in 2020 has been worth it, with priceless insights gained every weekend.  We now have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the Twins FT and will be spending the next few months dialling it in so that we are 100% ready for a full season in 2021.”

 

The weekend was a perfect end to Royal Enfield’s development season for the American Flat Track championships - showing what the team & bike are capable of.  The team will spend the months in between now and March 2021 in testing, with a focus on motor development to be prepared for the next AFT season.

The Moto Anatomy x Royal Enfield team made its debut at the Williams Grove Half-Mile in Mechanicsburg, PA with positive results. In the following round, a valve issue prevented the team from competing in the subsequent AFT races in Atlanta, GA. The team then showed promise at the following round in Charlotte, NC but racing was canceled due to rain.

While the goal of Lewis' program has been development of the Twins FT platform, the desire for positive results has driven the team from the onset of the program.