President Speech

Respected Past Presidents, my dear Immediate Past President Mr Niraj Harodia, members of the Executive Committee, distinguished members of ACAE, ladies and gentlemen,

There is Radhashtami, a day associated with devotion and togetherness. Perhaps it is a happy coincidence that I begin this new journey with ACAE on such a day.

Standing before you this evening and accepting the responsibility of President of ACAE is, for me, a moment of gratitude, reflection and commitment.

Before I speak ahead, I must acknowledge the year that has just concluded. Nirajji, you have led ACAE through an excellent and memorable year. The energy and visibility you brought to the Association and the quality of programmes under your leadership have set a high benchmark. On behalf of all of us, and personally from me, thank you and congratulations.

As I take over today, I am conscious that what is being handed over is much more than an office. While preparing for this evening, I went through our Memorandum and the list of Founder Members and Past Presidents beginning in 1960-61. It reminded me of something important:

None of us really owns an institution such as ACAE. We receive it in trust from those who came before us, serve it for a brief period, add whatever little we can, and then hand it over to those who come after us.

Today, therefore, I see myself as one more custodian in a continuing journey of more than six decades.

There was a time when I seriously wondered whether I should accept this responsibility. Perhaps it was precisely because I value ACAE that I kept asking myself:

What can I genuinely contribute to ACAE?

I believe accepting an office should not merely mean occupying a position. It should mean bringing to it some ideas, some purpose and, hopefully, some lasting value.

I am grateful particularly to our Past Presidents Mr. Sanjay Bhattacharya and Mr. Jinesh Vanzara for reposing confidence in me. I must also mention my friends Mr. R. R. Modi and Mr. Subhash Saraf for encouraging me when I was still unsure whether I will be able to do justice to the chair. And now that the decision has been made, one of my favourite songs expresses my state of mind better than I can:

“Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya...”

So today, I accept this responsibility wholeheartedly and look forward to enjoying the journey with all of you.

The direction I envisage

Members may naturally ask what direction I envisage for 2026-27. I have had only a short time to formulate a detailed calendar, and I wish it to evolve with my Executive Committee and with all of you. But I can certainly indicate the direction.

Members may naturally ask what direction I envisage for 2026-27. I have had only a short time to formulate a detailed calendar, and I wish it to evolve with my Executive Committee and with all of you. But I can certainly indicate the direction.

First - solving members' day-to-day issues

All of us face practical difficulties with income tax, GST, corporate and other regulatory compliances and technology-driven systems. Very often, the difficulty is not with the law itself, but with its implementation.

I would like ACAE to provide a platform where recurring problems can be identified collectively and, wherever possible, taken up through constructive interaction with regulators and authorities. Let us not merely discuss what the law says; let us also ask what difficulty the professional, businessmen and industrialists are actually facing and whether ACAE can help find a practical solution. If we resolve even a few genuine day-to-day problems, we will have rendered a meaningful service to our members.

Second - knowledge beyond the seminar hall

I have always had a particular attachment to academics and writing. A good lecture is valuable, but much of what is discussed can disappear when the evening ends. I would therefore like to strengthen our journal, publications and knowledge resources.

Important discussions should, wherever possible, translate into articles, short papers, FAQs and practical guidance. Over time, we should aspire to create an ACAE Knowledge Repository which members can refer to long after a programme is over.

Not merely information for today, but knowledge for tomorrow.

Third - awareness of women's rights

There is another area particularly close to my heart. Despite tremendous progress, many women remain inadequately aware of their legal, financial and property rights. Questions of inheritance, family property and financial independence often arise only when a crisis has already occurred.

As professionals, we can help bridge this gap. I would like ACAE to organise programmes on awareness and empowerment, particularly concerning the legal and financial rights of women, and wherever feasible take this knowledge beyond our membership.

Sometimes the most useful professional service we can render is to ensure that a woman knows her rights before she needs to fight for them.

Fourth - technology must include, not exclude

We speak constantly about artificial intelligence and digitisation. For younger professionals, technology often comes naturally; for many senior members and senior citizens, the pace of change can be intimidating.

I would like ACAE to conduct simple, hands-on programmes on technology adoption - how AI can assist a professional, how digital tools can simplify work, and how technology can be used safely. Our senior professionals should become more comfortable, not more dependent, in a digital environment.

Technology should empower experience - not make experience feel obsolete.

Fifth - engagement before expansion

Every organisation naturally wants to grow, and good professionals who wish to join the ACAE family will always be welcome. But increasing membership merely for the sake of numbers will not be my principal objective.

My first concern is whether we are giving enough value to those already with us. Are we addressing their problems? Are we providing relevant knowledge and opportunities to participate? Are we creating fellowship strong enough for them to feel connected with ACAE?

For me, an engaged member is more valuable than merely an additional name on the membership roll.

My emphasis will therefore be on engagement before expansion. If existing members find genuine value in ACAE, growth will follow naturally.

Fellowship beyond the meeting room

ACAE is not merely an academic institution; it is also a fellowship. Some of our strongest relationships are built during journeys, conversations and shared experiences. I would like us to explore residential refresher courses and group journeys where professional learning can be combined with fellowship and culture.

Younger members and participation

I particularly want younger members to feel that ACAE belongs to them. Those of us who have spent decades in our professions have experience to share; younger professionals, in turn, can give us new perspectives. Mentoring should not be a one-way street. I would like younger members to be speakers, moderators, writers and contributors - not merely members of the audience. No President can achieve all this alone. I do not see the President as someone who must personally organise every programme, but as someone who should help provide direction, ideas and institutional continuity.

I therefore seek from you participation rather than merely attendance.

Bring us your problems and ideas. Tell us which regulator you would like to interact with. Write for our publications. Help a senior member become comfortable with technology. Suggest how we can spread awareness of women's rights. I would be happiest if some of the best initiatives of the year turn out to be ideas that did not originate with me.

Knowledge must ultimately lead to service

There is one final dimension particularly close to my heart - service. Professional knowledge carries with it a social responsibility. Whatever knowledge, experience or position life gives us acquires greater meaning when some part of it is used for others. That reminds me of another favourite song:

“Kisi ki muskurahaton pe ho nisar...”

If some part of what we know can make somebody else's life a little easier, perhaps that too is a measure of our success.

How should our year be measured?

One year is a very short period in the life of an institution that has travelled for more than six decades. I therefore do not intend to measure this tenure merely by the number of programmes we organise, but by their quality, relevance and impact. At the end of the year, I would rather ask: Did we solve some genuine problems of our members? Did we create knowledge that remained? Did we help women become more aware of their rights? Did we help senior members become more comfortable with technology? Did existing members receive greater value? Did we involve younger members more meaningfully? Did we strengthen fellowship? And did we leave ACAE a little stronger than we found it? If the answer is yes, I would consider my tenure worthwhile. When I looked at that long list of Past Presidents in our Memorandum, one final thought occurred to me:

Someday, my name too will simply become one more name on that list.

What will matter then will not be that I was President of ACAE. What will matter is whether, during the brief period for which this institution was entrusted to me, I was able to add something worthwhile to it.

I would also like to acknowledge Ms. Niti Dasgupta and the entire staff of ACAE. Presidents and Executive Committees change, but the people behind the scenes provide continuity to an institution. I look forward to their support and cooperation.

I seek the guidance of our Past Presidents, the support of Niraj ji, the cooperation of my colleagues in the Executive Committee, the assistance of Niti and the ACAE team and, most importantly, the goodwill and participation of every member.

Let our journey during 2026-27 be built around three simple words:

KNOWLEDGE. FELLOWSHIP. SERVICE.
Respecting the past.
Responding to the present.
Preparing for the future.

Thank you for the confidence you have placed in me. I look forward to this journey with all of you.
Thank you.