GUNTUR: HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh hailed the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) as the world’s largest accounting powerhouse and a backbone of India’s intellectual strength.
Addressing ‘Spoorthi,’ a Mega CA Students’ Conference organised by the ICAI Guntur Chapter, he praised ICAI as a global leader in forensic accounting and professional standards. He said the institute, with over 4.07 lakh members and 54 international chapters, stands for trust, ethics, and excellence.
Lokesh emphasised the pivotal role of CAs in realising India’s vision of becoming a $30 trillion economy by 2047, with Andhra Pradesh targeting a $2.4 trillion contribution. He stated that CAs are not just number crunchers but key drivers of economic growth, investment, and employment generation.
Highlighting Guntur as a ‘CA factory,’ he noted that the city produces more Chartered Accountants than doctors or engineers, with over 10,000 students currently pursuing the course. He described the CA qualification as ‘a commitment, not just a course’, and likened the profession’s rigour to the crafting of diamonds. Lokesh said South Asia’s first quantum computer would be launched in Amaravati this January, positioning AP at the forefront of a digital revolution. “We will compete for investments, not political conflicts,” he said, outlining the government’s vision of decentralised development through sector-specific hubs in cities like Kurnool, Kadapa, and Visakhapatnam.
Citing inspiration from Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Lokesh reiterated his commitment to making AP a leader in education, manufacturing, IT, and energy. He urged the youth to participate in politics and public service and underlined the importance of women’s empowerment for societal progress. “You are not just validating balance sheets, you are building the fiscal spine of AP,” he concluded.