The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has hosted a summit to discuss how commerce and accountancy learning can be recalibrated towards future leadership roles.

The Global Education Summit in Commerce and Accountancy (GES-CA) 2026 in New Delhi was held under the theme of Rising Together – Transforming Commerce Learning into Leadership.

The two-day summit was organised through the ICAI’s Board of Studies (Academic).

The discussions revolved around the role of sustained collaboration between the ICAI, universities and colleges to drive “meaningful transformation and societal impact”.

The event included participation from commerce and accountancy professionals, faculty, industry representatives, institutional heads, policymakers and vice-chancellors from across India.

According to the ICAI, deliberations centred on ways to improve the employability of commerce graduates through targeted upskilling measures.

Over the two days, sessions covered issues including the implications of AI and automation for the next generation of accounting professionals, emerging developments in trade and tariffs, and evolving practices in financial statement transparency.

The programme also examined entrepreneurship in the 21st century, work–life balance, and the role of sustainability and ethical decision-making in business and finance.

A panel discussion assessed the effects of globalisation on education, while separate sessions on tax transparency underscored the need for a clear strategic approach and practical action in a changing economic landscape.

ICAI president Charanjot Singh Nanda attended the summit, which included participation from 20 vice-chancellors of different universities and 160 representatives from leading universities and autonomous colleges across the country.

During GES-CA 2026, the ICAI signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with 15 universities and colleges.

The signatories included the National Law University Delhi; the Central University of Himachal Pradesh; Chandigarh University; Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra; and D. Y. Patil Education Society Deemed to be University, Kolhapur, among others.

In a move aimed at narrowing the gap between academic content and professional expectations, the ICAI introduced the ICAI Model Curriculum for Commerce and Accountancy Education.

Marking the launch, ICAI president Charanjot Singh Nanda underlined that strengthening commerce education is critical to shaping future national leadership.

He highlighted the importance of introducing commerce education from the secondary level to build early financial literacy, business skills and ethical awareness, and called for a shift away from rote learning towards curricula that are more closely aligned with industry needs and practical professional realities.