Kolkata, June 22 : The two-day National Conference of CA Students, ARC 2026, concluded at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Kolkata, with a clarion call for chartered accountants to lead India’s AI-driven financial transformation. Organised by the Board of Studies , EICASA of EIRC of ICAI the conclave themed ‘ARC – Aspire Rise Captivate’ drew more than 4,000 aspiring students and professionals on 20–21 June 2026.
The Inaugural Session on 20th June was inaugurated by Shri Jagannath Chattopadhyay, Minister-in-Charge, Department of Higher Education, Govt. of West Bengal. He said,
“Chartered accountants are not merely custodians of financial records. They are guardians of transparency, accountability and trust.”
He urged students to imbibe five essential habits: Integrity, Continuous Learning, Excellence, Empathy, and Service to the Society. CA Dr. Rajesh Kumar, IPS Retd., MLA, Govt. of West Bengal, stressed cybersecurity under the DPDP Act and noted, “The best people are those who not only aspire to do things, but do not rest till they achieve their goal.”
Citing Swami Vivekananda, he added,
“Arise, awake, and stop not till the goals are reached.”
The session commenced with Ganesh Vandana, followed by addresses from CA Mayur Agrawal, Chairman, EIRC , CA Hari Ram Agarwal, Chairman EICASA and Vice Chairman EIRC, and CA Sanjib Sanghi, Council Member, BOS , ICAI.
Day 1 featured Knowledge Session I on Finance & Reporting, a Special Session with ICAI’s Board of Studies, and talks by Tejas Goenka of Tally Solutions and Abhijeet Chavda. CA Bhanwar Borana, CA Amit Mahajan, and CA Shubham Keshwani addressed mental resilience for aspirants.
Day 2 was graced by Shri Dilip Ghosh, Minister of Panchayat and Rural Development, Govt. of West Bengal, who said West Bengal will build a “favourable environment” for business and if business increases, the need for CAs will increase. He inspired youth to take up jobs in West Bengal, stating, “Together with the youth the government will surely improve job opportunities and development possibilities in West Bengal.” The day covered AI & Technology, RPA in tax, and The ARC Incubator with sharks Mano Venkatesh and Avinash Sahoo of Bonve Aero. Tehseen Poonawalla linked politics to economic policy in the closing session.
From student cultural performances to shayari by Manhar Seth, ARC 2026 balanced learning with camaraderie. The event reaffirmed that tomorrow’s CA must aspire higher, rise with technology, and captivate through leadership.