ICAI to support India's LLM with financial data
What's the story
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has announced its intention to support the national AI mission. The move comes as India prepares to launch its own Large Language Model (LLM) by February next year. The ICAI will provide economic and financial data support to companies working on this model, without violating the Digital Personal Data Protection Act.
Data sharing
ICAI in touch with 10 companies
ICAI has revealed that it is in touch with 10 companies developing India's own LLM. The institute said during a presentation on 'Future of Audit - Leveraging AI to Empower Future Auditors' at a two-day media event, "We are connecting with them by way of data support." The ICAI clarified that only publicly disclosed data of listed entities will be shared for this purpose.
Educational reforms
Students passing CA from 2027 onward will be AI competent
In light of the increasing importance of AI in the profession, ICAI has announced that all students passing the Chartered Accountancy final examination from 2027 onward will be "AI competent." The institute is also considering including AI in its syllabus for future revisions. Currently, around 25,000-30,000 new chartered accountants join the profession every year.
Curriculum changes
Major changes to curriculum and examination structure
ICAI has announced major changes to its curriculum and examination structure. The foundation level will continue with four papers, but the intermediate and final levels will now have six papers each instead of eight. Four subjects have been shifted to Self-Paced Online Modules. The articleship period has been reduced from three years to two, followed by a six-month preparation window before the final exam.
Global outreach
Global curriculum for international compliance and regulatory frameworks
ICAI is working on a global curriculum to help Indian students understand international compliance and regulatory frameworks. Mauritius and Ethiopia have been chosen for the first phase of syllabus mapping, with more countries to follow. The institute is also working with law enforcement agencies to detect and prevent financial fraud, estimated at around ₹28,000-30,000 crore annually.