By Ritu Jha-
Over 100 people, including members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) – San Francisco Chapter, along with community leaders, gathered recently to celebrate the year-end holiday season with music, food, and camaraderie.
The event, held on December 8 at ICC in Milpitas, California, also highlighted the chapter’s ambitious goal of expanding the ICAI footprint to 50 overseas offices in the U.S. by 2025.
Sudha Michel, chair of the ICAI-SF chapter, reflected on the past year’s achievements during the celebration.
“It’s been a great year, and the Holiday Party marks the culmination of all the hard work put in by our volunteers,” she said. “It’s a time to celebrate our growth and wish everyone a prosperous start to the new year.”
Michel emphasized the significance of 2024, noting the first-ever visit by ICAI’s president since the chapter’s inception.
“Since 2017, we’ve been trying to invite the ICAI President to the U.S., and this visit was a major milestone,” she said. “We’re committed to strengthening India-U.S. relations.”
The San Francisco chapter has also seen growth in its Empower Women’s Circle (EWC), a nationwide initiative aimed at supporting women’s professional development. Michel spoke of the chapter’s ongoing efforts to create opportunities for women to succeed, grow, and feel supported.
Looking ahead, Michel said plans for 2025 include expanding ICAI’s reach and fostering stronger relationships with partner organizations, including consulates.
“We want to listen to our members and provide more personalized networking opportunities,” she explained. “There are many who need mentors, and we aim to connect them one-on-one.”
Michel said ICAI members in the region, many of whom are entrepreneurs and CPAs launching startups, are eager to support women in the Silicon Valley area.
“Entrepreneurship requires not only ideas but the support and motivation to succeed,” she added. “We’re focused on connecting entrepreneurs with the right stakeholders.”
Vish Arunachalam, founder, chairman, and director of the ICAI-SF chapter, told indica, “Team ICAI San Francisco Chapter extends heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has contributed to, supported, and participated in our chapter’s initiatives.”
“We take immense pride in fostering unity among chartered accountants in the USA and strengthening our engagement with like-minded community organizations, local agencies, and Indian missions in the USA,” Arunachalam said. “Together, we celebrate the beauty of unity in diversity and the richness of plurality in our lives. Wishing you a joyous holiday season filled with love, happiness, and cherished moments with your loved ones. Stay safe, stay warm, and have a wonderful Christmas!”
Sharing about the upcoming ICAI chapters in the U.S. he said, “We are eagerly looking forward to the launch of the next seven representative offices in Tennessee, Utah, San Diego, Delaware, Louisiana, Kansas and Minnesota in January 2025. ”
“Our efforts to enhance the CA connect across the USA with the rest of the world is yielding rich dividends,” Arunachalam said with a smile and added, “We have generated good interest among our USA-based ICAI members for participating in the upcoming World Forum of Accountants (WOFA) conference in Yashobhoomi New Delhi during January 31 – February 2, 2025.”
Raj Chahal, a council member from Santa Clara, praised ICAI’s financial education efforts.
“A large percentage of our community works hard but doesn’t always make their money work for them,” he said. “ICAI brings vital finance and accounting knowledge that can help individuals and organizations better manage their finances, allowing more time with family.”
Meena Viswanathan, founding member and treasurer of the ICAI-SF chapter, expressed her joy in helping fellow members.
“It’s wonderful to see so many professionals from different fields come together for a greater cause,” she said. “We bring together startups, people with fresh ideas, and those who need guidance on how to navigate their entrepreneurial journey.”
Manisha Anarkat, Secretary of the ICAI-SF chapter said, “The San Francisco chapter provides an excellent platform for chartered accountants to excel and network”.
She also added “Accounting is crucial in every industry, and we want to inspire more women to join the profession.” With a current community of 480 members, the ICAI San Francisco Chapter is poised for continued growth as it works toward its goal of expanding the ICAI footprint across the U.S. by next year.
First time visitor at the event was Kautilya Palaypu, an investment adviser representative, who told indica he finds it a wonderful opportunity to connect with professionals based in the Bay Area. “It was a pleasure meeting several people from ICAI in San Francisco, which provided a valuable platform for the community of Indians and businesses in the Bay Area and USA,” Palaypu cited.