Bengaluru, May 25: The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA and CIMA, brought together finance leaders, accounting professionals, educators, policymakers, and business executives in Bengaluru recently for two major industry engagements centred on the changing future of finance and accounting amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence, automation, and digital transformation.
Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton, Bengaluru, the two-day engagement opened with the CFO Summit under the theme, “What Accounting and Finance Will Do Differently.” The summit convened senior finance leaders and decision-makers for conversations around the evolving responsibilities of finance functions, changing business expectations, leadership priorities, and the growing influence of technology on enterprise strategy and operational decision-making. Sessions across the day reflected the expanding role of CFOs in advancing strategic growth, managing transformation priorities, strengthening organisational preparedness, and supporting businesses through increasingly dynamic operating conditions.
The following day, AICPA & CIMA hosted RISE2040 under the theme, “Reimagining the Profession for the Next Generation in the Age of AI.” The conference examined how artificial intelligence, automation, digital capability, and shifting workplace expectations are redefining the accounting and finance profession globally and influencing how future talent will be trained, developed, and prepared for leadership.
RISE2040 brought together professionals, educators, students, industry leaders, and business stakeholders to examine how finance and accounting roles are evolving alongside technological advancement and changing organisational requirements. Discussions explored the growing importance of analytical thinking, ethical judgement, adaptability, technology fluency, and interdisciplinary capabilities as businesses accelerate AI integration across functions.
The conference also examined how professional education and learning frameworks will need to evolve to remain aligned with changing industry realities. Speakers across sessions highlighted the importance of continuous upskilling, industry-academia collaboration, and future-ready professional development models to help finance and accounting professionals remain prepared for increasingly technology-enabled business environments.
“RISE2040 brought together diverse perspectives on how the finance and accounting profession must evolve amid rapid technological, regulatory and workforce shifts. The discussions reinforced that while AI and digital transformation are reshaping the profession, trust, ethics, strategic thinking, governance and communication remain central to effective leadership. RISE2040 reflects the profession’s collective effort to actively shape its future – moving beyond adaptation to leadership in defining what comes next. India continues to play a critical role in shaping global talent and capability, and these conversations are essential to preparing finance professionals to lead in a rapidly changing world.” said Venkkat Ramanan, Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific, AICPA & CIMA.
Alongside the conferences, AICPA & CIMA hosted a press interaction examining the future of the accounting and finance profession, the growing influence of artificial intelligence across business operations, and the changing expectations from finance and accounting teams in a rapidly transforming global economy.
The engagements reinforced India’s growing significance within the global accounting and finance ecosystem, particularly as organisations continue to increase investments in digital capability, AI integration, innovation-driven business models, and future-ready talent development. The events also reflected the growing emphasis on collaboration between industry, academia, employers, and professional bodies to help shape a finance and accounting workforce equipped for the demands of the coming decades.
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