ICAI rallies 14 lakh ‘Financial Soldiers’ to support armed forces amid border tensions

In a moment marked by patriotism and resilience, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)—the world’s largest accounting body—has issued a nationwide call to its 14 lakh-strong fraternity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Indian Armed Forces. The move comes in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, India’s high-intensity response to terror threats from across the Pakistan border, and the tragic loss of 26 civilian lives in Pahalgam.

With one of the deepest footprints of any professional body in India—spanning 17,000 pin codes and over 177 branches, including border zones—the ICAI is galvanising its network not just for symbolic support but actionable relief. The Institute has urged members and students to offer critical on-ground services such as evacuation aid, medicine and oxygen distribution, ambulance support, shelter coordination and blood donation drives.

“Chartered Accountants are not just financial stewards—they are national assets,” said CA. Charanjot Singh Nanda, President of ICAI. “Operation Sindoor is a watershed moment, a testament to the courage of our soldiers and a clear signal from a New Bharat: India’s sovereignty is non-negotiable. The ICAI fraternity has always stood by the nation, and this time is no different.”

CA. Prasanna Kumar D, Vice-President of ICAI, reiterated the Institute’s commitment: “We are the financial soldiers of our motherland. In every hour of national need, we stand ready.”

The clarion call to action echoes through ICAI’s global network, including 52 overseas chapters and 33 representative offices across 47 countries, making this one of the largest diaspora-led responses to a national call in recent memory. The Institute has a long-standing, yet proud history of civic involvement—during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, ICAI members volunteered to assist the families of fallen soldiers, offering free financial and legal services. This marked one of the earliest organised examples of ICAI’s commitment to nation-building beyond accounting.

The ICAI was also at the forefront among professional bodies in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. It donated oxygen cylinders, concentrators, and ventilators, arranged for ambulance services, hospital beds, and essential medicines. It also organised vaccination drives, blood and plasma donation camps, provided food packets to affected communities, and offered fee waivers and scholarships for students who lost their parents to the pandemic. ICAI has branches located near the India-Pakistan border, where members have assisted in community support, especially in times of heightened tension.