Prime Highlights
- The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has launched Project Vanijya to strengthen commerce and financial education at the school level.
- The initiative aims to build early business awareness, financial literacy, and an entrepreneurial mindset aligned with NEP 2020.
Key Facts
- Project Vanijya was introduced by ICAI’s Committee on Career Counselling in discussions with State Education Boards from 17 states.
- The programme targets students from Class VI onwards and may involve MoUs covering curriculum development, teacher training, and long-term implementation.
Background
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has launched a new education initiative called Project Vanijya to strengthen commerce learning at the school level across the country. The programme aims to introduce students to basic business and financial concepts at an early stage.
ICAI’s Committee on Career Counselling launched Project Vanijya during a meeting with senior ICAI leaders and representatives from State Education Boards in 17 states. The meeting discussed how schools can match commerce education with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Participants said that learning about business early helps students gain useful life skills. They said that studying finance and business from a young age can help students understand money better and learn skills like budgeting, saving, making decisions, working in teams, and thinking ethically. They also talked about using artificial intelligence tools in teaching and testing to help students get ready for future business opportunities.
State Education Board officials appreciated ICAI’s clear approach, which mixes theory, practical training, and industry experience. They also recognized that ICAI’s professional standards are respected worldwide. During the discussions, several state representatives proposed that they sign memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with ICAI to officially support the launch of Project Vanijya.
The proposed cooperation may cover areas such as curriculum development, teacher training, and long-term implementation of commerce programmes in schools.
ICAI President Charanjot Singh Nanda said Project Vanijya is designed to support India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. He said the initiative will help build financial literacy, business understanding, and an entrepreneurial mindset among students from Class VI onwards by making education more practical and relevant.
Separately, ICAI has also approved updates to its code of ethics, allowing Indian CA firms more opportunities to work with international organisations.
