Artificial Intelligence in Chartered Accountancy Practice in India: From Compliance Tool to Strategic Advantage

Abstract

India's accounting profession is undergoing substantial change as Artificial Intelligence spreads across nearly every part of
core service delivery. This paper examines how machine learning, natural language processing, robotic process automation
and generative AI are reshaping Chartered Accountancy (CA) practice in India. Drawing on academic literature, guidance
from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), regulatory material and documented industry practice, the
study looks at how AI is changing audit methods, tax compliance, financial reporting, forensic investigation and CFO
advisory functions. A SWOT framework is applied to assess where the profession currently stands and where it might go
next, with the analysis grounded in empirical data and industry statistics rather than conjecture. The picture that emerges is
one of human-AI collaboration: AI substantially broadens what a practitioner can analyse, yet professional judgment,
ethical accountability and statutory authority remain squarely with the Chartered Accountant and cannot be delegated to a
machine. The paper concludes with a phased roadmap and recommendations directed at individual practitioners, CA firms
and regulators, including ICAI, so that the profession can approach AI-enabled practice deliberately rather than reactively.
This is a qualitative, descriptive study based on secondary data — peer-reviewed research, ICAI guidance, industry reports
and regulatory documents. Its central finding is consistent throughout: AI adds analytical capacity, while judgment, ethics
and statutory authority remain the Chartered Accountant's domain.