Shri Prem Chand Gupta, Minister for Corporate Affairs, today laid the Foundation Stone of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs at Manesar, Haryana. Shri Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister of Haryana and Shri Anurag Goel, Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Director General & Chief Executive Officer of the Institute were also preset on the occasion.The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, has established the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs as a holistic think tank, capacity building, service delivery Institute to help corporate growth, reforms and regulation through synergised knowledge management, global partnerships and real time solutions. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2010. An outlay of Rs. 211 crore has been made in the current Five Year Plan for the Institute. The IICA building is estimated to cost around Rs. 110 crores.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Prem Chand Gupta said that though the world is passing through a difficult phase of economic and financial crisis, in India the pressure on the financial systems has been considerably reduced due continuous monitoring and timely steps. To avoid such crisis the Government as well as the Corporate sector must develop capacity to foresee such crisis and take corrective action well in advance. A mechanism needs to be created through which the Government, Regulators and the business can work jointly to avoid such crisis, Shri Gupta said.

Minister for Corporate Affairs also said that his Ministry has undertaken various tasks to provide an enabling environment for the corporate sector to drive economic growth. The e-governance programme, MCA-21, ensures 100% filing by corporates electronically on 24x7 basis. As regards legislations, the new Companies Bill has been introduced in the Parliament which proposes a comprehensive revision of the Companies Act, 1956. Limited Liability Partnership Bill has also been introduced in the Parliament, which would enable professional expertise and entrepreneurial initiative to combine, organize and operate in an innovative and efficient manner. The Competition Commission of India will be operational soon, which will enable effective competition regulation. The Accounting Standards have already been notified and we are gradually moving towards convergence with International Financial Reporting Standards by 2011.

The Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs stated that IICA is positioned to take the convergence role for the Government, the business sector and the stakeholders. The Institute has already been registered as a Society in September, 2008. A Board of Governors has also been constituted by co-opting representatives from Government, professionals and business sector as well. The Institute has also signed MOUs with leading international institutes in its endeavor of global partnerships.
Corporate capacity building drives an institute to coordinate regulators and business for improved governance and convergence. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs established the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs as a registered society and Board-governed think tank to provide capacity building, research, and service delivery supporting corporate growth, regulatory reform and convergence among Government, regulators and business. The Institute will pursue global partnerships and MOUs, and support Ministry initiatives including e-governance, legislative reform, competition regulation, and convergence with international accounting standards.