THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

ANGUL, JUNE 26, 2026

 “Finance executives have enormous potential to develop self-supporting youth and can play a transformative role in mentoring them to realise ‘Swabalambi Yuva Samrudha Odisha’,” former NALCO Chairman and Managing Director Dr. Tapan Chand said while inaugurating a two-day seminar on Corporate Leadership for Finance Executives at Angul. Stressing that corporate leadership must extend beyond boardrooms, he said finance professionals should contribute to societal value creation by nurturing entrepreneurship and supporting inclusive development.

The two-day seminar, organised by the Angul Chapter of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, focused on the evolving role of finance professionals from financial leadership to corporate leadership in a rapidly changing business environment. Dr. Chand lauded the institute for initiating a timely shift in mindset as India advances towards the goals of Viksit Bharat@2047 and Viksit Odisha@2036.

Highlighting Odisha’s ambitious target of achieving a USD 500 billion economy before expanding to USD 1.5 trillion by 2047, he said the vision could be realised only through the right mindset and determined efforts. He emphasised that finance professionals must lead a paradigm shift “from Variance to Vision, from Entity to Enterprise and from Control to Collaboration.”

Drawing from his extensive experience in the steel, coal and aluminium sectors, Dr. Chand observed that finance executives who adopt an enterprise-wide perspective consistently deliver superior organisational outcomes. He urged young finance professionals to broaden their understanding of business operations and industry dynamics to prepare themselves for future leadership roles as Chief Financial Officers and Chief Executive Officers.

He also stressed that the role of finance executives should evolve from being regulatory functionaries to becoming facilitators of growth by promoting ease of doing business, improving operational speed and enhancing cost efficiency. According to him, data-driven decision-making should become the hallmark of finance leadership in a developed India.

Expanding on the broader responsibilities of corporate leadership, Dr. Chand encouraged finance professionals to actively communicate government initiatives to civil society and recommend reforms that improve both ease of doing business and ease of living. He identified nine key drivers of growth under the acronym “PRAGATI” — Productivity, Reforms, Addition of Value, Growth through Diversification, Automation, Technology, Innovation, Investment and Infrastructure — as critical focus areas for institutions and industries.

Guest of Honour Asutosh Rath, Executive Director (HR), NALCO, underlined the strategic importance of finance professionals in organisational growth, saying that finance must emerge as a key driver of business expansion by becoming an integral part of strategic decision-making.

The seminar features four technical sessions led by eminent professionals, along with open discussions and networking opportunities. The event was coordinated by Angul Chapter Chairman CMA Alok Tripathy and former NALCO CGM (Finance) Antaryami Acharya, and witnessed participation from finance professionals, tax consultants, entrepreneurs, industry leaders and members of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.