THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 19, 2026

    The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has announced its new leadership for the year 2026 with the election of CS Pawan G Chandak as President and CS Dwarakanath Chennur as Vice President, effective from January 19, 2026. The appointments mark a significant moment for the apex professional body, as it continues to strengthen its role in corporate governance, regulatory excellence and nation-building.

CS Pawan G Chandak, a seasoned Company Secretary with specialization in Labour Laws and Labour Welfare, brings with him over two decades of rich professional and institutional experience. Founder Partner of KPRC & Associates, he has established a pan-India presence and has worked extensively across Corporate Laws, Foreign Exchange Laws, Industrial Laws, Legal Metrology, Secretarial Audits, Arbitration, SEZ, STPI, EOUs and Department of Telecommunications matters. His professional journey includes advisory and independent director roles with large corporate houses and multinational companies, where he has been deeply involved in corporate legal strategy, deal structuring and merger and amalgamation exercises.

A long-standing contributor to the ICSI, CS Chandak previously served as the Vice President of the Institute in 2025. His association with the Institute spans several leadership roles, including his tenure on the Western India Regional Council from 2019 to 2022, where he served as Secretary, Vice-Chairman and later as Chairman in 2021. He has also led the Pune Chapter of WIRC ICSI on two occasions. Known as a hands-on leader, he is widely respected for his ability to guide organizations in managing legal risk, implementing new systems and enhancing operational efficiency.

Elected as Vice President for 2026, CS Dwarakanath Chennur is a Fellow Member of the ICSI with an illustrious professional career spanning more than three decades. A B.Com graduate from Sri Venkateswara University and an LLB (Special) from Gulbarga University, he is also an Insolvency Professional and an empanelled Social Auditor. After beginning his career as a Company Secretary in 1992 and gaining close to a decade of industry experience, he has been in practice since 2002, advising a wide spectrum of private, public, listed and foreign subsidiary companies on matters relating to the Companies Act, FEMA, RBI and SEBI regulations, with particular expertise in Corporate Laws and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

CS Chennur has made significant contributions to the ICSI through various leadership roles, including Chairman of the Regulations and Elections Reforms Committee in 2025, PCS Committee in 2024 and Peer Review Committee in 2023. He has also served on the Secretarial Standards Board and earlier led the Southern India Regional Council as its Chairman in 2013. His long association with the Bangalore Chapter of ICSI includes two consecutive terms on its Managing Committee and a term as Chapter Chairman. In recognition of his contribution to education, he was conferred the title “Vidya Vikas” by Dr. D.G. Shetty Educational Society, Dharwad.

With the combined leadership of CS Pawan G Chandak and CS Dwarakanath Chennur, the ICSI is poised to further reinforce its commitment to professional excellence, robust corporate governance and the evolving needs of India’s business and regulatory ecosystem in 2026.