New Delhi, September 5 (Daily Kiran) : The Indian government has launched the ‘Corporate Friend’ initiative to streamline compliance processes for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This program aims to make compliance less daunting and more accessible.
Anita Shah Akela, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, emphasized that the initiative seeks to transform compliance from a burden into a means of trust, transparency, accountability, and systematic growth.
First announced in the 2026-27 Union Budget, the ‘Corporate Friend’ initiative plans to create a pool of trained and certified para-professionals who can assist MSMEs with business and regulatory compliance.
This program integrates professional expertise from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), and Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) with technical and academic support from IIT Madras and the self-learning platform, SWAYAM.
The ICAI, ICSI, and ICAI have already commenced the ‘Corporate Friend’ course, with 2,879 learners registered for the first batch. According to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the launch of the Corporate Friend Learning Management System (LMS) marks the beginning of structured learning and capacity-building phases for this program.
The course aims to cultivate a skilled group of certified para-professionals who can provide affordable professional assistance to MSMEs, thereby facilitating ease of doing business, job creation, and inclusive economic growth.
This initiative represents a significant step towards developing a skilled pool of para-professionals contributing to the growth and formalization of India’s MSME ecosystem.
The ‘Corporate Friend’ course spans 12 months, divided into two phases. The first six months include approximately 150 hours of structured academic learning through recorded video lectures. Following this, participants will undergo six months of on-the-job training at professional firms affiliated with ICAI, ICSI, and ICAI, providing practical experience.
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