ICAI Drives Indian Railways’ Accounting Reforms with Environmental Sustainability

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• Supporting Accrual-Based Financial Statements for All Zonal Railways and Production Units

• Developing Transaction-Based Accrual Accounting

Indian Railways, the fourth largest railway network in the world after the United States, Russia and China, is undertaking several initiatives towards Accounting Reforms in line with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. In its journey of accounting reforms, the Indian Railways had initiated exercise of preparation of its Accrual Based Financial Statements in 2014, marking a major shift towards enhanced financial transparency and accountability. Since the inception of this initiative, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and its Accounting Research Foundation (ICAI ARF) has played a pivotal role in supporting these reforms.
ICAI ARF has been instrumental in guiding Indian Railways through the migration to an accrual-based accounting system. ICAI ARF has successfully prepared the Accrual Based Financial Statements for all Zonal Railways and Production Units from the financial year 2015-16 to 2022-23.
On December 19, 2024, during an event held in New Delhi, ICAI ARF submitted Accrual Based Financial Statements of Indian Railways for the financial year 2022-23 to the officials of Indian Railways. The event was graced by the presence of Ms. Nirupma Kumar, I.R.A.S, Chief Administrative Officer, Accounting Reform (CAO/A/R), Mr. Rohit Parmar, Chief Project Manager (CPM), Accounting Reforms and team of CAO/AR cell along with CA. Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, President ICAI and Chairman ICAI ARF accompanied by Council Members of ICAI and team of ICAI ARF.
On this occasion Ms. Nirupma Kumar, CAO/AR appreciated the work done by ICAI ARF and said, “It will be a milestone in the history of Government of India that accrual based financial statements has been prepared for a ministry. Indian Railways is the first Ministry to take this initiative at entire ministry level and has undertaken various step towards environmental Sustainability, the same has been reflected for the first time in the accrual based financial statements for Financial Year 2022-23”

Ms. Nirupma also informed that the Indian Railways in collaboration with the ICAI ARF has initiated to develop Transaction Based Accrual Accounting System to facilitate the preparation of financial statements for the financial year 2023-24 onwards including the initiatives being undertaken by Indian Railways towards Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals.
During this event CA. Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, President, ICAI, said, “Indian Railways partnership with ICAI ARF since 2014 has been a cornerstone in its journey towards accrual accounting, starting with successful pilot studies and evolving into a system-wide transformation. It is a matter of pride for the ICAI and ICAI ARF to submit the Accrual Based Financial Statements of Indian Railways for the financial year 2022-23. I appreciate Indian Railways for raising the bar of financial statements and incorporating sustainability reporting in the financial statement. This initiative of Indian Railways would encourage other Government organisations/entities to adopt accrual accounting by recognising the benefits of such accounting.

Further, President ICAI also suggested Indian Railways should also consider the physical verification of their assets. The journey of partnership of ICAI ARF with Indian Railways is long lasting. For the financial year 2023-24, the ICAI ARF is geared up for preparation of Accrual Based Financial Statements which are to be prepared from the transactional data.