Volume 16 | Issue 3 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF … · QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF OF ASA & ASSOCIATES LLP // CORPORATE CATALYST INDIA ... Mr Maroof Raza and Mrs Kiran Bedi. ... respectively

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF OF ASA & ASSOCIATES LLP // CORPORATE CATALYST INDIA

Often we older partners are asked the secret of our success. I too have pondered over this. What made us, well, us? One thing clearly emerges – a desire, or rather a need, to do something different. To create. A need to be out-of-the-box. And within these needs an inherent need to be with the ‘right’ people, and I don’t mean just colleagues and teams. Who are these special people? We, knowingly or unknowingly, interact with guiding angels who pave the path ahead. I have my own set of 7 angels. Someday I will talk about them. Each partner could tell you of such angels in their lives. They may not be your angel investors, but their benevolence and wisdom would give you far more. Such souls normally speak less and tend to be invisible. So, here is an important learning-keep an eye out for them.

As for us, we have been unsurprisingly active in the last quarter. Diwali, picnics, parties, seminars and what not. Interestingly, the cosmopolitan Bengaluruans went tribal, the balanced Mumbaites descended on roller coasters, the ‘people of the plain’ (your delhiites) went mountain climbing and the sea people went to Hill country! Confused? Crazy? Different? Do tell what describes us best.

Kudos to our Chennai colleagues. Besides unflinchingly facing the calamity, you raised the bar through good samaritan acts.

And there are other extraordinary tales too. A lady Robinhood. A Japanese in a rustic Indian village. Two Indian classical dancers meeting through this magazine. An auditor who walked 260 km in 9 days! 3 times!!

The action now shifts to Q4. APMM, plans for 2016-17 and generally getting ready for the work season. Have your fun – NOW!

Best regards

Ajay Sethi

25 YEARS OFBUILDING BUSINESSPARTNERSHIPS

Volume 16 | Issue 3October-December 2015

In 1991, when enlightened minds met,The foundation of ASA was set.

With hardwork & dedication,We find motivation in every situation.

Specialisation; Teamwork; Professionalism & Presence,The four pillars of our strength.

Following perfection; we stand at the top,Giving the best of everything to our client & staff.

A staff of 600 professionals & many more,With each rising sun; we grow for sure.

When we stand together, problems become small,In love with ASA-CCI family; you are bound to fall.

We welcome you on this auspicious occasion,Do join us for our 25th year celebration.

Talha Arslan Khan (DEL)

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ASA-CCI @ GLANCE

NIS Meet in London

NIS Global held its meeting in London in the month of November 2015. It was attended by Rajiv Arya and Sunil Arora. The focus of the meeting was on providing better opportunities and services in international advisory. This meeting was attended by NIS members from around the world.

Rajiv extended his visit to North Carolina, USA. These meetings helped in strengthening relationships with the top management and helped to open doors to new clients and assignments.

‘Ideas on India’ Conclave‘Ideas on India’ Conclave, an initiative that believes in the vibrant spirit of India and endeavors to offer constructive ideas to propel India was held at Taj Vivanta, Delhi in December. The theme was ‘Emerging India – Ideas & Aspirations’. Nitin Arora participated in the event and was a panel member in a discussion. He talked about current investment scenario in India highlighting the changing dynamics in the business environment powered by the new age technology driven start-ups. He also dwelt on changing trends in fund raising activities. Other eminent speakers and panelists included Sir Mark Tully, Mr Pavan Verma, Mr Maroof Raza and Mrs Kiran Bedi. The inputs in the discussion were much appreciated by the audiences and also helped highlight our firm’s strengths in terms of presence and leadership.

Resurgent Rajasthan 2015Himanshu Srivastava and Shun Ishikura visited Jaipur to attend the Resurgent Rajasthan Partnership Summit 2015 on November 19 & 20, 2015 as a part of the delegation led by Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). They had business meetings with various Japanese investors and Rajasthan government officials. The event was very successful and saw the signing of some large scale investment proposals between Japan and India.

The summit brought together leading investors from all over the world, senior state government officials and local business community for interactions on investment environment and opportunities in Rajasthan.

M&A Worldwide

Ajay Sethi and Nitin Arora participated in the Global Acquisition Forum organised by M&A Worldwide. This was held on November 5 and 6 in Shanghai. The discussions included India investment opportunities and current mandates being run by CCI’s TAS team.

The agenda also included a half day Global Investor Meet which was attended by close to 300 Chinese delegates representing banks and corporates. Ajay and Nitin were on the panels for BRICS and South East Asia respectively and spoke about challenges and opportunities of doing business in India.

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ASA-CCI @ GLANCE

Corporate Dinner at Delhi

The evening of November 27 saw us hosting the Corporate Dinner at Delhi, the first of the many that happened across locations. The venue this year was Qla, a modern European-style restaurant, intimately tucked away behind Qutub Minar. The guests were highly impressed by the vast expanse and the scenic setting. The evening saw the guests enjoying the good food, music, drinks and as equally the conversation.

Corporate Dinner at Bengaluru

It was an evening that brought together most of our clients under one roof. The occasion was our annual corporate dinner on December 4 at Le Meridian, Bengaluru. As always, it was an informal and friendly gathering of clients and friends who enjoyed the warmth of the company and the delicious food and drinks.

SPOT LIGHT

Presentation on financial reporting and financial frauds

Sanchit Jain presented a paper at the National Convention for CA Students at Nashik held on 19 and 20 December 2015. His presentation on “Financial Reporting and Financial Frauds - Increasing Role of CAs through Forensic Audits” was very well received by the audience.

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FUN n FROLIC @ ASA-CCI

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AD The triumph of Good over EvilAyudha Puja was conducted to pray for the wealth and prosperity of ASA. Everyone turned up in the best of attire. The office interiors were beautifully decorated with flowers and rangoli which added to the festive atmosphere. .

A festival to light the way Diwali is all about happiness-and fun! Decorating the entire office with lamps and rangolis is what made the day very special for us in Hyderabad. It was the beautiful spirit of the celebrations and contagious positive energy that made the day truly special.

Bond Guns for Spectre SC-RC took us out on a holiday for the most awaited suspenseful thriller of the year – Spectre. It was an awesome day to enjoy the company of friends and an enjoyable day out .

Hola Hola Nature Valley (Araakuu...)Hyderabad office chose the scenic Arakuuu... in Vishakapatnam for the annual picnic this year. When they started their journey, they knew they were in for something really exciting and unforgettable. However, what followed was nothing short of spectacular - a vast expanse of beaches, lush green landscape, misty waterfalls and an exquisite scenic beauty. At Arakku, everyone enjoyed the view of the coffee plantations and the mountains enveloped in mist. Navigating the hairpin bends at the high altitudes was literally a gut churning experience. In the evening we had a great time with dance performances and a sumptuous meal. Each moment of the trip - the singing, dancing is clearly etched in our memory. The beautiful venue also provided a wonderful backdrop for innumerable selfies.

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FUN n FROLIC @ ASA-CCI

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Nov 21, 2015 A cake-cutting accompanied with a variety of hot ‘n’ crispy “bhajjis”, chilli potatoes, Mangalore bhajjis, delicious jalebis and a creamy ‘Basundi’ what more could a foodie ask for?

Stream of Festivals The Diwali celebrations included a host of activities - inter-division competitions, bursting of crackers and of course the much loved distribution of Diwali gifts & the finale – an amazing lunch that was enjoyed by all

Ayudha Pooja Decorations, rituals & seeking blessings of the Goddess.

Annual Trip to Mudhumalai HillsThis year, the Bengaluru office annual trip was organised at Wild Planet Resort, nestled between Waynad Hills and Mudhumalai Tiger Reserve. The adventurous journey through the dense tropical rain forest was a big attraction in itself. Of course, the coffee, tea and pepper plantations added up the exciting experience. The jungle walk, camp fire and jungle safari made the trip more thrilling. The other facilities at the resort like the swimming pool and the other gaming activities kept everyone productively occupied. The major draw of the trip was the Halloween Party with a tribal theme organized by the RC team. Everyone actively participated in the event and the made it a successful one. The scariest tribal was adjudged the winner

Corporate Outing: Great InvestmentIn a fast-moving, high-pressure work environment, it's important to take a break. ‘Complying’ to this time tested formula, the compliance team went "off the island" to “Amoeba” for a bash. It was also intended to allow the 25 employees to bond with each other and understand one another on a personal and professional level. The selection of day was perfect as there were no monthly compliance dues and for that day there were no AM’s, DM’s and Partners! We entered amoeba and were divided into teams of 4 to take on each other in the wonderful action packed outing. We had a fantastic time there and also enjoyed the snacks. This outing can definitely be considered as a great investment because as in client work, our team gelled equally well in such events and more importantly carried back wonderful memories that each one of can enjoy in future as well.

Ho Ho Ho-Santa is here!Yo !! Christmas is here and Santa has arrived to surprise us all with loads of gifts and chocolates. The ASA-BLR team was treated to a FUNtastic Christmas evening followed by a sparkling New Year celebration. Everyone was waiting with anticipation for the arrival of Secret Santa and to exchange Christmas gifts. “minit to win it” games were conducted that witnessed a healthy competition between the teams and bonding among the individuals.

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Fun, Frolic and Rains!“Teamwork: simply stated, it is less me and more we” Our Chennai team displayed the significance of this adage through a brilliant, fun-filled activity. Held on Diwali-eve, involved staff being divided into teams. A few members of a team were blindfolded, and were required to reach specific spots in the room just by listening to the instructions given by members of their group while the other groups tried to mislead them by their clamour. This entire game was full of fun and laughter. And later of course, we had the much awaited birthday celebrations and gifts distribution.

Post the second phase of f il ings in November and despite heavy rains resulting in our office being shut for 2 days, we returned to work with a renewed energy to get things back to normal as fast as possible. There were many who came forward to assist in salvaging the files lying in the basement. In particular, the efforts of Sundararajan, Rangarajan (Compliance), Narayanswamy and Kalavathi needs special mention.

Love Overdose!!What can be more fun than spending an evening with friends and enjoying a movie munching popcorns and sipping a Cola. With a hectic work season around the corner, the RC team decided to liven up the mood by organizing a movie. The much awaited sequel to one of the most popular rom-coms, Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 was truly worth the wait!! A fun-filled evening with laughter riots and yummy snacks

Tag Along!!!After a hectic month, finally the much needed break was provided by our RC Team. The adventurous evening at the Phoenix Market City-Kurla on October 30 was something which we all are going to cherish for a long time. Be it an intense round of laser tag, or a challenge to beat the rival team in a game of bungee football, the experience was nothing short of an adrenaline rush!

The energy expended in the games was more than made up by the sumptuous treat of pizzas. It was, after all, a great way to rejuvenate ourselves for all the long hours put in to meet deadlines

Shubh Aarambh!!ASA-Mumbai ushered in the festival of lights with an auspicious Diwali Pooja held in the office. All members participated in this and sought the blessings of goddess Laxmi for a successful year ahead, peace and prosperity for all. This was followed by a gift distribution ceremony. In the spirit of the festivities, RC team organized various games such as Housie and other minute-to-win-it tasks. The evening finally ended with a round of snacks and spirits galore!!Clue Hunt

It's amazing how much mystery one can squeeze into a single room where every lead is so close to you and yet so far. That is the best way to describe the RC event at "Clue Hunt". It was a memorable evening that the Mumbai office folks had, racing against time (60 minutes precisely) to locate the Queen's diamond in Africa, break out of jail, and locate the stolen painting which were the 3 themes wherein the participants in groups of 10 had to locate, identify and crack the clues in the theme room allotted to them and come out victorious. To sum it up, everyone got their chance of being a Sherlock Holmes that evening and taught us how true happiness and hard work lies in noticing the smallest detail.

Annual PicnicAdventure and adrenaline being the key words at recent RC events, the ASA-Mumbai team left no stone unturned in organizing yet another excursion which was nothing short of a nerve-tingling rush.

It started on an early morning on Saturday, when we embarked on our journey to Adlabs Imagica. From the unnerving roller-coaster in pitch darkness, to the spine-chilling scream machine, everyone was left gasping, but wanting more!! Apart from these, the simulated car chase between Mr.India and Mogambo was a favourite entertainment!!

After the hectic activities and a delicious lunch at the Capital Imagica, we witnessed with awe the amazing dance performances and gimmicks by the Disney characters and their “Imagica Parade” which was a truly enjoyable

Can You Keep a Secret??For the Christmas week, CONNECT-Mumbai organized a Gift Exchange event –‘Secret Santa’. Each member was randomly assigned a person to whom they had to anonymously give a gift. With all the curiosity and excitement that was created, the Secret Gift Exchange was a super success!!

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A Spooktacular Halloween!SC-RC worked out a plan to make their best witches brew and conjure up a spell for a fantastically frightening day! Yes. A Halloween party was a perfect excuse for us in Delhi & Gurgaon to come dressed either as ourselves, a witch or a ghost! It was a happy haunting day when one member from each team was made to dress up in their scariest best, using the bloody head props provided by SC-RC. The winners - Aafreen Zeenat and Ritika Sehgal for the best and, frighteningly scary Halloween makeup.

A Day @ Camp Wild DhaujSC-RC organised a fun-filled, adventurous holiday in the wilderness, amongst picturesque surroundings. The venue: “CAMP WILD at DHAUJ”. The rural setting and wild ambience at the foothills of the Aravali range, bordering Faridabad proved be just the right antidote for of fice stress. With its wide expanse, Camp Wild is a place to go and appreciate its stunning scenic landscape which had everyone awestruck. Right after a hearty breakfast, some of us set off to explore the hills while the rest got into playing sports. We enjoyed innovative adventure games and activities like Tarzan swing, burma bridge, balance walk, barrel crossing, monkey crawl & machhan climb. The solid granite rocks of Aravalis are ideal for hiking and we had a great time testing our hiking skills. We managed to go down a few steep slopes & climb some slippery stones without halting, but of course clicking selfies and groupies all way through. The tasty lunch that followed this re-energised us well enough to hit the dance floor swing to some popular numbers.

Ringing in the New Year!Let the dance move your body and music engulf your soul. SC-RC created yet another perfect way to ring in the next year - a wonderful party with a “drink till you’re silly” theme. Before embarking on the fantastic year-end closing activity at the Club London, there were certain pre-requisites that SC-RC had asked. We had to send invites to pick a date from among our colleagues, but from a different team. The idea of going to party with a date had created the required anticipation and excitement and this set the perfect festive mood. At the party, the DJ managed the musical beats and tempo befitting the mood of the party; the lights & strobes adding to the ultimate experience. The best couple Ritika & Kunal sizzled on the dance floor and won a cash prize of Rs. 2500, while the runnerup was Prateek & Kumad. Of course, everybody joined in for a swingingly good time.

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Merry Christmas!It was Christmas again- the time of hope, joy, and forgiving. As always, SC-RC decided to do things a little differently and organised a unique gifting experiment of our own, to involve everyone in the festive spirit of the special day. Each one of us was to give a gift to another person, without the latter knowing who the ‘Secret Santa’ was! The gifts were to be place under the Christmas tree, without mentioning the name of the giver. We then waited until evening when we collected for the Xmas party. Here each had to open his or her gift and guess who had given it to them. It was quite hilarious hearing some of the guesses. But it had lots of pleasant surprises too! The day truly lived up the spirit of Christmas of giving and sharing.

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Prosperous DiwaliIlluminating glow, dazzling ethnically dressed divas, males in classic traditional kurtas and twinkling lights – these are few out of our favourite memories of Diwali Puja each year. This year too, the much loved Diwali event began with exchange of hearty wishes for prosperity and happiness and spreading the glow of knowledge. We lightened the lamps of happiness and love and thereby symbolically eliminated all that was evil and bad. There were a lot of games as we welcomed the spirit of a sparkling Diwali together.

Illuminating our way to love n properityDiwali – the festival of lights is always celebrated with a lot of joy and this year too, we had a great time in store. It is the time when everyone gathers together, indulge in different types of sweets, burst crackers and light lamps. In our office too, the spirit of the festival pervaded the air. The catchy highlights of the day were the traditional colorful attire of the guys and gals, rangoli competition, lucky draw and mehndi designing by one of our colleagues. Four different teams created fabulous, eye

catching rangoli patterns and it was difficult to judge which one was the best. We had Pooja in the evening followed by gifts and sweets distribution.

FUN n FROLIC @ ASA-CCI

Its ‘Trip’ping Time!!!To the accompaniment of music and dance, the bunch of 44 started off their journey to the land of Hills–Kodai on 4 December. The scenic beauty of the pine forest, Guna caves, Green valley point and Pillar rock was a joy to behold.

The resort ‘Hill Country’ was way beyond imagination- a great mix of nature with little cottages. A fusion of rugged country charm with contemporary design and facilities, it offered us everything that we needed for a happy memorable holiday. A fun-filled trip with a wonderful DJ, music, dance and food… the next day we went for paddle boating, horse riding and cycling. We further ‘sweetened’ our visit with the many flavours of chocolate at "The Shop". We even got them packed as gifts for our families and friends back home. Finally we headed back to Cochin with lots of memories of the thrilling trip that we will surely treasure for years.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town…The RC managed to pull something different this year for Christmas. They brought the entire team to join hands in decorating the office, setting the crib, lighting it up, getting everyone to sing carols! The event was enjoyed with cake and wine.

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AD Diwali – The Celebration of a New Start and Opulence Belief in the Power of Goodness - no matter how dark the night gets the light of a single lamp can enlighten one’s path.

The celebrations of the festival of Diwali started with prayers. This was followed by entertainment, games and not to forget the exchange of gifts and sweets

Garba Fest – Symbolizing Victory of Benevolence over EvilNavratri - A festival that symbolizes happiness and celebration

Highlights of the festival included throbbing non-stop music for nine nights with thousands of brightly dressed people doing the garba, round the clock!

Performing the Pooja for Goddess Amba accompanied with dandiya raas and traditional garba steps made the festival indeed very enjoyable and memorable.

Annual RC – Polo ForestAs the Year 2015 reached its swansong - with all the joys, sorrows, tensions, enjoyment and celebrations. Nothing better than enjoying the day with colleagues at Polo Forest to clear out all negative memories of the past and make a fresh positive start for the forthcoming year. A delightful breakfast, trekking, sports, singing and just simply enjoying the scenic beauty of nature made the visit a memorable one

Going Guising on Halloween DayAt the bewitching hour of 8 “The Spooktacular Masquerade” started at a disc at the Agora mall. Amazing costumes, scary masks, vampire teeth - an hour of grooving to the scary music followed by a theme cuisine Certainly an evening full of frightful fun

FUN n FROLIC @ ASA-CCI

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TALENT UNFOLD

The Born Dancer – SharanniyaJust like the way her name is spelt, she too stands out from the crowd. She started her training in Bharatanatyam at the age of 5, drawing inspiration from her elder sister. She gave her first performance when she was only 8! This was at a Krishna temple in Bahrain. She now recalls how nervous she was till the point she got on to the stage. But now she is an accomplished dancer and has learnt other classical forms of dance such as Mohiniyattam and Kuchupudi as well. Today she describes the feeling of getting on stage as pure bliss. But after a continuous training of 12 years, she misses wearing those chilankas! This then led her to juggle her tight schedule to restart her training in Kochi from where she left off in Bahrain

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Robin Hood Army (‘RHA’)RHA is volunteer based organization that works to get surplus food from restaurants and distribute it to the less fortunate sections of society. It operates in a number of cities of India & Pakistan.

I joined the ‘Army’ after a friend referred it to me. We, the army, have tie ups with restaurants who provide us food that helps us in fulfilling our commitments. I collect food from allotted restaurants and distribute it to the kids. I eagerly wait for weekends when I can meet these kids.

Apart from the usual weekend drives, we conducted a ‘Blanket drive’ in December & helped distribute blankets to 2000 needy people. Also, we took the kids for a movie on Children’s Day. On Diwali we distributed sweets to the Delhi Police.

It was and always is a great experience for me to see smiles on so many faces. Being a ROBIN is something that I always take pride in!

Isha Mahawar

Dance in her step – Sneha ‘Madhuri’ PaiThe hidden talent of Sneha Pai came to the fore and blossomed on the dance stage. Her limitless passion for dance, made Sneha pursue it as a hobby. From the age of 5, Sneha was encouraged by her family to take up dance classes in order to further hone up her talent. She has been part of a dance troupe since her school days and showcased her dancing skills at various stage shows. She has won several accolades for her performances. Sneha is more inclined towards the Kathak dance form. She was trained under Sri Murari Sharan Gupta, a student of Pt. Birju Maharaj, the leading exponent of Kathak in India. For her, dance is an expression of her individuality and means fulfilling her innate emotional characteristics and not a commercial action. However, she would love to impart these skills to the future generations.

‘Be happy, humble and keep dancing’, she says with her dimpled smile when asked for a message to her fellow ASAites.

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RE-LIVING MEMORIES

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Trip to New Zealand & South IslandCall me lucky This isn’t me boasting or being complacent. But that was the feeling that kept running through my mind every single day I was there. It was what they say- “trip of a life time” and of course it tested my courage to limits that I never even expected. I had gone with my cousins and such like-minded group always brings out the best in you. I am still a bit confused on which one was my favorite adventure activity because every new adventure gave me a different rush of adrenaline and completely incomparable with the others. We did sky diving (trust me even if u got some pro hooked on to your back it is not easy to jump when you know there is not going to be the ground beneath your feet), river rafting… no river is as sweet as it looks from the shore! Then there was the gondola ride and with a breathtaking view of miles and miles of vast expanse of land stretching across till the horizon. And how can I forget the “Lord of the rings” experience? We had visited the sets of that movie and it actually felt like being a part of it all. It was just dreamlike.

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A Home Stay in Rural IndiaThis year I got the opportunity of visiting a rural area. Driving from Delhi towards the south-west near Neemrana, there are some villages with communities who are descendants of settlers who had migrated from Pakistan and north western regions more than 300 years back. Some of these villagers were Muslims, while others were Sikhs. Therefore, there was a nice harmony of religions and cultures here.

Since one of my Japanese friend works for an NGO supporting girls’ education and women labor in the region, I could join a home stay trip organised by the NGO. The life style of the villagers is very traditional. I was so surprised to see that they still used cow dung as fuel. The memories associated with the village and nature - the sounds of birds and wind

whistling through the trees, images of the landscape, smell of the lush fields, but also of local food will stay in my heart for a lifetime.

The visit was certainly one that was well worth the effort. Time passes slowly in the villages and I felt very comfortable walking through and exploring the rural area, dancing with villagers, tasting the curry food etc. My advice to you all? When feeling tired of your work or the noise and bustle of a large city, I strongly recommend you to go to such a rural place for peace and unwinding. .

Ozaki San (Hiroyuki Ozaki)

Go Goa Gone In search of that perfect break from the monotonous work schedule, and on the lookout for a sublime destination, we started off on our long drive to the all-time favorite paradise, GOA.

Accelerating ahead were 2 of our cars zooming on the Pune highway towards Goa. Our destination - Fort Aguada. We hit our destination and dived straight into the best Goa continental delicacies – in particularly garlic prawns, fish curry of the “Twenty Three” restaurant. Later at our ‘In house party’, we let our hair down to sway and swing our bodies to the foot tapping music. Exhausted in body, but not in mind, we ventured out to the beach, where the cool lapping waves rejuvenated us. The winds flirting with the coconut trees, the serenity of the vast expanse of the ocean in front of us and the shadows cast by the moonlight, were all a simply idyllic setting which seemed so dreamlike. Next day, we were woken up by the rays of the bright sun and we headed to Café Lilliput (Anjuna Beach). The experience of the luxury cruise on Deltin Royale was unforgettable – the live music performances, international dancers, offshore legal gambling, multi-cuisine restaurant and a bar that never sleeps - had all of us spellbound! This was indeed a fitting finale to our sojourn and truly delighted with this short trip we headed back to base Bengaluru – driving in the rain all the way.

Assurance Team

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TECHNICAL SESSIONS

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Client ClinicAn informative initiative organised by SC – TD by inviting PCNL for interactive session on Service Tax & TDS. Ms Rajyalakshmi first introduced our Senior Manager, Dwarikanath Subudhi. He addressed the queries from the audience & gave clarifications on various topics during the four hours session .The session ended with a vote of thanks. The proceedings was followed by lunch.

Client Clinic on GSTOur Corporate clients were invited to discussion on the Goods & Service Tax. Dwarikanath Subudhi introduced P. Nitish, who was the speaker at the session. The idea was to brief the clients about the provisions of the act and enable them to understand the implications arising out of this new act. The session also had a question and answer session for clarifying all queries.

Client ClinicA client clinic and interaction session with clients on the impact of GST across various sectors was conducted in which Sundeep Gupta, our compliance Partner, Delhi addressed the gathering. He dwelt at length on the provisions of the GST and the basic preparedness that companies will have to come up with before the act is rolled out. This opportunity of getting a detailed insight into a new and critical act was well received by our clients who appreciated the time and effort put in by ASA and its team to educate them on this new legislation

Taro Fujimoto – Exchange student from JapanWe had an interactive session with Mr. Taro Fujimoto, from Chiba University, Japan. Taro-san is an intern with the Indo Japan Chamber of Commerce, Kerala. He was visiting India as part of a student exchange programme and was studying the details of the rules and regulations relating to the company formation & taxation in India. The session also gave us an opportunity to know more about the student environment and education system in Japan.

Session on audit working papersAs a firm it is our continuous urge to grow and improve that drives to acquire new and updated knowledge about the developments in our profession. One way to get such knowledge is through peer review. A new perspective is always a learning experience, be it solving a problem or doing a task more efficiently. Towards this objective, Kochi had organised such a session. Dwarikanath Subudhi spoke on the need for such a review. He spoke to us about the possible challenges that could arise for chartered accountants and how our working papers will come into use at such instances. His session on audit working papers helped us in understanding the importance at the time of scrutiny and also helped a healthy competition amongst ourselves.

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Fascinating FridayEvery quarter SC-TD gives the ASA family a new ‘technical gift’ from their Pandora’s Box. This time the gift was a ‘Fascinating Friday’.

The concept is all about narrating, in brief, how to take home the small learnings of the entire week gone by, in the form of short stories. The stories which very well teaches us morals, yet manages to tickle our funny bone. Kudos to the team for keeping up the technical aura with moral values.

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Client ClinicA client clinic was organized in which Sundeep Gupta explained the nuances of the GST. This knowledge seminar began with the introduction and basics of the GST and its effect on the costing of a product and service. The session also highlighted the positive and negative aspects involved in the implementation of the tax. The session on GST was followed by a presentation by Mr. Anil Mehta and Mr. Mihir Hindocha on 'Internal Financial Controls'. The speakers highlighted the importance of a good Internal Control Systems (ICS) at the organizational level as well as legal level with reference to Companies Act 2013. The client clinic concluded with a variety of questions and queries from the audience. The speakers dwelt at length each query and clarified the doubts in detail. This was indeed a very successful seminar which was highly appreciated by all clients present.

Interactive Session on 'Getting Ready for a Merger'

Rakesh Upadhyaya was invited to deliver a talk on “Getting Ready for a Merger” at the Mumbai Central CPE Study Circle. He went into the intricacies of the entire procedure that has to be gone though and its criticalities. His presentation and attention to detail was greatly appreciated by the audience and was heard with rapt attention.

Training and Induction of Professional Staff (TIPS)SC-TD continued presented the Training and Induction for Professional Staff (‘TIPS’) for trainees of ASA at all locations. This was aimed at sharpening their technical skills as also to give a platform for sharing of ideas, informal interactions about their aspirations and future plans, etc. All this certainly led to a healthy bonding between the participants. The trainees from Bengaluru, Kochi came together to ASA Chennai, while the Ahmedabad and Mumbai trainees met at Mumbai. The workshop was held over four days from 21 through 24 December.

A similar session was held in Delhi, in which 34 trainees attended the program held at India Habitat Centre. Partners from different divisions actively interacted with the trainees and imparted valuable lessons and tips on a number of technical aspects, soft skills, business etiquettes, etc.

The event at Chennai was attended by 25 trainees. Presentations were made by Mr R Balachandran, Mr Sriram Parthasarathy, Mr G Viswanathan, Mr M Chidambaram, Giridharan K and Mr Ramprasad, each of whom encouraged the participants on continuous learning and exchange of knowledge. Tips on grooming were also imparted.

The session in Mumbai highlighted ways of tackling stress and also presented practical case studies in the sphere of auditing, taxation and compliance. A leading corporate trainer presented a session on soft skills.

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CONGRATULATIONS & CELEBRATIONS

Promotions

Name Promoted To Division Location

Vipul Gupta Manager Compliance Gurgaon

Result

Name Exam Location

Ashwin Bhat Qualified CS Bengaluru

Savitha V Qualified CS Bengaluru

Nidhi Deep With SreejithKochi 2 Savitha V with Nishanth V.S

Bengaluru1

1

HappyWeddding

2

S/o Hemchandra Ghag (MUM)

S/o Geetika Kohli Handa (GGN)

Isham

Viraj Handa

New Arrivals

15 // CONNECT

FROM YOUR DESK

“Would you just stop it son?” The dad gave him a stare;

The boy kicked the wall and yelled “But dad, it’s so unfair!”

“The noise of your drum angers me, I want peace in my house”

“Dad, this is what I love to do” The son raised his voice.

“Why don’t you just study son, Like every child in the street?

To get a job and handsome pay And stand on your own feet”

“Night and day you toil at work In heaven stays my mum

With none around to talk to dad, Music’s my only chum!”

Thus he said and shut the door, Tears pooled in his eye.

He grabbed a book from the shelf And bid his dream good bye.

“Bless me dad”, the grown-up said Forcing a painful smile;

“I got a job as you wished, But away from thousand mile!”

The father shed a happy tear And pecked on the cheek of his son;

He proudly heaved a sigh of relief! Now that his ‘duty’ was done!

- Jeevitha GN (BLR)

The Lost Son

The boy looked at his drum for one last time; And kissed it with all the might

With a heavy heart he left the house, And rushed to board the flight.

An hour later, the telephone buzzed, It was a bolt from the blue!

The plane had crashed and the boy had died, The dad’s heart broke into two!

The shaken dad staggered to the room, Where the drum lay pristine!

A killing pain lumped in his throat While the guilt chained him down the spine!

Years have passed, with son gone Dad is with no one around;

Every day he enters the room Where the son’s memories are bound.

With a heavy heart, he holds the sticks And hits the drum aloud;

He feels his son next to him With every beat aroused.

16 // CONNECT

KNOW YOUR MATE

Don’t talk - just act, Don’t say - just show, Don’t promise - just prove…A search for such kind of a person in ASA-CCI often starts and ends at Nitin Gupta. Finally, the person who introduced the section ‘Know Your Mate’ has now been featured himself - after 3 years! Nitin was awarded the title of ‘Google’ and ‘Wall’ of ASA-CCI for 2 consecutive years. Such a dynamic yet serious persona is hard to find. Today, if anyone were to ask him to walk a few kilometers, he would give number of excuses and opt narrow escape. But there was a time when he completed a walking marathon – covering 260 km in 9 days! And this he did not just once but three times. Born and bought up in Mumbai, his Mumbaiya accent was prominent during his initial days of ASA-CCI, but got toned down as he settled down. His family describes him as a very calm and caring person, but too introvert.

Mystery Man – Nitin Gupta (GGN)

We wonder what makes him so talkative in office! Nitin's philosophy is to be honest and sincere. Excel in your strengths and let these overcome your weaknesses.

However, skipping his lunch and office parties still baffles everyone…

Possessing a charismatic personality, Yogesh always manages to blend-in with most of his colleagues. Born and brought up in Namma Bengaluru, this Sindhi lad laid out his road-map for becoming a CA when he was a teenager. Presently working as an AM with ASA-BLR, he claims that the milestones to reach excellence can be achieved by working hand-in-hand relentlessly as a team.

Playing the role as the Chair of Connect, he always makes sure that his team is always on their toes to bring out the best Bengaluru has got. He worships work in his own way wherein he strives hard to put in his 100% every single time so as to achieve the perfect result. He is quite passionate about teaching and he takes it seriously whenever he gets the opportunity. .

‘Chilled Out’ would be the words that would describe him perfectly. The best quality observed in him is that ‘he does not judge a book by its cover’ and would any day go out of his way to help a friend. He makes sure to take out time for his workout at the gym, score some runs in cricket and involve himself spiritually in Nirankari congregations. During his leisure he loves listening to songs as he believes that ‘music cleans the soul of the dust gathered in everyday life’.

To wrap it up in a nutshell, this larger than life individual surely knows how to manage his personal and professional life in a balanced manner and yet find simplicity amidst clutter.

Someone once told me “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed from the things which you didn’t do than by the one’s you did. So, throw off the bowlines, catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover.” That was the time when I looked into me and decided to start off something which I love to do and need to do. My zest for Bike rides is what which makes me feel much more alive.

From past 3-4 years I was planning to buy a Bicycle but two months back out of nowhere I just landed up in a bicycle shop and without giving any thought I made the first move towards my dream and just bought it. Initially, I started with short rides but after few weeks I wanted to step out of my comfort zone. So, I just woke up one morning and decided to travel 145 kms at a stretch, I realized it was never easy and there were times when I wanted to just ‘STOP’ but then my determination to achieve this milestone was strong enough to overcome my pain. Yes as you would expect, my legs gave me a hard time but as they say you can’t buy happiness but you can buy a bike and that’s pretty close…Isn’t it?

The happy moment actually came when I noticed that people are inspired to join me in this bike ride journey and many have even initiated the same. I write this article for my ASA-CCI family whom I feel I can motivate. I will try to commute to office on my bike at least on working Saturdays and would suggest that those who stay nearby our office can commute. It offers a safer, healthier, eco friendly and efficient mode of transport. If you lack the WILL, you get the leftovers of what life has to offer. So, just go out into this world of limitless possibilities and make WILL your best friend!

Zesty!! Yogesh R Mahbubani (BLR)

Rider – Lives to Ride Sudheer Pareek (DEL)

17 // CONNECT

We all know Anil Mehta formally, as our ‎National Head – Assurance and a respected professional of the CA fraternity. Here we bring out his informal side and nudge him into answering, for once, non-technical questions!

COFFEE WITH CONNECT

Q1 What is your favorite activity when on vacation? Visit new places or laze around.

Q2 What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten? Being a vegetarian, nothing very weird, but did erroneously eat Pepperoni Pizza in Italy

Q3 When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A super-cop in the Wild West, Cowboy land.

Q4 Which three words would you use to describe yourself? Honest, Logical, Efficient.

Q5 Apart from work, what are your interests? Sports, mainly outdoor sports. I can play over 15 outdoor sports, such as Cricket, Tennis, Badminton, Football, Baseball, Volleyball, Skating, Ice- skating, Water surfing, Swimming, Scuba diving, Water rides, etc,etc. I also enjoy spending time with very young children.

Q6 Sitting on a bench in a beautiful woods, who would you wish was sitting next to you and why? A pretty lady (certainly not a tigress) and be romantic.

Q7 What is the naughtiest thing you have done in school? I was really not too naughty at all. But I once bunked school to see a movie ‘Hum Dono’ with my childhood schoolmate & my parents.

Q8 What is something you hate doing? Why? To be political, as it would hurt someone’s interest for self-benefit.

Q9 What compliment do you often get from people? Honest, Helpful & Very Trustworthy.

Q10 The one thing you have always wanted to do and which you will do post retirement? Many things, of which one is that I will play a musical instrument.

Q11 What was the last picture you clicked on your phone? Keep doing regularly – clicking photos and shooting videos of my grandson skating.

Q12 What was your first thought when you woke up this morning? Thank GOD for giving me one more fine day.

Q13 What do you hope to see in your future? In your life. India to be the most developed & happiest country

Q14 One person who inspires you the most and why? My childhood friend Mr Vijay Goradia who has achieved great success through determination, perseverance and fair practice.

Q15 Head V/s Heart, what do you follow? My own instinct.

Q16 What’s the motto of your life? Be balanced. Be GOOD rather than be SMART.

18 // CONNECT

WHO'S NEW @ ASA-CCI

Delhi / Gurgaon Mumbai

Senior

Senior

Sr. Associate TraineeTAS Compliance

Mansi Jain Omprakash Priyanka Ahuja Shruti MaheshRoopam Kalra Saksham

AssuranceTaxation

Consultant

Spriha Aggarwa Varad Khanna Talha Arslan Kunal Garg Devendra Singh Negi

Hiesh Gupta

Trainee Trainee Senior

TraineeTAS

Garima Sabharwal Harmeet Singh Harshit Agarwal Isha Mahawar Jasleen Kaur Jaspreet Kaur

Taxation Assurance

Sameer BagulMihir Parekh

Admin OfficerEnt. Str Admin

Akansha Khanna Ayush Pathak Bhimanshu Kansal Chetan Monga Deepanshu Satti Dikshant Kalra

Asst. Manager TraineeTaxation Asst. ManagerTaxation TraineeTaxation TraineeCompliance TraineeCompliance

Consultant Asst. ManagerTaxation TraineeAssurance Taxation Senior SeniorTaxation

Assurance Senior Asst. ManagerTaxation Asst. ManagerTaxation TraineeCompliance

TraineeAssurance Assurance Taxation Compliance Compliance

Anshu Agarwal

ArticleAssuranceTrainee

Kanchan Lalwani

Senior

Chennai

Omkar Bhangle

Taxation Trainee

Taxation Trainee Compliance Taxation TraineeCompliance Compliance

Abilash Suresh

Assurance Trainee

BAS

Senior

“Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.”

“You don’t just rise to the top. There are times of preparation and many mountains to conquer for the ultimate triumph to the top.”

“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”

Narendranath D

ManagerTaxation

19 // CONNECT

WHO'S NEW @ ASA-CCI

19 // CONNECT

Hyderabad Bengaluru Kochi

Venkatesh A

Compliance Senior Compliance

Prathima J

Senior

B. Nagi Reddy

Dept. ManagerAssurance

Alok Kumar

SeniorCompliance

Abdul Nizar

Assurance Asst. Manager

Roopa Rajeev

Accounts Admin Officer

Sindhuja JAnanthakrishnan N

SeniorAsst. ManagerTaxation Compliance

Some Beautiful Quotes

-Will iam Shakespeare -

- Lailah Gifty Akita -

- Albert Einstein -

“All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.”

- Immanuel Kant -

Compliance

Monalisha Gantayat

Asst. ManagerEnt. Str

20 // CONNECT

Published at New Delhi Office:81/1 3rd Floor, Adhchini, Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi 110 017. Tel (91) (11) 4100 9999 Fax (91) (11) 4100 9990

Editorial and Content Team: Editorial and Content Team: Sateesh, Vasudha, Tushar, Sudheer, Hitesh, Aafreen, Shubhra, Janvi, Darji, Yogesh, Chandan,

Jeevitha, Harish, Shilpa, Vishwa, S Balaji, N Naveen, J Sriram, Jayendri C, N Nandhakumar, Sreya, Gokul, Megha, Nidhi, Swathy, Aarthy, Maria,

Sharanniya, Esha, Sharnam, Dhruv, Vivek, Krystal, Bijjal, Vidhi, Urvi, Siddharth.G, Siddharth.M, Soma, Gitali, Eva, Isha, Pooja Nagpal

Design Team Keshav and Siraj

www.cci.in*For internal circulation only

The Message Board – Let’s get connected!SC- Connect gave chance to all employees to express their appreciation or gratitude to the one who inspires or the one who guides or to the one whom we want to say- ‘Thank you’, within the ASA – CCI family. SC-Connect received some interesting and thoughtful messages across locations. Below are the winning entries:

For: Amrita KumariIt 's about correspondence. It 's about trustworthiness. It's about acknowledging individuals. You don't attempt to conceal the story. You are the most genuine person I have ever met.

Reshma Singhania (DEL)

For: Mohammad ZackriyaYou are one of the coolest managers I have ever worked with, till date. Thanks for all the patience you showed when I continuously committed mistakes and created trouble. Really appreciate the way you support your article trainees

Jeevitha G N (BLR)

For: Rakesh UpadhyayaAfter working with a boss like you, I have started feeling a little left out when I am with my friends. Every time they say bad things about their bosses, I really have nothing to say!! Thanks for converting my mistakes into lessons, pressure into productivity and skills into strengths. Leading your employees and getting them to follow your vision without being dominating and annoying is something that I have truly learned from you. Thanks for showing us that respect is always deserved, never commanded or forced.

Vidhi Mehta (MUM)

Interesting facts about Japan

ØOver 70% of Japan consists of mountains. The country also has over 200 volcanoes.

ØJapan consists of over 6,800 islands.

ØA musk melon (similar to a cantaloupe) can sell for over 31,473 yen ($300.00).

ØThe literacy rate in Japan is almost 100%.

ØJapan has produced 15 Nobel laureates (in chemistry, medicine and physics), 3 Fields medalists and one Gauss Prize laureate.

ØJapan’s unemployment rate is less than 4%.

Ø21% of the Japanese population is elderly, the highest proportion in the world.