Thiruvananthapuram: A two-day summit examining the transformative role of artificial intelligence in finance and accounting began at Technopark on Saturday, bringing together professionals, industry leaders and policymakers to deliberate on the future of the sector.Titled NextGen Finance AI Summit 2026, the event is organised by Professional Development & CPE Committee of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI) in association with Technopark, Southern India Regional Council (SIRC) of ICMAI and its Thiruvananthapuram Chapter. Inaugurating the summit, N K Premachandran, MP, highlighted the sweeping changes AI is bringing to the finance profession. He noted that the domain is undergoing a structural shift from manual processes to strategic intelligence and data-driven decision-making. “There is a clear transition in finance from routine processing to strategic insight powered by technology. Professionals must therefore become more competent, both technologically and ethically,” he said, underlining the relevance of the summit’s theme, Transforming Finance with AI: From Automation to Insight. Citing a report by McKinsey Global Institute, he pointed out that by 2030, nearly 25% of existing jobs in India could be affected by AI. In that context, he stressed the need to harness AI effectively to mitigate job losses and create new opportunities. Presiding over the inaugural session, Srinivasa Prasad, president of ICMAI, described the summit as the first of its kind in Kerala and a significant milestone in the institute’s history. He said the initiative reflects ICMAI’s commitment to preparing members for a rapidly evolving financial and technological landscape. AI-driven management in finance, he observed, is not limited to cost control but extends to optimising overall resource management. Pranav Jayan, chairman of ICMAI Thiruvananthapuram Chapter, welcomed the gathering. Suresh R Gunjalli, chairman of Members in Industry & PSUs Committee of ICMAI, along with regional council members Gomathisankar and Praveen Kumar, were present. The inaugural day featured sessions on Next Gen Finance Automation & Google Apps Script, VBA Automation and Vibe Coding, and a robotic show. On the second day, discussions will focus on transforming financial reporting through automation and risk analysis, and on the digital twin model of costing, along with interactive demonstrations and expert-led sessions.
