CFA SOCIETY INDIA: DELIVERING TREMENDOUS VALUE LOCALLY

CFA Society India has more than 2,400 members spread across India, with regional chapters in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and Indore.

In line with its key objectives, the local society has been working hard to promote ethics and professional standards, facilitate the exchange of information and opinions, and further the understanding of CFA Institute programs and certificates.

Supported by its strong volunteer base (around 111 active volunteers), CFA Society India has delivered tremendous value to its members and the wider investment community.  Indeed, from March 2022–February 2023, the local society organized eight marquee conferences, 16 speaker events, three advocacy roundtables, six volunteering sessions, the Ethics Challenge, the CFA Institute Research Challenge, 22 CFA Society India webinars covering a wide range of topics, and 12 networking sessions.

Highlights From Recent Initiatives

Impactful programs and events

• Ethics Challenge: Now in its third season, the CFA Society Ethics Challenge aims to promote ethical behaviour in the finance industry and provide an opportunity for students to apply their ethics knowledge to real-world scenarios. This year, the challenge doubled in size, with 30 colleges participating and fighting it out to be crowned the champion.
• CFA Institute Research Challenge: Marking its 16th edition, the challenge had 231 student participants from 48 universities. The challenge was supported by 48 mentors, 20 graders, and 15 judges.
• First fifty founders: CFA Society India celebrated the contributions of its first fifty founders, who helped to establish the local society and pave the way for its growth. This unique event helped to remind current members of the society’s origins, history, and values.
• Advocacy roundtables: The local society conducted three advocacy roundtables, which brought together industry professionals, regulators, and other stakeholders to discuss ethical issues and propose solutions.

Increased stakeholder engagement

• Mobile app: CFA Society India launched a new app for member services, which provides access to events, networking opportunities, content, and job opportunities anytime, anywhere. The app has been well received, with over 850 downloads from members and event participants. Other features include notifications, one-touch registration, discussion forums, online Q&A, polls, and feedback

• Growing digital presence: The digital presence of CFA Society India continues to grow significantly, with 200,000 website visits, 8.9 million impressions, and 80,000+ engagements across social media. Its YouTube channel, with over 40,000 subscribers, is rated among the top three channels in the investment education category, and its content has received high viewership of 0.5 million organically. The society’s LinkedIn account has 50,000 followers, making it the most followed CFA Society® community handle worldwide.
• Career Guide (second edition):  The second edition of the CFA Society India Career Guide was curated by members collaborating with CFA Institute and launched when Margaret Franklin, CFA, CEO and president, CFA Institute, visited India. The online career centre registered significant engagement, with 222 jobs posted. The local society also introduced a new event called Career Day, bringing together employers and job seekers, with over 17 employers participating in three Career Days.

• Quarterly newsletter: The local society enhanced the visual look of its quarterly newsletter, which was widely appreciated. The social media impressions of the launch of the newsletter spiked up to a minimum of 5,000 impressions per quarter.

Supporting Women in Investment Management

• Mind the Gender Gap report: In collaboration with CFA Institute, CFA Society India published the ‘Mind the Gender Gap – Analysis of Women’s Participation, Pay, and Other Measures in Indian Public Companies’ report in March 2023, which received significant media coverage. The report highlights the gender gap in the Indian finance industry and provides insights on how to address it. The society is engaging with regulators to discuss the report’s findings, and the next version will be published based on 2023 data.

• FEMTOR Club: Recognizing the importance of mentorship for women’s career advancement, CFA Society India launched a new initiative called the FEMTOR Club. The pilot program paired nine senior women members with younger mentees to provide guidance and support. The program has had positive results, including enabling pay raises and facilitating the return to work of women who took a career break. The local society plans to continue the program with two cohorts per year, and additional resources such as coach-the-coaches will be added.

Rajendra Kalur, CFA, Chairperson, CFA Society India said: “An overarching thread present in the diverse range of activities carried out by CFA Society India is the growing interconnectedness with its members, candidates, external stakeholders, and dedicated group of volunteers. To further enhance this engagement, technology has emerged as a powerful facilitator. We are convinced that by fostering stronger connections, we can make greater contributions through more effective consolidation of ideas and more intelligent implementation.’’

For more information, visit www.cfasocietyindia.org