ICAI News – The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has put the further implementation of the ICAI Global Networking Guidelines, 2025, on hold until further orders. The announcement was issued by ICAI’s Aggregation of CA Firms Committee on 15 July 2026 & signed by the Secretary, ICAI.
The ICAI Global Networking Guidelines were notified through Notification No. 3-CACAF/GN-F/2026 dated 11 February 2026. These guidelines created a framework for Indian chartered accountant firms, ICAI-registered domestic networks and eligible consultancy entities to enter into networking or affiliation arrangements with overseas entities and global networks.
Under the notified framework, global network arrangements involving domestic entities were required to be registered with ICAI. The rules included provisions for approval of a global network name, registration, appointment of a nodal officer, annual reporting, changes in network structure and compliance with the Chartered Accountants Act, ICAI regulations and the Code of Ethics.
What does “kept in abeyance” mean?
To put it simply, ICAI has put a hold on moving forward with the Global Networking Guidelines for now. They haven’t canceled or withdrawn them for good—just pressed pause. So, if you’re an ICAI member, part of a CA firm, or involved in a global network, sit tight and wait for an official update or a new timeline before doing anything based on these guidelines.
Who should take note?
The update is important for practising chartered accountants, Indian CA firms, domestic CA networks, nodal officers, ICAI-registered consultancy entities and overseas organisations planning professional collaboration with Indian firms. Firms that had started preparing applications, agreements, registration forms or compliance documents should review the announcement and avoid assuming that the earlier implementation process is continuing.
ICAI has asked members to take note of the decision. No new implementation date or reason for the pause has been provided in the announcement. Stakeholders should rely only on future notifications published on the official ICAI website or in the Gazette of India.
Official record note: ICAI’s announcement describes the guidelines as published in the Gazette dated 17 February 2026. The Gazette PDF carries the notification date of 11 February 2026, an issue date of 12 February 2026 and an electronic publication code dated 17 February 2026.
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