The balance sheet of a government belongs, in a broader sense, to the citizens. In India’s rapidly evolving economic landscape, the role of a Chartered Accountant is no longer confined to balance sheets, audits and taxation. Increasingly, the profession is finding relevance in public policy, governance and political leadership. The journey of Chartered Accountants such as Piyush Goyal demonstrates how financial expertise can influence decisions far beyond the corporate world.

The proposed India-US trade agreement has now become a test of whether India can convert a turbulent global trading order into a lasting strategic and economic advantage. For decades, trade negotiations largely revolved around a familiar arithmetic of reducing tariffs and expanding market access. That comfortable world has vanished. The United States led by Donald Trump increasingly treats trade as an instrument of geopolitical leverage. As a result, Commerce Minister Piyush