Organised by: Department of Commerce, Carmel College of Arts, Science & Commerce for Women, Nuvem-Goa and the Business Wizards as part of the Alumni Links lecture series.
Date & Venue: Saturday, 2nd August 2025 UGCR 08, Theodosia A.C. Block
The Department of Commerce organised an alumni guest lecture in association with the Business Wizards initiative titled “Charting the CA Journey: Practical Insights into the World of Auditing.” The resource person was Ms. Apoorva Mandrekar, an alumna of B.Com (Hons.), Class of 2023–24, currently a CA Final aspirant and Audit Assistant. The session was attended by 74 students of the Second Year and Third Year B.Com classes.
The objectives of the session were:
- To understand the path and challenges of pursuing Chartered Accountancy (CA) as a profession.
- To gain real-world insights into audit practices from a working audit assistant.
- To bridge classroom learning with industry expectations and responsibilities.
- To inspire students by showcasing achievable career milestones.
Ms. Apoorva Mandrekar is an outstanding alumna of Carmel College. She cleared her CA Foundation in November 2020 during the pandemic and simultaneously completed her B.Com (Hons.) with top scores across all six semesters while pursuing CA Inter. She also served as an NCC cadet, securing an “A” Grade in the “B” Certificate and B Grade in the “C” Certificate. She undertook ITT and Orientation courses under the ICAI. She interned with RRK & Co., where she independently handled internal audits for a multinational company and assisted in concurrent audits of nationalised banks. She further gained professional exposure through her articleship at BDO Multinational, one of the Big 4 accounting firms, and later with Ganesh Daivajna & Co., a reputed CA firm in Goa. Beyond academics, Ms. Mandrekar is a trained Bharatnatyam, Kathak, and Western dancer, and her hobbies include swimming, skating, sketching, and cycling. She also served as the Secretary of WICASA Goa (2024–25), hosting and organising student events and contributing articles to the ICAI newsletter.
Highlights of the Talk
- Motivational Insights on CA Journey: She emphasised that the CA profession is not just a prefix but a matter of pride, respect, and national contribution. Citing Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, she highlighted the importance of a CA’s role in nation-building.
- Qualities Needed to Become a Chartered Accountant: Ms. Apoorva stated that intelligence, hard work, consistency, passion, planning, prioritisation, meditation, exercise, and avoiding distractions were qualities-chartered accountants need to possess.
- Audit as a Profession: Explained what auditors do, types of audits, documentation requirements, and the difference between working in multinational firms versus small CA firms. Shared personal experiences of handling internal and concurrent audits.
- Handling Failures & Staying Motivated: Narrated stories of CA aspirants who cleared after multiple failures, stressing that persistence matters more than the number of attempts.
The guest lecture by Ms. Apoorva Mandrekar was both inspiring and enriching. It motivated students to consider Chartered Accountancy as a career option and gave them first-hand insights into audit practice. The session reinforced the values of perseverance, discipline, and professionalism