NIRC Regional Council Election · ICSI 2026
CS Suman
Kumar Jha
FCS · Founder & Managing Partner, Corp Legex
"Rethink. Rebuild. Lead."
The CS profession is at a crossroads. AI is reshaping compliance. Nobody in NIRC leadership is asking what that means for our members. Someone has to.
15+
Years of Practice
3
Regulators Engaged
RBI · SEBI · MCA
RBI · SEBI · MCA
6
Concrete Commitments
21K+
NIRC Members We Serve
The Hard Truth
Nobody Is Talking About What Actually Matters
What does a CS professional's career look like in 2030?
Why is the CA profession expanding while we remain confined to compliance?
Who is building a roadmap for CS professionals in an AI-driven economy?
Why do our members feel anxious about relevance while NIRC plans its next awards function?
How do we evolve from compliance executors to strategic governance advisors?
For years, NIRC has been focused on events, self-promotion, and the appearance of progress. Meanwhile, the profession is quietly being disrupted.
AI tools are handling filing, tracking, and compliance monitoring that once required a trained professional. Our members are anxious. Younger CS professionals cannot see a clear growth path.
This is not a criticism for its own sake. It is a call to honesty — and to action. The CS profession has enormous potential. But potential without leadership becomes irrelevance.
The Candidate
15 Years Building What I Now Want to Defend
CS Suman Kumar Jha
FCS · Founder & Managing Partner
Corp Legex
M&A
Insolvency
SEBI
RBI
MCA
Fintech
Restructuring
Based in Delhi · Serving domestic & multinational clients
Mergers & Acquisitions
Advising domestic and multinational clients on complex M&A transactions — bringing a governance lens to every deal.
Regulatory Advisory — RBI, SEBI, MCA
Direct engagement with India's top regulators on behalf of clients. The experience NIRC members need representing their interests.
Insolvency & Corporate Restructuring
Representing stakeholders in high-stakes restructuring matters — an area where CS professionals have enormous, untapped opportunity.
Fintech & Emerging Sectors
Navigating regulatory frameworks for new-age businesses — precisely where tomorrow's CS practice will be built.
Speaker & Thought Leader
Regular speaker at industry forums and seminars on evolving legal, regulatory, and governance frameworks.
The Vision
Beyond Compliance. Towards Leadership.
The CS profession was built on compliance. That foundation remains valuable. But a foundation is not a ceiling. Having engaged with SEBI, RBI, and MCA for 15 years, I know what governance excellence looks like — and the gap between where our members are and where they are capable of reaching.
01
AI-Integrated CS Professional
Learn to work with AI, not fear it. Use automation for routine tasks while CS professionals focus on judgment, strategy, and governance decisions that machines cannot make.
02
Strategic Governance Advisor
Move from filing compliance to advising boards on governance architecture, risk management, and stakeholder strategy. CS professionals belong in the boardroom.
03
Regulatory Intelligence Expert
Position CS members as India's leading experts in regulatory interpretation — the go-to professionals for businesses navigating SEBI, RBI, and MCA.
04
Expanded Practice Frontier
Insolvency, ESG compliance, data privacy, fintech regulation — growing fields where CS professionals have a natural right to lead.
05
Independent Director Pipeline
Build the credibility and skills for CS professionals to serve as independent directors and governance consultants at the highest levels.
06
A Profession That Speaks for Itself
NIRC must become a credible policy voice — submitting papers, engaging regulators proactively, and shaping the frameworks that govern our work.
The Agenda
Six Commitments. Not Promises — Deliverables.
01
CS Future Task Force
Launch within 6 months of election. Map emerging roles in an AI-driven economy. Publish a public roadmap with recommendations for members, ICSI, and regulators.
Within 6 Months
02
Direct Regulatory Access for Members
Build a formal mechanism through which NIRC members' concerns reach RBI, SEBI, and MCA — backed by my existing relationships with these regulators.
Year One Priority
03
AI Readiness Programme
Practical, hands-on programme to help CS members adopt AI tools in their practice. Not theoretical — skills you apply in your office the next day.
Practical Skills
04
Practice Opportunity Platform
A centralized, actively managed platform for assignments, empanelments, collaborations — so no NIRC member misses opportunities due to geography or network gaps.
All Practitioners
05
Young CS Leadership Initiative
Structured mentorship for members in their first five years. Pairing with senior practitioners. Real-world exposure. Building tomorrow's CS leaders today.
Future Generation
06
Radical Transparency
Monthly written updates to all NIRC members on decisions made, actions taken, and outcomes delivered. No more information gap between council and community.
Every Month
Manifesto
The Complete Vision for NIRC
A detailed roadmap — not just what I will do, but why it matters for every CS professional in Northern India
The Moment of Truth
Let us be honest with each other. The Company Secretary profession is at a crossroads. AI is reshaping compliance. Regulatory technology is automating what we once considered our core work. And yet — the conversation at NIRC remains stuck in the familiar cycle of events, awards, and self-promotion. Nobody is asking the questions that actually matter about our future.
Why I Am Contesting
I am not a career council member. I have not spent years collecting titles or attending every ICSI function for visibility. I am a working professional — like most of you — who has built something real over 15 years and now wants to bring that experience to serve this community with honest, specific, and ambitious leadership.
The CS Profession in 2030
AI handles filing. Regulatory tech automates compliance tracking. The CA profession occupies insolvency, ESG, and advisory spaces. What does a CS professional become? The answer must be: strategic governance advisor, regulatory intelligence expert, boardroom presence. Not a compliance executor. A governance leader. That is the transition NIRC must lead — and currently is not.
What Changes Under My Leadership
A CS Future Task Force publishing a public roadmap within 12 months. Direct regulatory representation for members at SEBI, RBI, and MCA. An AI Readiness Programme with practical, usable skills. A Practice Opportunity Platform for all practitioners. Structured mentorship for young members. Monthly written transparency reports. Six specific deliverables. Not aspirations — accountabilities.
📄 Download Full Manifesto PDF
Complete manifesto with detailed commitments, vision, and background
Your Voice Will Shape This Manifesto
Unlike most candidates who arrive with a fixed agenda, I am asking NIRC members what they actually need — before the election, not after. Every response directly shapes my priorities.
Takes 3 minutes
Fully confidential
Responses shape the final agenda
From the Campaign
Insights & Updates
Thoughts on the CS profession, governance, AI, and the NIRC election from CS Suman Kumar Jha
CS Profession · May 2026
Will AI Replace the Company Secretary?
The honest answer most people do not want to give. AI will not replace CS professionals — it will replace those who ignore it. Here is what the transition actually looks like...
Read more →
Campaign Update · May 2026
Why I Am Contesting NIRC — The Honest Version
I have been thinking about whether to write this for a long time. Today I am writing it. Not because I have always wanted to be on a council, but because...
Read more →
Regulatory Insights · May 2026
The CA vs CS Gap — A Conversation We Must Have
The CA profession is expanding confidently into new areas. Our profession remains largely defined by compliance. This is not a criticism — it is a challenge that demands an answer...
Read more →
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Get In Touch
Let's Have a Real Conversation
WhatsApp / Phone
+91 9911626324
Fastest response via WhatsApp
Email
fcs@sumankumarjha.com, suman@corplegex.com
For formal correspondence
Office
9th Floor, 912, D Block, Pocket D,
Sector 18, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201301
Sector 18, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201301
NIRC Region — Delhi Chapter