Business

Monday, January 19, 2026 | Daily Newspaper published by GPPC Doha, Qatar.

Business

The session witnessed active participation, engaging discussions, and thoughtful interactions from members, underlining the relevance of future-ready leadership skills in today’s dynamic professional landscape.

ICAI Doha Chapter hosts ‘Future Ready Leadership’ session on integrating AI and emotional intelligence

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) – Doha Chapter recently conducted a professional development session on ‘Future Ready Leadership – Integration of Artificial Intelligence with Emotional Intelligence’.ICAI Doha chairperson Kishore Alex delivered the opening address before the 150 members who attended the event. He reflected on the chapter’s key milestones and initiatives taken last year, and informed members on the upcoming programmes and the chapter’s continued focus on future-oriented learning and professional excellence.The technical session was delivered by AI enthusiast, Ivpreet Singh Nanda, who spoke on the evolving role of leaders in an AI-driven world. He highlighted how AI can enhance decision-making, productivity, and strategic thinking, while emphasising the importance of emotional intelligence in building trust, empathy, and effective team leadership. The session included practical examples, real-life applications, and insights on balancing technological advancement with human judgment.Nirlep Bhatt, former chairman of ICAI Doha Chapter, also shared perspectives on leadership drawn from his professional journey, and emphasised adaptability, ethical leadership, and the need for continuous learning to remain relevant in a rapidly changing business environment.The session witnessed active participation, engaging discussions, and thoughtful interactions from members, underlining the relevance of future-ready leadership skills in today’s dynamic professional landscape.ICAI Doha Chapter vice-chairperson Arun Somanath concluded the event with a vote of thanks and lauded the speakers, sponsors, the organising committee, and members for their continued support and participation.

A guard walks past the Reliance Industries logo near the entrance of Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City in Navi Mumbai. The oil-to-telecoms giant, led by Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani, is India's most valuable company by market capitalisation.

India's Reliance Industries misses profit estimate

Reliance Industries, one of India's biggest companies, on Friday reported weaker quarterly profits than expected, as a muted performance in its retail business overshadowed strong growth in its telecoms division.The oil-to-telecoms giant, led by Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani, is India's most valuable company by market capitalisation.The conglomerate said net profit came in at 186.45bn rupees ($2.05bn) for the October-December quarter, up just 0.57% from the same period last year.Analysts had on average expected a bottom line of 198.96bn rupees, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.Revenue from operations for Reliance meanwhile rose 10.5% year-on-year to 2.69tn rupees.But this was accompanied by a 11.5% jump in expenses that it said included the cost of complying with India's new labour laws.Despite its aggressive push into retail, telecoms and green energy, Reliance continues to rely on its traditional oil business for profits.While its core oil-to-chemicals (O2C) division struggled for parts of 2024 and 2025 — as global uncertainty roiled the industry — it has started to bounce back.In a statement, Ambani noted that the "robust growth" in the O2C business was led by "significantly higher fuel margins" and "operational flexibility".Reliance's consumer-facing businesses have long been fast-growing bright spots.But for the December quarter, the conglomerate's retail unit was hurt by weaker margins.The telecoms unit, which is gearing up for a public listing later this year, saw its average revenue per user grow 5.1% year-on-year.The company attributed the bump to higher demand for 5G services.Reliance Industries shares have slipped over 7% so far this year.