ICAI to frame new norms for software, BPO industry

Accounting regulator Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is planning to come out with accounting norms for the software and the BPO industry.

"Though we have 32 accounting standards (AS) and they apply to all the business entities, we have been receiving specific problems related to sectors like software and Business Process Outsourcing. We are planning to bring out norms pertaining to them," ICAI President Uttam Prakash Agarwal told PTI.

Agarwal said ICAI has invited people from the software industry and practicing chartered accountants in the sector for dialogue and discussions and will come out with the new norms only after that.

The institute has so far come out with different standards and guiding principles for oil and natural gas industry and Special Economic Zones (SEZ). It is expected to come out with separate standards for insurance and retail sector too.

Apart from that, it is working on special provisions for the agriculture sector too, as at present the sector does not have guiding principles for it. There is no way to value horticulture, floriculture or plantation crops.