CFA gears up to build image in India

The US-based Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) institute, which is fighting a case with the technical education regulatory body — All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) — in the Delhi High Court, has decided to create brand awareness about itself in India.

It says its members have requested it to market itself well in India and China. “We did our research on our brand awareness in India and found that we need to strengthen it. We need to make sure that our employers recognise the CFA brand so we have begun with print advertising in India,” Ashvin Vibhakar, Managing Director of Asia Pacific Operations, CFA Institute told Business Standard from Hong Kong.

The institute has been asked to freeze its operations in India but the court has given it ‘provisional permission’ to register candidates for the CFA exam in India for June 2010. In December 2007, the Delhi High Court had dismissed the CFA Institute’s petition against AICTE stating that CFA institute should seek AICTE’s approval to operate in India.

Following the order, the CFA Institute decided to approach AICTE in January 2008 to seek approval for its India operations. Simultaneously, it had appealed to the division bench of the Delhi High Court against the December 2007 order. This month, however, CFA Institute informed the investment community of its presence in India by means of print advertisements in Indian newspaper.