K. S. Aiyar, The Founder

Father of the Accountancy Profession in India

Kalyan Subramani Aiyar (born 6th June 1859) founded the firm bearing his name and started professional practice in Calicut in 1897. He and the firm shift-ed to Bombay in 1900, where it is head-quartered till this day.

Brief details of the Founder's illustrious professional career over half a century are as follows:

1905	Procured permission from Society of Incorporated Accountants & Auditors U.K. for training apprentices in India for their London Examinations and took Sorab S. Engineer as first apprentice followed by many others including past partners
October 1913	Established Sydenham College of Commerce, Bombay, the first such college in India and acted as First Honorary Principal.
March 1900	Converted Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Insti-tution (B.J.P.C.I), Bombay, into College of Commerce preparing students for London Chamber of Commerce Examinations.
February 1886-89	Headmaster of first Commercial School in India started by Pachaiyappa College Charities at Madras.
July 1890	Elected Associate of Society of Incorporated Account-ants & Auditors (SIAA), London, UK, (without article-ship or examinations)
1890	Authored Standard text-book in book-keeping
1898	Elected Fellow & Senate Member of University of Madras
1900-08	Invited to Bombay by Sir Byramjee Jeejeebhoy First Baronet and acceptance of Principalship of B.J.P.C.I in Bombay
June 1900	Started the First Night School of Commerce in Bombay
February 1901-31	Elected Fellow & Senate Member of University of Bombay and continued as such for thirty-years
January 1912	Instituted Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Bombay University, the first in India

K S. Aiyar a pioneer of Indian Accountancy and of the Accountancy profession, was first and last, a dedicated educationist. His professional practice kept growing first as sole proprietor and then with partners like Sorab S. Engineer & M.R. Tambe (also an Actuary) and thereafter his son Bharatha and Arjun Aiyar. Many of those associated with him went on to become outstanding in their own careers.

The faith in him of Bombay's Merchant Princes also grew. The high places of trust and confidence enjoyed over several decades by the firm and also those who worked in it, provide enough proof of the high standards of excellence attained by his firm and institu-tion.

However, K. S. Aiyar always regarded the firm as a medium to further the cause of commercial education which he so wisely foresaw as a necessity for all mercantile and industrial pursuits. The firm was to K.S. Aiyar, first and foremost, an educational institution dedicated to moulding young and bright youths, directing their minds from dry theory to an honoured professional career. The long list of articled clerks and juniors some of whom he accepted into partnership, provides ample proof of K .S. Aiyar's lofty objec-tives.

The firm as it stands today owes its very substratum and its unimpeded growth to the primacy given to these noble objectives which were magnificent obsessions with its founder K. S. Aiyar, who ingrained them in the lofty principles of excelling service to the commercial community rendered with spotless integrity, high effi-ciency and a deep sense of commitment, thereby setting a model for those that followed him. K. S. Aiyar spent the evening of his life in Bangalore until his end came on 2nd January 1940. Even in Bangalore he gathered many friends and admirers.

The partners of the firm today rededicate them-selves to perpetuate the vision of the founder K.S. Aiyar. His vision which is valid even today, is to perfect the firm as an institution to provide professional education and training of the highest quality to all those who enter its portals.