We have audited the standalone financial statements ofICICI Securities Limited (the “Company”) which comprisethe standalone balance sheet as at 31 March 2025, andthe standalone statement of profit and loss (including othercomprehensive income), standalone statement of changesin equity and standalone statement of cash flows for theyear then ended, and notes to the standalone financialstatements, including material accounting policies andother explanatory information.
In our opinion and to the best of our information andaccording to the explanations given to us, the aforesaidstandalone financial statements give the informationrequired by the Companies Act, 2013 (“Act”) in the mannerso required and give a true and fair view in conformity withthe accounting principles generally accepted in India, ofthe state of affairs of the Company as at 31 March 2025,and its profit and other comprehensive income, changes inequity and its cash flows for the year ended on that date.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the Standardson Auditing (SAs) specified under Section 143(10) ofthe Act. Our responsibilities under those SAs are furtherdescribed in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit ofthe Standalone Financial Statements section of our report.We are independent of the Company in accordance withthe Code of Ethics issued by the Institute of CharteredAccountants of India together with the ethical requirementsthat are relevant to our audit of the standalone financialstatements under the provisions of the Act and theRules thereunder, and we have fulfilled our other ethicalresponsibilities in accordance with these requirementsand the Code of Ethics. We believe that the audit evidenceobtained by us is sufficient and appropriate to provide abasis for our opinion on the standalone financial statements.
Key Audit Matter
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professionaljudgment, were of most significance in our audit of thestandalone financial statements of the current period.These matters were addressed in the context of our auditof the standalone financial statements as a whole, andin forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide aseparate opinion on these matters.
Information Technology (IT)
The key audit matter
How the matter was addressed in our audit
Information Technology (IT) systems and controls
• The Company‘s key financial accounting and reportingprocesses are highly dependent on the automated controlsimplemented in IT systems, such that, if there exists a riskthat gaps in the IT control environment, then it could resultin the financial accounting and reporting records beingmaterially misstated.
• The Company uses ‘SAP system' as the general ledger for itsoverall financial accounting and reporting and this systemis interfaced with other systems that process transactionsrelated to investment banking income, broking income,investments, loans, expenses, cash and bank, payroll,borrowings, and others.
• We have identified ‘IT systems and control' as Key auditmatter, since for the primary business segment (brokingand commission income), the Company relies on automatedprocesses and controls for recording of income.
Our audit procedures to assess the IT systems and controlsincluded the following:
• Performed testing of the design of General IT Controls (GITCs)for the audit period which included controls over accessto program and data, program changes, system changes,program development, computer operations (job processing,data backup, system backup, incident management) andprivileged access and its review over financial accountingand reporting systems and related IT systems (referred to as‘in-scope systems').
• Testing the operating effectiveness of GITCs for the auditperiod over the in-scope systems as follows:
i. User access creation, modification and revocation process
ii. User access review process
iii. Segregation of duties
iv. Password policies
v. Application change management procedures
vi. Computer Operations process (automated jobs)
• Understanding IT application controls for the audit periodfor significant accounts, testing interfaces, configurations,reconciliations and system processing for significant accountsdetermined by us during our risk assessment. We tested thechange management controls to determine whether standardprocess was followed.
• Understanding IT infrastructure layers supporting the in¬scope systems i.e., operating systems and databases andtesting general IT controls for such layers where relevant tooperation of the IT automated controls.
• Understanding Cybersecurity Risk Management Frameworkfollowed by the entity for information assets, includinginformation, applications systems, databases, networks anddata storage systems.
• Testing of Audit Trail and its related back up as per thenotification issued by MCA.
The Company's Management and Board of Directors areresponsible for the other information. The other informationcomprises the Directors Report, but does not include thefinancial statements and auditor's report thereon, whichwe obtained prior to the date of this auditor's report, andthe Annual report, which is expected to be made availableto us after that date.
Our opinion on the standalone financial statements doesnot cover the other information and we do not and will notexpress any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the standalone financialstatements, our responsibility is to read the otherinformation identified above and, in doing so, considerwhether the other information is materially inconsistentwith the standalone financial statements or our knowledgeobtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materiallymisstated.
If, based on the work we have performed on the otherinformation that we obtained prior to the date of thisauditor's report, we conclude that there is a materialmisstatement of this other information, we are required toreport that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
When we read the Annual report, if we conclude that thereis a material misstatement therein, we are required tocommunicate the matter to those charged with governanceand take necessary actions, as applicable under therelevant laws and regulations.
The Company's Management and Board of Directors areresponsible for the matters stated in Section 134(5) of theAct with respect to the preparation of these standalonefinancial statements that give a true and fair view of thestate of affairs, profit and other comprehensive income,changes in equity and cash flows of the Company in
accordance with the accounting principles generallyaccepted in India, including the Indian AccountingStandards (Ind AS) specified under Section 133 of the Act.This responsibility also includes maintenance of adequateaccounting records in accordance with the provisions of theAct for safeguarding of the assets of the Company and forpreventing and detecting frauds and other irregularities;selection and application of appropriate accountingpolicies; making judgments and estimates that arereasonable and prudent; and design, implementation andmaintenance of adequate internal financial controls, thatwere operating effectively for ensuring the accuracy andcompleteness of the accounting records, relevant to thepreparation and presentation of the standalone financialstatements that give a true and fair view and are free frommaterial misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the standalone financial statements, theManagement and Board of Directors are responsible forassessing the Company's ability to continue as a goingconcern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to goingconcern and using the going concern basis of accountingunless the Board of Directors either intends to liquidatethe Company or to cease operations, or has no realisticalternative but to do so.
The Board of Directors is also responsible for overseeingthe Company's financial reporting process.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance aboutwhether the standalone financial statements as a wholeare free from material misstatement, whether due to fraudor error, and to issue an auditor's report that includesour opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level ofassurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conductedin accordance with SAs will always detect a materialmisstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise fromfraud or error and are considered material if, individuallyor in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expectedto influence the economic decisions of users taken on thebasis of these standalone financial statements.
As part of an audit in accordance with SAs, we exerciseprofessional judgment and maintain professionalskepticism throughout the audit. We also:
• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatementof the standalone financial statements, whether dueto fraud or error, design and perform audit proceduresresponsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidencethat is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basisfor our opinion. The risk of not detecting a materialmisstatement resulting from fraud is higher than forone resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion,forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or
the override of internal control.
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant tothe audit in order to design audit procedures that areappropriate in the circumstances. Under Section 143(3)
(i) of the Act, we are also responsible for expressing ouropinion on whether the company has adequate internalfinancial controls with reference to financial statementsin place and the operating effectiveness of such controls.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policiesused and the reasonableness of accounting estimatesand related disclosures made by the Management andBoard of Directors.
• Conclude on the appropriateness of the Managementand Board of Directors use of the going concern basisof accounting in preparation of standalone financialstatements and, based on the audit evidence obtained,whether a material uncertainty exists related to eventsor conditions that may cast significant doubt on theCompany's ability to continue as a going concern. Ifwe conclude that a material uncertainty exists, weare required to draw attention in our auditor's reportto the related disclosures in the standalone financialstatements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, tomodify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on theaudit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor'sreport. However, future events or conditions may causethe Company to cease to continue as a going concern.
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and contentof the standalone financial statements, including thedisclosures, and whether the standalone financialstatements represent the underlying transactions andevents in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
We communicate with those charged with governanceregarding, among other matters, the planned scope andtiming of the audit and significant audit findings, includingany significant deficiencies in internal control that weidentify during our audit.
We also provide those charged with governance with astatement that we have complied with relevant ethicalrequirements regarding independence, and to communicatewith them all relationships and other matters that mayreasonably be thought to bear on our independence, andwhere applicable, related safeguards.
From the matters communicated with those charged withgovernance, we determine those matters that were ofmost significance in the audit of the standalone financialstatements of the current period and are therefore the keyaudit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor'sreport unless law or regulation precludes public disclosureabout the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances,we determine that a matter should not be communicatedin our report because the adverse consequences of doingso would reasonably be expected to outweigh the publicinterest benefits of such communication.
1. As required by the Companies (Auditor's Report)Order, 2020 (“the Order”) issued by the CentralGovernment of India in terms of Section 143(11) ofthe Act, we give in the “Annexure A” a statement onthe matters specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of theOrder, to the extent applicable.
2 A. As required by Section 143(3) of the Act, wereport, that:
a. We have sought and obtained all the informationand explanations which to the best of ourknowledge and belief were necessary for thepurposes of our audit.
b. In our opinion, proper books of account asrequired by law have been kept by the Companyso far as it appears from our examination ofthose books.
c. The standalone balance sheet, the standalonestatement of profit and loss (including othercomprehensive income), the standalonestatement of changes in equity and thestandalone statement of cash flows dealt withby this Report are in agreement with the booksof account.
d. In our opinion, the aforesaid standalone financialstatements comply with the Ind AS specifiedunder section 133 of the act.
e. On the basis of the written representationsreceived from the directors as on various datesranging from 31 March 2025 till 14 April 2025taken on record by the Board of Directors, noneof the directors is disqualified as on 31 March2025 from being appointed as a director interms of Section 164(2) of the Act.
f. With respect to the adequacy of the internalfinancial controls with reference to financialstatements of the Company and the operatingeffectiveness of such controls, refer to ourseparate Report in “Annexure B”.
B. With respect to the other matters to be includedin the Auditor's Report in accordance withRule 11 of the Companies (Audit and Auditors)Rules, 2014, in our opinion and to the best of ourinformation and according to the explanationsgiven to us:
a. The Company has disclosed the impact ofpending litigations as at 31 March 2025 on itsfinancial position in its standalone financialstatements - Refer Note 33 to the standalonefinancial statements.
b. The Company did not have any long-termcontracts including derivative contracts for
which there were any material foreseeablelosses.
c. There were no amounts which were requiredto be transferred to the Investor Education andProtection Fund by the Company.
d (i) The management has represented that, tothe best of its knowledge and belief, otherthan as disclosed in the Note 7 to thestandalone financial statements, no fundshave been advanced or loaned orinvested (either from borrowed funds orshare premium or any other sources orkind of funds) by the Company to or inany other person(s) or entity(ies), includingforeign entities (“Intermediaries”), with theunderstanding, whether recorded inwriting or otherwise, that the Intermediaryshall directly or indirectly lend or investin other persons or entities identified inany manner whatsoever by or on behalfof the Company (“Ultimate Beneficiaries”)or provide any guarantee, security or thelike on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries.
(ii) The management has represented that,to the best of its knowledge and belief,other than as disclosed in the Note 15 tothe standalone financial statements, nofunds have been received by the Companyfrom any person(s) or entity(ies), includingforeign entities (“Funding Parties”), withthe understanding, whether recorded inwriting or otherwise, that the Companyshall directly or indirectly, lend or invest inother persons or entities identified in anymanner whatsoever by or on behalf of theFunding Parties (“Ultimate Beneficiaries”)or provide any guarantee, security or thelike on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries..
(iii) Based on the audit procedures thathave been considered reasonable andappropriate in the circumstances, nothinghas come to our notice that has caused usto believe that the representations undersub-clause (i) and (ii) of Rule 11(e), asprovided under (i) and (ii) above, containany material misstatement.
e. The interim dividend paid by the Companyduring the year in respect of the same declaredfor the previous year is in accordance withSection 123 of the Act to the extent it applies topayment of dividend. Further as stated in note49 to the standalone financial statements, theBoard of Directors of the Company has proposedfinal dividend for the year which is subject tothe approval of the respective members at the
ensuing Annual General Meeting. The dividenddeclared is in accordance with Section 123 ofthe Act to the extent it applies to declaration ofdividend..
f. Based on our examination which included testchecks, the company has used accountingsoftwares for maintaining its books of accountwhich, along with access management tools,as applicable, have a feature of recording audittrail (edit log) facility and the same has operatedthroughout the year for all relevant transactionsrecorded in the respective softwares. Further,during the course of our audit we did not comeacross any instance of audit trail feature beingtampered with. Additionally, the audit trail hasbeen preserved by the company as per thestatutory requirements for record retention.
C. With respect to the matter to be included in theAuditor's Report under Section 197(16) of theAct:
In our opinion and according to the information andexplanations given to us, the remuneration paid bythe Company to its directors during the current yearis in accordance with the provisions of Section 197of the Act. The remuneration paid to any director isnot in excess of the limit laid down under Section 197of the Act. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has notprescribed other details under Section 197(16) of theAct which are required to be commented upon by us.
For B S R & Co. LLP
Chartered AccountantsFirm's Registration No.:101248W/W-100022
Rohit Alexander
Partner
Place: Mumbai Membership No.: 222515
Date: 15 April 2025 ICAI UDIN:2522515BMJHUV3571