My Dear Professional Colleagues, Seniors, and Friends,

It is indeed a great moment for me when I am communicating with all of you as the newly elected President of our esteemed Association. I am deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in me, and I am committed to serving this institution with dedication and integrity.

First and foremost, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my predecessors and the stalwarts who have shaped this association into the respected institution it is today. Their vision, hard work, and unwavering commitment have laid a strong foundation upon which we continue to build. We owe a debt of gratitude to each of them for their invaluable contributions. They have set a high standard, and it is now our responsibility to carry forward their legacy of 77 years with the same spirit of excellence and dedication.

As my dear friend and outgoing president CA Ashish Tekwani presented the activity report at the Annual General Meeting with so many activities and new initiatives, the association is progressing in spreading knowledge and reaching to the audience nationwide. Knowledge has no boundaries. The new initiatives and seamless execution have created new benchmarks for the association as well as the upcoming teams. I have been fortunate to be closely associated with the process and I am sure that during this year, this graph of activities would go upwards with support from each one of you.

As we look to the future, we face a rapidly changing landscape in the field of taxation and allied laws. The advent of new technologies and the increasing complexity of tax regulations present both challenges and opportunities for us as tax professionals. It is really important for each one of us to be updated with knowledge and technology both. With globalization at next level, the professional opportunities are increasing and expanding in totally new directions.

With the new horizon of practice is expanding, My vision for the coming year is to focus on three key areas:

Education

New Initiatives for Member Engagement, and

Use of Technology

First, we will prioritize education. We will organize seminar, webinars, and workshops and publish articles aimed at enhancing our members' understanding and proficiency with the latest updates in various taxation and allied laws along with technological advancements. This will not only improve quality of services but also enable us to provide solutions to our clients with more confidence. Looking at the positive response to GST Series during the year, we will focus to have series on both Direct as well as Indirect Taxes during the year.

Second, we will introduce new initiatives designed to support our members in their professional development. We will expand our continuing educational offerings like IT Mirror and Compilations to include a broader range of topics and more flexible learning formats. Now the world runs in two parallels – Digital & Physical. Looking at the demand of members for physical copy of IT Mirror, and considering the environment effect, we shall come out with a curated subscription plan for physical copies of IT Mirror soon.

Fostering a strong sense of community and engagement within our association will be one of the priorities. We wish to create more opportunities for members to connect through informal events like sports events. By strengthening our professional relationships, we can better support each other and advance our shared goals. It’s time for collaboration rather than competition amongst the professional.

The integration of technology into our day-to-day life is not just an option; it is a necessity. The association will try to incorporate new user-friendly technology wherever it is possible. We will also try to educate members about usage of technology focused on professional growth. The association is already quite active on the social media platforms, and we will try to expand the reach of our publications and educational materials to a larger audience.

I am excited about the year ahead and the opportunities it holds. Let us embark on this journey of learning together and growing together with enthusiasm.

To conclude, I wish to share a quote of one of my favorite author Ayn Rand with everyone.

“If you don’t know, the thing to do is not to get scared, but to learn.”

CA Shridhar Shah

President

Income Tax Bar Association