BCAS President CA Kinjal Shah’s Message for the Month of September 2026
My Dear BCAS Family,
September in Mumbai is a season of transition. As the monsoon begins to recede and the festive spirit gathers momentum, the city prepares to move forward with renewed energy. This transition invites us to pause and reflect: how can we convert reflection into renewal personally, professionally and institutionally?
The Strength to Forgive
Let’s begin with Paryushan. It is perhaps the one festival that asks something genuinely difficult of us. On Kṣamāpanā, His Holiness the 79th Spiritual Sovereign, Jainacharya Yugbhushan Suriji, posed a question that I cannot shake off: We forgive ourselves so easily; why are we harder on others when it is their turn to be forgiven? Why the double standard? His answer was neutrality; extending to others the same generosity we readily extend to ourselves. This is the strength Gandhiji once located in forgiveness itself. “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” There is a lesson here for all of us. We spend our careers examining other people’s numbers, decisions and mistakes. Perhaps it is time we turned that same scrutiny, and the same grace, inward. So, to every member, staff colleague and friend of this Society whom I may have let down this year, knowingly or unknowingly: Michhami Dukkadam.
Building Trust, Breaking Silos
This spirit of reflection and collective responsibility shaped the BCAS Core Group Leadership Retreat 2026.
The last two months gave the Core Group something rare: an actual pause, though it almost did not happen. The BCAS Core Group Leadership Retreat 2026 was originally planned at Avadh Utopia, but the monsoon had other plans. With just ten days to go and the venue rendered unusable, our team went into overdrive, sourcing, evaluating and finalising a new venue, Pearl Resort in Silvassa, without losing a single day for the 120 members who had already blocked their calendars. Two Managing Committee members personally inspected the venue because a brochure and an actual, seamless experience are two very different things.
I mention this not for the logistics, but because it says something about us; the unglamorous scramble behind the scenes is what makes the visible part look effortless. The Leadership Retreat was conceived with a simple thought: to bring our Core Group together, break down silos and create a shared vision for the future.
The retreat delivered exactly what we had hoped for two days of honest conversations, meaningful connections and trust-building across committees and generations of BCAS. My gratitude to every Core Group member who was part of these two days of conversation for your time, your ideas, your faith and, most importantly, your willingness to serve the Society. Together, we will honour the legacy of BCAS, serve the profession and transform the future.
Extending the Reach of BCAS
As part of our “Reach” initiative, BCAS has been engaging with regulators, law enforcement agencies and corporates through the proactive approach of the 4i Committee, led by CA Chirag Doshi. We had a productive meeting with SEBI Chairman Mr. T. K. Pandey to explore how BCAS can contribute to strengthening corporate governance and building regulatory awareness among professionals serving as KMPs, auditors and Independent Directors.
The Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police has also invited us to train senior officers in reading financial statements and identifying fraud modus operandi.
I also met the Vice-Principal of R. A. Podar College to explore a program focused on sharpening the practical skills of students pursuing commerce and finance courses.
These engagements reflect our larger ambition through “Reach”, to take the expertise of our profession beyond our traditional circles and make it more relevant to regulators, institutions, businesses and society at large.
A Community That Removes Obstacles
This September, we will welcome Lord Ganesh into our homes and pandals. The processions and the scale of the celebrations we see today were not always part of public life. Lokmanya Tilak deliberately revived the public celebration of Ganeshotsav to build a sense of community at a time when public gatherings were restricted. He found his answer in the remover of obstacles. That is a useful lens for a professional body too. At our best, that is what BCAS should be; not merely a directory of contacts, but a genuine community that helps remove the obstacles between a member and their next step. Our own retreat this year was a small example of that spirit – a plan disrupted, a challenge we could not have anticipated, and a community that found a way through it together.
A certain stagnation hits many of us mid-career. You’re competent, established, even respected, yet somehow boxed into a role you’ve outgrown: the tax specialist eyeing advisory, the audit partner curious about ESG assurance, the practitioner good at the work but rarely seen for it. If that’s you, lean into this community rather than work through it alone. A cross-professional conversation, a chance meeting at a seminar, an honest coffee with a senior member: this isn’t networking in the transactional sense. It’s closer to what Balgangadhar Tilak understood; people move through obstacles together, not by individually pushing harder against them.
Knowledge with Responsibility
Regulatory update: The Taxation and Other Laws Amendment Bill, 2026 moved swiftly through the Lok Sabha. This reflects the government’s continued push for simpler compliance and a more coherent digitaleconomy framework. We’ll examine its implications in the weeks ahead.
GST collections: Gross GST collections rose 15.4% year-on-year to ₹2.11 lakh crore, providing welcome reassurance despite continued uncertainty across global supply chains.
Events: The 60th Members’ RRC has crossed 200 registrations within its first month. Registrations for the 2nd Direct Tax Retreat are also progressing briskly. Members are encouraged to register early.
Giving back: In keeping with its social commitment, BCAS aspires to plant nearly 10,000 trees in the tribal belt of Jawhar, supporting environmental sustainability while creating a regular income source for tribal farmers who nurture them. I humbly appeal to every reader to support this cause.
Moving Forward Together
As we enter the busiest month of the year, alongside the festive season, thoughtful planning will be essential to complete assignments on time without compromising on quality. Wishing you and your teams a productive tax season. One that is successful, smooth and, hopefully, a little less taxing!
Jai Hind.
