Bengaluru: International Tax Research and Analysis Foundation (ITRAF), led by Eminent Economists, Leaders from industry, and Experienced Tax Professionals to carry out research and analysis in international taxation to ensure superior tax policy and effective tax administration in India was launched in the city on August 18th, Tuesday.
ITRAF is set up with a strong view that an apolitical think tank, free from any corporate or sectoral bias can play a critical role in supplementing the Government’s effort in a very progressive framework based on fundamental research and analysis in the backdrop of increased globalization and changing business models due to technology disruption.
ITRAF will act as a key enabler for Indian economy to attain its full potential globally as Indian business increases its share of global trade and commerce. ITRAF will conduct extensive research on the present international tax regulations, benchmark them with global standards, practices and experiences and make appropriate recommendations to policy makers.
ITRAF’s Chairperson is Dr. Parthasarathi Shome, the former Chairman of the Tax Administration Reforms Commission. The other founder members include Mohandas Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education; Suresh Senapaty, former Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Board, Wipro Limited; V Balakrishnan, former Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Board, Infosys Limited, Mukesh Butani, Managing Partner, BMR Legal; K. R. Girish, Senior Partner, Leap Ridge Advisors LLP; Padamchand Khincha, Partner, M/s H. C. Khincha & Co, Chartered Accountants; S. Krishnan, Former Head of International Taxation, Infosys Limited; Indraneel Roy Chaudhury, Partner, Tax & Regulatory Services; PricewaterhouseCoopers, K. R. Sekar, Partner, Deloitte Haskins & Sells; and P.V. Srinivasan, Former Head of Taxation, Wipro Limited.
This forum is a conglomeration of the best of talent – both in Governance and Research and will leverage the extensive repository of research and global best practices available, to come out with an in–depth analysis and recommendations to the Central and various State Governments.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Parthasarathi Shome, Chairman, ITRAF and Head of Research Committee said, “As India embarks on its exciting phase of growth, ease of doing business is going to be a huge differentiator to attract investments. Uncertainty in tax environment is a potential deterrent for global companies planning to invest in India. Good tax policies are backed by research & analysis and are equitable to all stakeholders. ITRAF is an independent Think Tank focused exclusively on tax policy analysis and support through extensive research and seeks to enhance the framing of tax regulations and administration.”
Mohandas Pai, Board Member, ITRAF said, “Technology is changing the manner of conducting business and is disrupting established business norms across the globe. We are seeing a proliferation of start–ups in India with global linkages. ‘Start–up India, Stand–up India’ is the new thrust to push growth and employment. The Government is seeking to leverage technology as part of the Digital India initiative to improve governance standards. However, tax laws have not kept pace with the rise of digital economy and emerging business models. ITRAF aims to carry out in–depth analysis to provide inputs to policy makers to keep pace with the changing technology landscape having global ramifications.”
ITRAF will be periodically conducting seminars and conferences to discuss and disseminate the various research findings. It will also be providing structured training courses to students and professionals on international taxation.
ITRAF aims to provide an opportunity for corporates and professional firms to support this initiative by deputing their employees to provide research support, for various periods of time.
