The Challenges Ahead

First of all, let me thank all STC India Chapter members for electing me president. It has been a little over a month since I took on responsibilities. The job which seemed very easy from outside is now revealing its challenges! My predecessors have been successful in taking on the challenges. I will try my best too!

We have come a long way in past six years. Our membership was just 17 when we formed the chapter. Today it has crossed 100. The increase in membership is a barometer of the technical writing profession in India. This increase is also going to drive the need of networking. The professionals will now need more and better avenues of networking. They will depend on STC to a great extent.

In the past years a number of volunteers have worked very hard for the chapter and all that hard work is bearing fruit now. We have already made our presence noticeable. Actually, we have gone far beyond that and also won a number of prestigious awards. Today, we are running shoulder-to-shoulder with the best chapters of STC. Note that we reached here in just six years!

But this is not the time to lean back and relax. We have to do lot more in the coming six years! The industry is looking up to us now. Many companies are getting substantial part of their technical writing work done in India. Many more are thinking about it! I foresee a tremendous growth in this trend. The world is watching us and we have to take this opportunity!

The growth poses many challenges. Some old, some new…and many of them- perpetual! It is essential that we think long-term while formulating our policies. Since my appointment in December, I have been communicating with the members of the community to find out what their needs of today and tomorrow are. Many issues have surfaced. Some of the key issues are focus on training, collaboration with educational institutes, public relations, and networking with similar professional associations.

Our approach this year is going to be objectives driven. These objectives will be logical, measurable and realistic. As this article goes for publishing, the team of STC India Chapter volunteers is working on framing the objectives and making a comprehensive plan for the year 2005. I will write about that in detail in the coming months.

All the office bearers realize that our role is that of trustees of a community’s fund and resources. We, along with the appointed volunteers of the chapter, would like to pass on the advantages of these funds and resources to the Technical Writing community in India.

Fortunately for us, there are no ‘ready-to-fit’ solutions. We will have to do a lot of experimentation, take some risks, and if need be, break some conventions. There is going to be a lot to learn and strive for! Some of the tasks seem very challenging indeed. But nothing is impossible if we get active support from all of you. I solicit the support from all the members of STC India Chapter and the Indian Technical Writing Community.

On behalf of all the members of the Admin Council and the volunteers, I assure you that the results will be evident in the coming 12 months!

I would be glad to receive your feedback and suggestions for improvements!

Mak Pandit, President, STC India Chapter

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