Dear ICS Members,

Standing before you as your President is both a privilege and a responsibility that I accept with deep humility and immense gratitude. The Indian Chest Society, since its inception in 1980, has evolved into far more than a professional body—it is a close-knit family united by a shared commitment to academic excellence, clinical innovation, and meaningful research. For me personally, ICS has been a lifelong anchor, shaping not only my professional journey but also my sense of purpose.

I had the honour of assuming this role at NAPCON Jaipur from my esteemed predecessor, Dr. J.K. Samaria. As I begin this tenure, my vision remains clear and focused: to strengthen our academic foundations, expand our research horizons, and foster an environment where every member feels valued, heard, and empowered to contribute.

At the heart of this vision lies our unwavering commitment to nurturing the next generation of pulmonologists. To our young colleagues—you are not merely participants in this journey; you are its future leaders. ICS is dedicated to creating structured opportunities that move beyond passive learning, enabling you to take on active roles as faculty, researchers, and innovators. We aim to build platforms where your ideas are encouraged, your research is supported, and your leadership is cultivated, ensuring that India’s respiratory medicine landscape is shaped by strong, evidence-based contributions.

The energy and momentum within our society today are truly remarkable. The resounding success of NAPCON Delhi, Pune, and Jaipur reflects what we can achieve collectively when passion meets purpose. As we now set our sights on NAPCON 2026 in Kolkata, scheduled from October 29th to November 1st, I warmly invite each one of you to be part of this journey and help us elevate our national conference to even greater heights.

Our global footprint continues to expand, with initiatives like the ICS-ERS India Summit and collaborative fellowships with the European Respiratory Society gaining international recognition. These partnerships are a testament to the growing global confidence in our academic strength and clinical expertise. Equally inspiring has been the overwhelming response to our Sleep Certification Courses across multiple cities, with participation running into thousands. This enthusiasm reinforces our commitment to developing structured, high-quality certification programs that enhance both knowledge and clinical practice.

Beyond academics and conferences, our responsibility to society remains a cornerstone of our mission. As pulmonologists, we stand at the frontline of some of the most pressing public health challenges of our time—air pollution, tobacco-related diseases, tuberculosis, sleep disorders, and the rising burden of chronic respiratory illnesses. ICS recognizes that our role extends beyond clinics and conference halls into the communities we serve.

We are actively engaging with policymakers and regulatory bodies to advocate for the reinstatement and strengthening of Respiratory Medicine in undergraduate curricula, ensuring that future doctors are better equipped to address respiratory health challenges. Our ongoing work on comprehensive ICS Guidelines—covering Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV), Cough, and Interventional Pulmonology—is aimed at standardizing care across the country, ensuring that patients receive evidence-based, high-quality treatment irrespective of geography.

In addition, ICS is committed to amplifying public awareness initiatives—promoting early diagnosis, preventive strategies, and education on respiratory health. Whether it is through community outreach programs, anti-tobacco campaigns, pollution awareness drives, or rural health initiatives, we must continue to extend our expertise to the broader society. Our goal is not only to treat disease but to prevent it, not only to educate ourselves but to empower the public.

As your President, I firmly believe that inclusivity, accessibility, and transparency must guide every step we take. Every member—across regions, institutions, and levels of experience—deserves a voice. I assure you that my door will always remain open for your ideas, suggestions, and constructive feedback. Together, we can build a society where collaboration thrives and every contribution is valued.

With the strength of our collective vision, the dedication of our teams, and your continued trust, I am confident that we will take the Indian Chest Society to even greater heights in the years ahead.

With warm regards and heartfelt gratitude,

Dr Rakesh Chawla
President
Indian Chest Society

To My Dearest ICS Family,

Serving as your Secretary is both a privilege and a responsibility I deeply cherish. Since its inception in 1980, the Indian Chest Society (ICS) has remained our mother organisation—uniting respiratory physicians nationwide with a shared commitment to academics, research, and nurturing future pulmonologists.

I had the honour of taking over this responsibility at NAPCON Jaipur from our very own past Secretary, Dr. Raja Dhar. His immense contribution has set high standards. I step into this role with humility and determination to strengthen academics and research and build further on the strong foundation laid by our previous Governing Body. I look forward to your strong support and encouragement as always to make this possible.

Empowering Young Pulmonologists
Supporting early-career pulmonologists remains central to our vision. We aim to create structured opportunities for them to:
• Serve as faculty at local, regional, and national platforms
• Pursue structured fellowships in sub-specialty areas
• Participate in locally relevant, nationally representative research.

ICS has already developed national registries for ILD and Bronchiectasis, and we plan to expand research initiatives to generate robust Indian data across respiratory diseases.

NAPCON – Raising the Benchmark
NAPCON Jaipur 2025 was a resounding success, with 3,708 registrations and 1,354 workshop participants, setting new benchmarks. We now look forward to NAPCON 2026 in Kolkata (29th–31st October & 1st November 2026) and request your wholehearted support to make it even bigger and better.

Strengthening Academic Networks & Global Collaboration
ICS continues to expand national and international collaborations, especially with the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Our joint fellowship initiatives are important milestones, and we aim to extend collaborations across South Asia and other continents.

I am delighted to share that the 2nd Edition of the ICS-ERS India Summit 2026 was successfully conducted in Hyderabad and Delhi, with the entire ERS leadership present. The Summit was a thunderous success and witnessed 1,215 physical delegates and 1,804 online participants, reflecting remarkable engagement. We now look forward to the 3rd Edition of ICS ERS Summit in 2027 with even greater academic depth.

Certification Courses & Skill Development
Our Sleep Certification Course has been one of the most encouraging initiatives of this tenure. The programme included 10 online modules and 5 State-of-the-Art hands-on workshops across the country. Each online module was a stupendous success and witnessed 2000+ participants in every module. Hands-on Workshops have never seen such attendance before with Bangalore having 273 participants, Delhi having 203 participants, Kolkata having 184 participants, Mumbai having 282 participants and Lucknow having 275 participants. The enthusiasm of our colleagues reaffirms the growing importance of sleep medicine in India. With such overwhelming participation, we are motivated to introduce many other certification courses which will be equally well structured.

Inclusive Growth: Engaging the Paramedical Workforce
Through Affiliate Membership for Paramedics, ICS has begun empowering and integrating our paramedical colleagues into the respiratory ecosystem through dedicated academic and networking activities.

Webinars & Academic Endorsements
ICS Webinars have evolved into a strong national academic platform, with an average of 1,500+ logins per session. Sessions are curated to address clinically relevant topics in tuberculosis, airway diseases, ILD, sleep medicine, critical care, pulmonary infections, emerging technologies, and evolving guidelines. ICS also continues to endorse multiple national and international academic programmes, and we aim to expand these initiatives further.

Advocacy & Public Health Commitment
At a time when TB, COPD, asthma, ILD, and sleep disorders remain major public health concerns, undergraduate exposure to respiratory medicine is essential. ICS is actively engaging with government authorities to reinstate Respiratory Medicine in the undergraduate curriculum, and advocacy of this cause will remain a vital pillar of our work.

Guidelines & Protocol Development
ICS is currently developing Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) and Cough Guidelines and also Indian Guidelines on APC, Cryotherapy & Cautery in Interventional Pulmonology through structured, consensus-driven processes. We also plan to update existing guidelines and develop new ones across key respiratory domains to standardise care, improve patient outcomes, and reduce variability in practice nationwide. A Personal Commitment
As your Secretary, I believe inclusivity and accessibility must define our functioning. Every region and city should feel represented. I warmly invite your ideas and feedback—each communication will be heard with respect and, wherever feasible, translated into action. With the support of our dedicated administrative and academic teams, and with your continued trust, I am confident we will take ICS to even greater heights.

With Warm Regards and Gratitude,

Dr Amita Nene
National Secretary,
Indian Chest Society