In order to highlight such great leaders of consulting industry, Insights Success has come up with an issue of “The 10 Most Influential Consulting Leaders to Watch in 2018”. This issue covers the story of many great leaders who have built a niche in the market with their cutting-edge consulting offerings.

1. ™
JUNE 2018
www.insightssuccess.in
SHAHID AKHTAR
Founder & MD:
Phoenix GRS
A Courageous, Persuasive and Passionate Trailblazer of Immigration Business
SHAHID AKHTAR
BUNCE OF ETHOS
Changing Times and the
Relevance of Business
st
Ethics in 21 Century
EDITORS-TAKE
Creativity Encourages
Innovation, Innovation
Triggers Revolution

4. hether it’s about the strategy, operations, tax, finance, HR,
Wor IT, business consultants have become a vital part of the
corporate life. More than 7,00,000 consulting firms provide
services virtually across all business spectrums. From defining strategic
direction to simply serving as an additional pair of hands for
outsourced work, business consultants have become inextricably linked
to the success of most corporate houses.
Today, the management consulting industry is flourishing and has
become a $250 billion industry. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of
4.5% during 2018–2025. It’s highly profitable and professional
services amongst all. But there are certain challenges that need to be
tackled to fuel this growth further.
Technology is disrupting almost every industry and consulting
business is not an exception to it. This ongoing IT revolution is
breeding newer technologies and tools every single day. These drive
organizations towards new business models, and disrupting company
structure. Adoption of an agile IT infrastructure that includes thriving
technology like Artificial Intelligence is crucial for providing newer
and more efficient operational models for clients.
Multi-sourcing is the other vital area that needs to be looked after.
Gone those days when a large project gets awarded to a single
consultant that had the capabilities to offer all the solutions under one
single roof. Now-a-days, with increased globalization and intense
competition, business frameworks have become more robust whose
maneuvering needs to be done with utmost care. It is difficult for a
single firm to offer all the services given the transformation in various
practice areas. Therefore, firms are required to partner with multiple
consultants so that they can receive expertise in every niche area of a
single large project and offer the best which they are capable of.
Apart from these, performance based billing to extract ‘value for
money,’ bringing diverse candidates with unconventional and creative
aptitudes, reformative regulatory changes that are par with the current
pace of the industry are some important areas where consulting
businesses needs an overhaul.
Consulting firms must recognize the need to embrace change,
transitioning from time-honored business models to those that harness
the power of digital technology. This will empower them not only in
delivering better outcomes to their clients but will assist them in
forging a long lasting relationship that will build on greater mutual
trust and respect.
Editorial
Reforms
fuel Growth
Ashwini Deshmukh

5. Copyright © 2018 Insights Success, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success.
Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success. Printed and Published by Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd.
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Business Development Executives
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Contributors
June, 2018
Poonam Mahajan
Art Editor
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Executive Editor Ashwini Deshmukh

6. SHAHID AKHTAR:
A Courageous, Persuasive
and Passionate Trailblazer
of Immigration Business
INTERVIEW
WITH
INSIGHTS
SUCCESS
C O V E R
S T O R Y
RAJEEV SHROFF:
A Trailblazing Leader
who Always in a Quest
of Learning New Things
16
08
ARTICLES
EDITORS-TAKE
Creativity Encourages
Innovation, Innovation
Triggers Revolution26
O
N
T
E
N
T
S
BUNCE OF ETHOS
Changing Times and
the Relevance of Business
Ethics in 21st Century36

7. ASHWIN BHADRI:
Meticulous Attention and
Astuteness are behind his
Soaring Success
DIVAKAR VIJAYASARATHY :
A Triumphant and
Accomplished Mogul in the
Professional World
DR. GOPAKUMAR NAIR:
A Personication of
Intelligence and Passion
MEGHANA NARSIMHA:
A Path-breaking Leader
with the Vision and
Courage to Dream Big
MINNAT HASHMI:
An Enthusiastic Leader with
a Vision to Succeed
SHEKHAR AGHARKAR:
An Efcacious Leader
with a Vision for Success
YOGESH CHOUDHARY:
Architects Business
Ecosystems to Propel
Innovation
20
28
34
42
48
50
TECH-WIZARD
How Mergers and
Acquisitions Assist
Companies to Boost
their growth
FINE-ANGLE
Does Hiring a Freelance
Business Consultant is More
Effective than the other
Available Options?
CXO
STANDPOINT
ORGANIZATION'S
VIEWPOINT
Vertical Limit… In
Pursuit of Innovation
22
30
44
40

8. business consultant not only provides a valuable piece of advice but lays the future roadmap for
Aany organization. What makes a consultant great is its unique ability to embrace the change. They
come in, they fit in, and they get the job done. Their soft skills and technical expertise allow them to
take on their roles quickly and easily.
An ace consultant knows how to accomplish the best results in the shortest possible time with as little
friction as possible. Great consultants are problem solvers: bring them in and the work gets done. Such
consultants are always confident about their skills and expertise and carry the potential to transform the
fortunes of any company in positive trajectory with their adept consulting knowledge. They accept frictions,
unforeseen circumstances, and negative feedback as well but never bog down in challenging circumstances.
They learn from every setback and reflect the true valor of perseverance. Great consultants always see the
big picture and bring a fresh view, and meaningful insights that can solve problems and boost the client’s
business.
In order to highlight such great leaders of consulting industry, we have come up with an issue of “The 10
Most Influential Consulting Leaders to Watch in 2018”. This issue covers the story of many great leaders
who have built a niche in the market with their cutting-edge consulting offerings.
On the cover, we have showcased Shahid Akhtar, Founder & Managing Director, Phoenix Global
Resettlement Services Pvt. Ltd.
Phoenix Global Resettlement Services is a leading immigration consulting company which provides the best
immigration services, consultation, advisory, and support to skilled professionals, who aspire to immigrate,
work, and settle in some of the world’s best economies.
There are several other prominent leaders of consulting vertical which we have highlighted in this issue.
To give deeper insights of the business world, we have included several masterly articles which are
exclusively written by eminent industry leaders.
Our in-house editors have crafted some intriguing piece of articles on key business values which our reading
will find captivating.
Interview of Mr. Rajeev Shroff, Board Member at Cupela Consulting is also included in this exclusive issue.
So, do flip the pages and enjoy reading!
Troubleshooters of
the Business World
T
H
E
10
MOST
CONSULTING
LEADERS
INFLUENTIAL
TO WATCH IN 2018

9. www.inonic.com

10. C
O
V
E
R
S
T
O
R
Y

11. Shahid AkhtarA COURAGEOUS, PERSUASIVE AND PASSIONATE
TRAILBLAZER OF IMMIGRATION BUSINESS
A LEADER
CREATES
A VISION
AND
MAKES
PEOPLE
PASSIONATE
ABOUT
THEIR
WORK.
Founder And Managing Director: Phoenix GRS

12. C
ourage is one of most vital traits
that has the potential to shape
the destiny of any person.
Anyone can transform their dreams
into realities if they have the courage
to pursue them. Having the quality of
courage means the person is capable of
taking risks even knowing the fact that
there is no assurance of success. One
such risk taking groundbreaker who is
known for providing exemplary
immigration services is Shahid
Akhtar, Founder & Managing
Director, Phoenix Global
Resettlement Services Pvt. Ltd.
Shahid believes in building mutually
beneficial partnership and relationship
with clients, and is always focused on
hiring and retaining high performance
individuals that can become an asset
for the company. He encourages
strategic and tactical events that can
boost professionalism in the
immigration business and also guide
company in creating a positive
organizational culture.
As the Managing Director, Shahid
works with the senior executives to
oversee the operations of companies
across a variety of functional areas,
such as marketing, advertising,
information technology, and operation.
He develops strategic marketing and
sales plans to boost profits and
efficiency and always coordinates
among the various departments such as
legal, finance, operations, marketing,
and sales, to maintain a hassle free
business environment that can lead
towards achieving the company’s goal.
Shahid is a judicious leader who
always looks for an opportunity to
grow even in the time of crisis. He
never bogged down even in the adverse
circumstances and is always ready with
the contingency plan for the possible
failures. These qualities make him a
thoughtful leader and a dominant force
in the business world.
Unrelenting Desire to be an
Entrepreneur
Coming from a humble background,
Shahid always wanted to become an
ace entrepreneur. To pursue his
entrepreneurial dream, he studied
Bachelor and Master of Commerce at
Ranchi University and then pursued
MBA in International business at
European University
Geneva/Montreux. Switzerland.
Even after completing a top notch
MBA from a reputed university in
Switzerland, and when the job market
was sluggish, he took up an entry level
sales job just to get the vital exposure
of his favorite industry. This was an
intentional compromise as he always
wanted to start a consulting company
hence taking up a job was a well
thought move and a calculated risk in
order to set foot in immigration
consulting industry and learn the tricks
of the business in the hard way.
The choice was conscious as he desired
to come out of his comfort zone and
face the harsh reality of the
competitive world. He then worked for
an immigration consulting company
for 13 years and soon his risk taking
attitude encouraged him to leave his
well-established professional career to
start his immigration business in a
highly competitive market. In 2011,
with barely any big financial support,
he founded Phoenix Global
Resettlement Services. With just one
small office in Bangalore in the year
2011, the company has now its
presence in most of the prominent
cities of India and has grown into one
of the most trusted brand in
immigration consulting business.
Shahid’s patience, consistent efforts
and trust on human capital assisted him
to grow as a professional as well as an
individual and in gaining meaningful
insights of the immigration consulting
business.
About the Company
Phoenix Global Resettlement Services
is the leading immigration consulting
company, which provides the best
immigration services, consultation,
advisory and supports to skilled
professionals, who aspire to immigrate,
work and settle in some of the world
best economies like Canada, Australia
and New Zealand. The company also
assists entrepreneurs and high net
worth individuals to acquire permanent
resident status and citizenship through
investment in business and property in
countries like Malta, Cyprus, Italy,
Belgium, St. Kitts and Nevis, Monaco
etc.
With rich experience and a highly
successful track record in serving its
clients, Phoenix GRS is the undisputed
leader in the immigration service
industry. The company has a technical
collaboration with one of the top
European immigration consulting firm-
SAVVA & ASSOCIATES to provide
unmatched immigration services to
their clients. As a result of having the
strongest technical team, Phoenix GRS
has been acknowledged as the best
Immigration Consultant in the
Immigration Service Industry.
T
H
E
10
MOST
CONSULTING
LEADERS
INFLUENTIAL
TO WATCH IN 2018

13. Uniqueness of the Company
Decision to migrate to any country is
the biggest decision a person can take
in his lifetime. Moving to a new
country in search of better life, thus not
only an economic decision but also a
very emotional decision, which is hard
to take. The clients repose tremendous
faith on a consultant; hence there
always be the need of a consultant
which can treat clients with lot of care
and compassion and the immigration
services require a very personalized
and customized approach as process
entails lots of documentation and other
support works. The process requires
very frequent interaction, including
face to face, with the consultant.
Phoenix Global Resettlement Services
thus fits into the criteria by offering
varied immigration services as per
client needs and satisfaction.
This company provides a very unique
customer centric and transparent
approach under the guidance of senior
consultants having 11 years of
experience on an average. These adept
professionals have robust back-end
support in each of their branches. They
have even partially decentralized their
operation in order to ease the client
interaction and ensure the faster
processing and filing of clients
applications. “It has been a malady
that most of the consultants doing
back-end operations at one node and
other branches acting like their sales
outlets. This model doesn’t actually
work in immigration service industry
as clients’ needs frequent interaction
with the branch where he initiated the
process. If the cases are at least
partially handled by same branch
where client has retained the services,
it gives lot of confidence and
transparency to the clients and ensures
faster application filing thereby
resulting in faster visa turnaround
time” asserts Shahid.
They never do a false promise to any
START YOUR VENTURE
EVEN IF THERE IS
MORE CHANCE OF
FAILURE THAN SUCCESS,
SINCE SELF-BELIEF,
PASSION AND ZEAL
FOR WORK CAN
CHANGE THE ODD
IN YOUR FAVOUR,
SOONER OR LATER.

14. client for some monetary gain; client
satisfaction is what the company
strives for. They always pick only
those candidates, who fit the eligibility
criteria to go into the destined country.
The company follows a stringent
internal assessment process that too at
free of cost with the assistance of their
skilled immigration professionals
before committing anything to the
client. Owing to this distinct policy, the
company has achieved a success rate
close to 100% which has enabled them
to acquire clients’ trust in a very short
time.
Apart from the consultation and visa
processing support services, the
company also provides post landing
services to its clients in overseas
countries. These services include:
booking accommodation, airport
pickup, assisting clients in applying for
the social security number, assistance
in opening bank account and applying
for a credit card and health card,
providing information on various
social welfare schemes, assist in
applying for children’s admission in
school/colleges, assist in buying
properties and setting up businesses.
The company also guides its clients on
country’s laws, social norms and right
as a permanent resident to make their
living better and smoother for the
longer run.
Notable Accomplishments
A persuasive personality, Shahid, has a
huge influence of Jack Welch, Former
CEO of GE over his life. Jack’s unique
business style, character, and
commitment to transform GE into the
world’s most competitive enterprise
inspired him immensely and made a
deep imprint on his personality. For
Shahid, a good leader always creates a
vision and makes people passionate
about their work. Shahid asserts, “Any
leader should always come up with
good ideas and should energize, excite
and inspire others to execute it rather
than enervate, depress and control.”
His commitment towards work and
diligence has led him to win much
recognition in the industry. A renowned
business technology magazine recently
acknowledged Shahid as of one of the
most Influential leaders in the
Immigration Consulting business. A
renowned European media group also
recognized him as one of the prominent
personalities in Immigration
Consulting business. He was even
invited as a special guest to participate
and support the prestigious
International Immigration Expo in
Cannes, France in October 2017. This
event was attended by leading
companies of more than 30 countries.
Future Endeavors
Shahid is an ambitious person and that
reflects clearly through his vision
which he has set for his company’s
expansion. He is working to open new
offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune
and Dubai and has planned to add few
more offerings in its services. The
company also has plans to enter into
the business of overseas education.
The company is also ready to diversify
in the area of English Language
proficiency training by opening few
centers to train its clients for exams
like TOEFL, and IELTS, who seek to
immigrate or study overseas.
COURAGE AT THE
CORE IS WHAT YOU
NEED TO TRANSFORM
YOUR DREAM INTO
REALITIES.
“

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17. Management BriefCompany Name
Arthtech Consultants
Pvt. Ltd. (ACPL)
arthtech.com
ACPL, one of the pioneers in India for the virtual/outsourced CFO
concept, provides outsourced management services in the finance
and commercial areas, as a single window solution, thereby
enabling its clients to concentrate on their core competence.
Shekhar Agharkar
Founder & Director
DVS Advisors
dvsca.com
DVS Advisors is a contemporary tax and regulatory Firm with
specific focus on Direct and International Tax.
Divakar Vijayasarathy
Managing Partner
Equinox Labs
equinoxlab.com
Equinox Labs is FSSAI Notified, NABL Accredited and ISO
9001:2015 certified laboratory, offering complete testing
services for Food, Water, and Environment & Hygiene.
Ashwin Bhadri
CEO
Gopakumar Nair
Associates (GNAs)
gnaipr.com
GNAs is a premier intellectual property consultancy and legal
advisory firm providing high-quality legal and technical
solutions to knowledge based industries.
Dr. Gopakumar Nair
Founder & CEO
HK Strategies
hkstrategies.com
HKStrategies is a global public relations and integrated
communications agency.
Deepa Jayaraman
COO
i tech solutions
itechsolutions.net.in
i tech solutions is a leading recruitment, staffing and it
solutions provider which has a robust, well established it
consulting & executive search division providing time efficient
& cost effective business and people management solutions.
Minnat Hashmi
Founder & Director
Phoenix Global
Resettlement
Services Pvt. Ltd.
phoenixgrs.com
Phoenix Global Resettlement Services is the leading
immigration consulting company, which provides the best
immigration services, consultation, advisory and support to
skilled professionals, who aspire to immigrate, work and settle
in some of the world best economies.
Shahid Akhtar
Founder & MD
Radiant Web
Technologies
radiantwebtech.com
The Company provides solutions under multiple disciplines in
website development viz., IT, Web development, Mobile
application, Designing & Branding and is one of the leading
Website-designing companies of India.
Yogesh Choudhary
Founder & CEO
Tata Consulting
Engineers Ltd.
tce.co.in
Tata Consulting Engineers is a best-in-class integrated
engineering consultancy solutions provider.
Amit Sharma
Managing Director
Yasasve HR Consulting
Services
yasasve.com
Yasasve HR Consulting services provide recruitment and
minimize their client’s time span and speeding the process of
recruiting personnel and also in skill development trainings,
women empowerment programs.
Meghana Narsimha
Managing Partner,
Anitha
Managing Partner
T
H
E
10
MOST
CONSULTING
LEADERS
INFLUENTIAL
TO WATCH IN 2018

18. Rajeev Shroff:
A Trailblazing Leader who Always
in a Quest of Learning New Things
Mr. Rajeev Shroff, Board Member at Cupela Consulting is a renowned business leader who is known for sharp
business acumen and diligence. Backed with significant experience in accelerating performance, transforming
businesses, and working in high action situations, Rajeev has a vast exposure in building global software
delivery organizations in India, China & Argentina. To get more details about Rajeev’s career journey, we have taken an
interactive interview with him. Here are the excerpts of that interview.
1. What is your current designation, company, roles and responsibilities? How you are assisting your current
company to grow further?
A lot of people ask me, how do I slice time? My reply is how one can be satisfied doing just one thing throughout
their lives. Currently, I manage Cupela – a platform for Transformational Coaching and Consulting that works with
leading organizations in the country. I also run a Startup Investment Group – Ten Innovate. Also, manage to be a
fractional CEO at SmartDrive India & a Leadership Advisor for a not for profit – Rangde.org. From advisory to
sometimes handholding leaders across companies to run programs, am able to add value in some form or the other.
2. What strength of yours makes you unique among peers?
I believe in bringing context to the consulting practice. I feel pure consultants bring a lot of structure,
methodologies, and results focus, but there are gaps with respect to experience of having actually deep expertise of
running a company and understanding of the perspective of the Board or the CXO’s who manage the company,
CXO’s who will continue to do so after the consultants have come and gone. That’s the reason one of the big five
consulting companies, when creating a proposal for offshoring work to India, reached out to empanel our company
as an external consultant during the offer making process.
3. How a business leader should be like?
A business leader simply needs to manage multiple priorities. The days of doing a couple of things well is gone. A
contemporary leader should be able to scale up or down, present to the board and at the same time, know the pulse
of the organization. Apart from this, an understanding of customers’ motivators along with current technology
helps them in understanding the pulse of the organization. So qualities like being able to learn constantly
assimilate, ask the right questions, being perceptive, with a constant focus on staying ahead in his game are things
that are necessary.
4. What are the current industry scenarios from your point of view? Where global businesses are marching?
There is a stark difference between where the world is going and where we are. As a leadership community in our
June 2018|
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16
™

19. InterviewwithInsightsSuccess
Mr. Rajeev Shroff
Board Member
Cupela Consulting
June 2018| 17
™™

20. country, there is too much of living in the success of the
past and unwillingness to challenge status quo. Digital
Transformation is changing our world faster than we can
imagine. There is a lack of holistic thinking and driving
change. If employees are not ready, there is simply no point
in deploying Artificial intelligence, if anything, they will
fear for their job, instead of understanding the true purpose
of AI, which is to first take away what machines can do
better, so we can focus on the tasks we are best equipped to
handle.
5. Tell a brief journey of yours since early
childhood covering notable milestones that
worth mentioning which include your
educational background, different professional
services and more.
I have completed my Bachelor of Engineering in
Electronics & Communication from Jawaharlal
Nehru Engineering College. Besides this, there are
several workshop certifications which I possess
which include Cloud Computing Lean Leadership
Workshop and Franklin Covey Focus Workshop
which have been instrumental in shaping my
professional life.
6. Which is the one adjective which match closely
with your personality? What are your
passions?
Innovation is something I identify myself with.
Besides that, the zeal to experiment something
new challenges me each time.
7. Who is your role model and why? What
inspiration did you draw into your life from
your role model’s life?
My role model is someone who is relatively
unknown because he chooses to be that way. He is
literally the humblest leader I have met, ever, and
at the same time the best software programmer I
have come across, the best head of a company,
knows more about business strategy or marketing
than heads of many large corporations. I have tried
to learn to uphold integrity, always focus on
growing people, and try not to allow success to
mess with my head.
8. What are the various accomplishments or any
noteworthy mentions that you received in your
career till date? Tell us something about that.
My coaching clients or people I try, and help are
my best recognition. When I see them transform
and grow into better people, and succeeded, I get a
great sense of accomplishment.
9. Tell us something about your company (Its
inception year, headquarter, short journey and
more).
I started off with TEN Innovate India Pvt Ltd in
the year 2012. It’s primarily an Angel investment
group focussing on Oracle Alumni, a Unique By-
The-People-Of-The-People-For-The-People
Model, investing in B2B Technology companies.
It's headquartered in Bangalore and in a short
period of time, we have been able to grow TEN to
a network of 60+ Investors, 600 Entrepreneurs and
helped over 50 startups in transforming business
strategy, driving business growth.
My main focus is to help create end to end
transformation of companies including the leaders.
No transformation is about one thing; it always
involves People, Process, Technology and above
all – leadership transformation. We aim at
extending coaching expertise to leaders across
sectors, help transit from manager to business
leader and build leadership competencies.
10. What are your future goals?
I hope to be continued driven by my passion, my
desire to be the best in what I do, and create long
lasting change in this lifetime for people I work
with.
11. What advice do you want to give to budding
entrepreneurs?
One thing which I definitely believe helps in
maintain consistency and continuity is by “Not
copying others and creating your own journey. The
previous generation does not understand you, just
like you won’t understand the next, so let them
be.”
June 2018|
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™

22. Passion and courage are the most important traits of
the successful entrepreneur. These breed of people
have the knack to imagine & innovate something
which is ahead of its time; envision a new world which
most of us can’t.
One such innovative and passionate entrepreneur is Ashwin
Bhadri, CEO of Equinox Labs. He
is an International Speaker on
Food Safety and role-model for
budding entrepreneurs across
India. With his strong business
acumen, he has nurtured
Equinox Labs into India’s
leading food, water and air
testing company.
Ashwin is management
graduate from IIM,
Ahmedabad and an alumnus
of the University of Texas and
the Cornell University. Born
and brought up in Mumbai,
Ashwin took his schooling
lessons from Bombay Scottish
School.
The Entrepreneurial Odyssey
Every entrepreneur has a great
story to tell about his/her
incredible idea/s, which leads him/her to the unchartered
path. And Ashwin is no exception.
Ashwin says, “While studying in the United States, I then
realized importance of Innovation, Improvisation and how
they are the two sides of the same coin. My company is a
pure serendipity. As I delved into the testing sector, I
realized the fallen standards of food in India as compared to
the world. Soon FSSAI came into being and the task of
bringing Indian food on par with global standards started.
These two moments defined my career path.”
Ashwin also had an opportunity to gain some practical
business lessons from his father, he says, “I earlier had a
hands-on training at my father’s venture, learning the
operations and customer support. This helped me move up
the ladder quickly, knowing
what a good company needs
and how team roles should be
defined.”
Sharing Insights about the
Ideal Leader
While sharing his insight of a
shrewd business leader, Ashwin
says, leaders usually confuse
empathy with sympathy.
Understanding the situation
with unbiased, no-nonsense
attitude can segregate the
result-generating teammates
from the ones that don’t.
He gives absolute priority to
work-life balance in an
organization. He feels,
overworked people often deliver
poor quality.
Qualities that Shaped his Life
We learned about the varied dimensions of Ashwin’s life
that shaped him in the due course of time. He says, ‘I ask a
lot of questions. This keeps me in touch with the latest
trends and updates. I then start applying them with
improvisations to improve my work quality, reducing the
manual inputs and automating everything possible for
better results.’
While studying in the
United States,
I realized importance of
Innovation, Improvisation
and how they are the
two sides of the same coin
“ “
Ashwin Bhadri
Meticulous Attention and Astuteness
are behind his Soaring Success
June 2018|
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™

23. Ashwin believes in living life on the edge, he states, ‘I have
even lost quite some bucks in the process, risked my
customers, and almost lost my prospective partnership. But
everything has taught me something, at least how to use
money prudently!’
Personalities that deeply influenced the CEO are Frank
Kern, Richard Branson, Ratan Tata, Elon Musk and Robert
Downey Jr.
Ashwin’s Quest towards Excellence
Equinox Labs, the brainchild of Ashwin, was incepted in
August 2005. With an aim to offer end to end solution for
customers with respect to food, water and air quality across
India. Ashwin has nurtured the company to gain an
expertise in FSSAI compliance and Food Safety
Management for corporates and FnB companies.
Headquartered in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, Equinox has
its registered office in Mumbai and another office located in
Bengaluru. The organization has the PAN-India presence in
thirty-nine cities and whopping twelve-hundred plus
collection points across the country.
While speaking about his role, the founder says,“As the
CEO of Equinox Labs, my responsibility revolves around
guiding my teammates, steer them in the right direction,
supporting my team and train them with experiences so that
they are prepared for the worst-case scenario.”
Equinox has been FSSAI notified, NABL accredited and ISO
certified, guaranteeing the results across one-sixty plus
countries.
Meticulously Designed Solutions
The Food and Beverage Industry and its allied sectors in
India are growing up rapidly. However, to match up the
pace, it has the huge deficit of required infrastructure, latest
technology and solutions to streamline the business
operations. The governing bodies too, lack required
manpower and finance.
Equinox, under Ashwin’s guidance has taken care of all
these issues, by offering wide-ranging solutions with
advanced testing facilities.
Ashwin says, “We focus on food, water and air testing and
safety consultation. We do not just provide results; we
provide a complete analysis of why the result is good or
bad, we devise strategies for a continual safety in the
premises.”
We also prepare customized schedules and metrics for the
company to make them understand the loopholes, asserts
Ashwin.
Awards and Accolades
Ashwin has been honored with several awards and
accolades for his exceptional contribution to the Industry.
He is recognized as the ‘100 Most Influential Leaders
Globally’ in the Healthcare sector. Ashwin is also a
recipient of ‘Operational Excellence Award’ by S. P. Jain
and the ‘Food Safety Leadership Award.’
He is frequently seen speaking on notable food safety issues
on leading news channels. Ashwin has also closely worked
with FSSAI, to develop new food regulations.
Future Roadmap
While speaking about future endeavors, Ashwin says, we
recently partnered with Thyrocare and acquired
Whaters - with these two companies as our partners, we
now aspire to become the largest network of the testing
laboratory.
With more innovations on the top list, Ashwin aims to take
the company to the pinnacle in the next five years, with
training, collaborations, networking events and more.
Ashwin Bhadri
CEO
T
H
E
10MOST
CONSULTING
LEADERS
INFLUENTIAL
TO WATCH IN 2018
June 2018| 21
™™

24. ergers and Acquisitions
M(M&A) is a general term
that refers to the
consolidation of companies or assets.
M&A’s can be broadly classified into
three main categories: Horizontal
(merger of companies in the same
space), Vertical (merger of companies
in different stages of same supply
chain), and Conglomerate (merger of
unrelated companies).
Rationale for M&A
There are various strategic reasons for
companies to consider making an
acquisition and a successful takeover
can help companies achieve their
strategic objectives as well as increase
cost effectiveness within the business.
Some of the major reasons are given
below.
· As an inorganic growth opportunity
to reach untapped markets or
customers.
· Viable business solution for
companies attempting to downsize,
reduce costs and streamline operation
leading to an increase in profitability or
alignment with business strategy.
· Shareholders or investors looking for
an exit.
An M&A can be a rapid way for
companies to achieve their objectives
and increase company’s growth. The
intention is that the resulting
combination of products, people and
pipelines will take the business to new
heights.
Since the early 1980s, high-profile
leveraged buyouts such as Duracell
International, Uniroyal, and RJR
Nabisco have attracted widespread
attention. Much of the fanfare has
focused on negotiation tactics, savvy
financial structures, and prices. Little
attention, however, has been given to
the other numerous buyouts that have
occurred in that time period and to the
fundamental changes in operating
practices that have generated positive
returns for many of those companies.
Merits of M&A
1) Intellectual Property – Through
M&A’s, a company can obtain
improved technological know-how,
trademarks and patents, thereby
increasing efficiency in production and
pricing.
2) Economies of Scale – M&A’s bring
greater negotiating strength in dealing
with vendors due to the larger size of
the resulting entity, in addition to
higher output of products/services
resulting in lower fixed costs per unit.
3) Larger Portfolio – To obtain a new
product line for diversification or
substitution or to complete a product
range e.g. Nigeria Breweries Plc.
planned takeover of Schweppes. It can
bring about a new market outlet,
eliminate competition or protect an
existing market.
4) People – It has often been said that
the success of the any big business
depends to a large extent on the quality
of its management personnel. Through
M&A’s, external managerial talent can
be acquired and utilized most
efficiently. Also due to its larger size,
the company has the advantage of offer
better remuneration, better growth
HOW MERGERS
AND
ACQUISITIONS
GROWTH
ASSIST COMPANIES TO BOOST THEIR
June 2018|
™
22
™

25. Sowjanya Bonda is a
Business Partner in AND
Business Consulting. She
is AND’s go to person for all
transaction advisory,
fundraising mandates and
strategic initiatives. She has
worked with more than 20
start-ups over the past 2
years and successfully
assisted in fundraise (debt
and early stage equity) for
select clients. She enjoys
working in Technology,
Infrastructure (especially
Renewable Energy) and
Agriculture sectors.
She has more than 10 years
of experience working with
Greenko, Spark Infra, Wipro.
She is a PGP from IIMA
(2009) and BE (CSE) from
Osmania University (2004).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
TECH-WIZARD
Sowjanya Bonda
Business Partner
AND Business Consulting
June 2018| 23
™™

26. opportunities and can hence reduce
attrition.
Demerits of M&A
However, the combined business has to
deal with increased operational &
personnel related complexities –
presence in multiple markets, more
diverse consumer base and more
complex product/service portfolio.
Cost synergies, a tangible and often
quickly attainable goal, take
precedence over the grinding work of
formulating, isolating and tracking
revenue metrics and growth efforts.
Cost reduction goals can even conflict
with revenue growth opportunities.
Case Study - Adidas acquisition of
Reebok
In 2005, Adidas announced its plan to
acquire Reebok North America at an
estimated value USD 3.8 billion.
Adidas offered to pay over 34%
premiums over last closing price for
Reebok. This was a favourable deal for
Reebok as it was facing tough
competition from the likes of Nike,
Adidas and Puma.
The footwear market in North America
was mainly dominated by Nike with a
36% share. Increased market share and
cost cutting through synergies were
clear-cut strategies for both Adidas and
Reebok. Adidas with its hi-tech quality
products and Reebok with its style
quotient planned to combine and
capture the market.
Post the acquisition of Reebok:
· Revenue increased by 52% in 2006,
representing Adidas’ highest growth in
8 years.
· It crossed the benchmark revenue of
EUR 10 billion for the first time.
· The market share of Adidas-Reebok
in the US increased to 21% from 19%.
Figure: Market share before and a er
acquisi on of Reebok by
Adidas
Source: icmrindia, NAFSMA
Reasons for Success:
· Cultural fit – Adidas is a German
company and Reebok an American
entity. However, proper
communication, clear strategies and
effective implementation did the job.
· Maintaining brand individuality – A
rare instance where both the companies
managed to create a portfolio of new
offerings while keeping their
individuality intact. While Reebok
capitalised on its strong presence with
the youth, Adidas focussed on its
international presence and high-end
technology.
· Economies of scale – Adidas
benefitted from enhanced distribution
in North America, where Reebok
already had a strong foothold.
Increased operations naturally
translated into reduced cost across each
front of the value chain such as
manufacturing, supply, distribution and
marketing.
Walt Disney Company acquisition of
Pixar: Another successful M&A was
the acquisition of Pixar by the Walt
Disney Company in 2006. The merger
between the two top animation movie
producers allowed Disney and Pixar to
collaborate without any external
problems they previously encountered.
Although this acquisition greatly
attributed to Disney’s success in the
animation business, many shareholders
worried that the famous Disney movie
culture would be compromised for
Pixar’s innovative movie generating
techniques. The acquisition was largely
successful, with Disney benefitting by
bringing innovative ideas and
technologies to Disney themed movies.
It combined two of the most successful
animation companies in the business,
and solidified an already existing
partnership.
June 2018|
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™

28. No organization can stay longer in this fast
paced hypercompetitive world with a
mediocre product and service. There are
always plenty in the race who offers more or less
similar type of services with much affordable cost
and desperately wait for the arrival of their ‘good
times’.
The one thing thus any organization needs to do in
order to stay relevant in the race‘is an environment
and actions that can boost creativity’at workplace.
Only the creative thought process has the potential to
boost innovation which in turn assists companies in
crafting alluring products for which people can die
for. Thus, we are highlighting few methods which can
augment nurturing creativity within an organization.
Stimulating Seating Arrangement:
Does a big office which hires diverse individuals with
unique talents provide enough opportunities to share
idea among colleagues? May be not. Most of the
employees if not encouraged, hesitate to mingle
among most of their co-workers. Since most believe
in completing their task and go home while living
under the company of few likeminded individuals.
While, bonhomie between compatible persons are
good but it limits the creative thought process in any
individual. But when a person starts living or
working in the close surroundings of dis-similar but
skilled peoples, probabilities of learning new things
Creativ yCreativ y
RevolutionRevolution
June 2018|
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™

29. get high. It can make transformational changes in
one's thought process and personality. Since
surrounding affects and makes a deep impression on
human soul, more you get involved in a company of
talented individuals with diverse mindset, more will
be your chances to get inspire and grow the
innovative instinct in yourself.
Liking, disliking, way of doing work, techniques to
solve a similar problem with various methods, varied
personalities traits, and more a person can learn from
other. But what is the solution? Are the employees
going to make friendship with all other dissimilar
personnel? Chances of such things to happen
voluntarily on large scale seems impossible but if the
top management of company decides on rearranging
seating arrangement on a periodic basis then it can
truly turnout as a gift not only for the organization
but for the individual as well. For example, if product
engineer who knows all the nitty-gritty of company’s
product sits with a customer care executive who
many times faces customers wraths for all the
shortcomings of the products then it gives vital
exposure to product engineer for understanding the
shortcomings of company’s product at a very minute
level which ultimately help company in crafting a
much better version of that product in near future that
too as per client’s needs.
Similarly, if sales executives sit with customer care
executives, it assists them to pitch the product on all
the positive aspects in future sales meetings which a
customer genuinely likes. But the first thing needed
to accomplish this is a “rotational seating
arrangement on periodic basis” among all employees
that too at a cross departmental level. Ultimately,
when thoughts flow, ideas nourish, and when ideas
nurture, creative thought process takes a boost.
Offer Time, Let them ‘Fail’ and Reward the Risk
Taker
Every employee has some sort of hidden talent. Each
employee comes from a diverse community, have
different economic strata, different linguistic identity
and more which makes them unique in their own
sense. Employees also have different types of
schooling; upbringing, and culture, but one common
thread which assembles all of them in a single line, is
their unique and individual “TALENT”. But are their
talent got notified?
Most employees even after having some thoughts,
idea and even a technique that can incrementally
contribute in solving some of the complex problems
does not openly come forward. The fear of failure
and the anxiety of ‘what others would say’ if it did
not work properly, never allow their idea to become a
reality. It is thus the job of a manager to let ideas’
flourish. No one knows whose idea will work better;
even a junior sub-ordinate can come up with a much
more innovative and enthralling idea than their
seniors. Contention here is: will it work? Managers
have to understand one truth that a great idea does
not create ‘on-demand’. Employees needs time to
nurture it and when it’s ready, managers have to show
empathy if their Idea ‘FAIL’ rather than expressing
wrath.
The right messaging help promoting a culture that
celebrates failures by recognizing that each one offers
a lesson that can help move the organization in
upward trajectory. For example, the technology
industry often weeds out unsuccessful ideas through
what it calls “beta testing.” The messaging behind the
term is brilliant; it lets creative thinkers know their
ideas will be given a shot and that they won’t be
stigmatized. This gesture is definitely not easy for
any manager but expressing this at the times of
failures will encourage their teammates and that will
only turn fruitful in longer run.
Despite having risk if an employee who is talented
and have a good track record comes up with an
innovative idea, the first and the most common
problem such employees face are the resistance and
ignorance from their own team and management.
Sometimes it extends into creating a mockery scene
as well. Management thus have to take cognizance of
the fact that if an employee is putting their prestige
on risk, which every employee values the most, then
there should be some value in employees idea.
Management thus needs to take some counter
measure to promote such traditions, of taking risk. If
the management offers financial incentives or special
recognitions in terms of awards to an employee when
it comes with a realistic and innovative idea then true
innovation will sprout inside the organization and
employees can explore their true potential since: life
is not about finding yourself, it is about creating
yourself.
EDITORS-TAKE
June 2018| 27
™™

30. Entrepreneurship is a serious business and one needs
to have the nerves of steel to succeed in this
profession. An ability to turn a small idea into a big
venture is not everyone’s cup of tea. It isn’t an ordinary
journey; it is the test of your patience, perseverance, the
talent to handle success and a strong will to bounce back
from failures. It is about embarking on an uncharted path,
full of hurdles and adventures, but ultimately leading to
manifestation of dreams that will
change the course of one’s destiny,
and apparently, which will look
like an overnight success to rest
of the world.
Meet Divakar Vijayasarathy, a
charismatic, passionate and
inspiring personality, with an
infectious smile, who perfectly
exemplifies the persona of a
successful entrepreneur. He is
the captain of his own ship who
sailed through rough waters, to
reach the shores of success.
The Multifaceted Leader
Divakar Vijayasarathy is the
Managing Partner of DVS
Advisors (“the Firm”). DVS
Advisors is a contemporary tax
and regulatory Firm with a
specific focus on Direct and
International Tax.
Divakar is regarded as one of the top-notch tax experts in
India. He looks after the overall Firm’s operations and is
primarily involved in top management recruitment, handling
sensitive client relationships and acquisitions, integrating
various arms of the business, identifying and acquiring
potential target firms and businesses and forging new
partnerships and alliances.
He says, “I carry a very important responsibility to facilitate
in maintaining our present position in the market and also
ensure that our Firm maintains a steady growth path for the
future”.
The Journey from Dreams to Accomplishments
Divakar was born and brought up in a close-knit middle-
class family; he was no ordinary kid for his age. He lost his
precious years of childhood to
some serious family miseries
and thus, became mature at the
very early age. Since then,
Divakar has been fighting
adversities with unrelenting
hope and ambition.
Though he dreamed of
becoming a doctor, destiny
ended up making him an
excellent Chartered Accountant.
Divakar always excelled in his
academic & professional career
and achieved several
milestones. He was an All India
Ranker in Chartered
Accountancy Exams, and
secured highest placement offer
in ICAI campus. As a highly
ambitious person, he desired to
create his own mark and he
constantly was in search of that one thing which would take
him a step closer to his dreams.
Divakar took calculated risks in life. He quit his well-
secured PSU job and entered the banking domain, earning a
six-figure fat salary. However, destiny had something else
for him; he quit this job too, and with a huge risk, started his
own venture “DVS Advisors”, at peak of his professional
career. This venture was incepted in the year 2007 offering
You can craft a magnificent
canvas of your success
story with the diverse
crayons of Creativity,
Diligence and Robust
self-belief
“ “
Divakar Vijayasarathy:
A Triumphant and Accomplished
Mogul in the Professional World
June 2018|
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28
™

31. tax, legal, risk and related advisory services. Years followed
and then, a big breakthrough came in. The Firm setup its
first overseas office in 2011, which was a remarkable
moment for Divakar and his entire team.
Divakar excelled in writing too and went on to publish his
first National Publication Book on International Taxation in
2011 with India’s leading publisher.
Due to Divakar’s sheer grit, out-of-the-box strategies and
innovative ideas, his e-commerce venture was awarded the
“Most innovative start-up in 2015”.The Firm acquired an
NBFC in 2017, and started the first debt fund in 2018
(backed by investors from Middle-East), which was an
important strategic step towards expansion of the business.
Looking back at the journey, Divakar says, “Never give up –
entrepreneurship is not easy, but is also not difficult.
Consistency, focus and determination are key drivers to
success. Compromise short term losses for long term
benefits and success will always follow you”.
Qualities that Shaped His Life
While sharing his thoughts about the qualities and people
that shaped his life, Divakar says, “My dad will always be
my role-model in life. His words, which I often heard while
growing up, made a profound impact on my life”.
“He taught me to maintain a calm head in times of crisis,
focus on details, be fair and impartial, smile in the times of
adversity and most importantly, money never stays, it always
flows, so never be attached to it”, expressed Divakar.
He quotes, “Remember – Life is not about having and
getting, it’s about being and becoming”.
Divakar’s Notion of an Ideal Leader
Divakar believes, “An astute business leader should have an
unbreakable resolve after failures and a sponge-like heart to
absorb the disappointments, still maintaining the
composure”.
“He should be a harmonious mix of Empathy, Hunger,
Vision, Grace, and Impartiality”.
Organization that Delivers Value
DVS Advisors is an international professional services firm
offering a wide-range of Tax, Legal, Risk and M&A
advisory services for domestic and global business of all
sizes. Headquartered at Chennai, the Firm has a global
presence with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, London,
Dubai, Zambia and Senegal.
The firm is part of MSI Global Alliance, an international
network of independent accounting and law firms, which is
headquartered in London.
DVS Advisors specializes in the services such as Structuring
Inbound and Outbound Investments, Tax Structuring and its
Management, Domestic and International Tax Advisory and
Litigation, Transfer Pricing, RBI and FEMA Compliance
and Litigation, Business Setup, Global CFO Services,
Investment Banking and Debt Syndication and many more
through its diversified team of professionals including
Chartered Accountants, Lawyers, Bureaucrats and Bankers.
Future Footsteps
While speaking on prospective future strategies, Divakar
states, “We are planning to consolidate our various business
verticals; our aim is to focus more on automation, and
develop an organizational template for seamless acquisition
and integration of smaller firms into DVS”.
Divakar believes in giving back to the society and desires to
start a dedicated research academy on international taxation
in future.
T
H
E
10MOST
CONSULTING
LEADERS
INFLUENTIAL
TO WATCH IN 2018
Divakar Vijayasarathy
Managing Partner
June 2018| 29
™™

32. FREELANCE BUSINESS
CONSULTANT
DOES HIRING A
MORE EFFECTIVE
THAN THE OTHER
AVAILABLE
OPTIONS?
IS
usiness Consulting is a both a highly respected and at the same
Btime highly questioned concept. Based on the experience of
the individual it swings either way.
Before addressing the question, let me first talk about how did business
consulting evolve and why do typically companies need Business
Consulting intervention.
The profession of Business Consulting evolved in the 50's when the
businesses started becoming large, complex and therefore in need of
special skills and people with deep expertise in one, more or entire
business.
Let’s begin by first looking at some of the most common reasons why
a company or a business looks for outside help especially at a Business
Consulting level.
1. To obtain specific expertise. Clients typically hire people who have
the skills and expertise their own staff lacks.
2. To identify problems. Sometimes employees are too
close to a problem inside an organization to recognize it.
3. To act as a catalyst for change. No one likes change; a
consultant generally can do things without getting bogged
down by organizational issues.
4. To be an objective onlooker. Besides seeing problems from a
different perspective than internal staff does, a good consultant
provides a fresh, objective viewpoint, then delivers results.
5. To mentor, guide and train people in skills which they may not have.
June 2018|
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30
™

33. Manoj Tandon holds a Bachelor of
Technology from the Indian Institute
of Technology, Kanpur and PGDM
from the Indian Institute of
Management, Lucknow. He has over
32 years of experience in the IT
industry. A large part of his
professional experience has been in
leadership positions, rendering
Technical and Strategic Leadership to
software organizations at the level of
Managing Partner, Member of the
Board etc. During his career he has
lived and worked in UK, Europe, US
and India. He is an avid writer having
written for newspapers and
publications like Economic Times,
Business Standard etc. Manoj also
has been involved in Academics for
quite some time. As a guest faculty
he has taught in IIM, IIT etc. and has
been a member of the Academic
Advisory Board of many institutes. At
present he is the CEO of TMTC, a
leading business consulting
company.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Manoj Tandon
CEO
FINE-ANGLE
6. To do a company’s “murky work.” Let’s face it: No one wants to be
the person who has to take tough decision which may sometimes impact
the business or the employees.
7. To use the network and contacts of the consultant.
Now, there can be many more and also very specific reasons for
engaging a consultant but the one listed above are typically the ones
which have been generally seen to be the reasons.
In today’s world, consultants can provide much more than just filling the
knowledge base and experience of the customer. They can for example
provide:
· Strategy Development
· help creating a business plan
· Once strategic and business plan is created, help and work hand in
hand to implement it etc.
Now, keeping all the above in mind, lets evaluate whether hiring a
freelance/individual/small consulting firm is a better approach or going
with a corporatized business consulting company a better approach.
June 2018| 31
™™

34. Thisisanobrainer,CorporateConsulting
companiescostexorbitantlyhigh
Unless the assignment requires a large
amount of manpower, the company is
better off engaging a freelancer with
requisite knowledge and experience.
This is an area where global knowledge
databases of large consulting companies
are almost unbeatable. No individual
consultant or a small consulting
company can match the reach and data
or a larger corporate consulting
company.
There is a lot of information available on
the internet on individual consultants
also. This may mitigate the risk to some
level. One can also use exclusive
networks of highly validated
professionals, across a wide array of
business areas, and offer the luxury of
custom-matching talent to the specific
needs of your business. Independent
professionals have highly diverse
backgrounds and skillsets, as they tend
to work with numerous clients making
them more flexible and capable of
dealing with complex projects, whether
that’s financial modelling to budget
efficiently, or optimizing pricing to hit
revenue targets.
HighReasonableCost1.
2.
3.
4.
Qualityofpeople
engagedinthework
Knowledgeofthe
industry,locallyand
acrosstheglobe
Authenticity of the
consulting capability
One can search for a
“real” Subject Matter
Expert Consultant
Large firms are
notorious for sending
senior people during
the sales process and
sending junior staff to
execute bulk of the
engagement
Medium to Low High
This is a grey area
for freelancers,
unless one knows the
freelance
business consultant
thru some reference
it can end up being a
waste of time and
money
One is on more sure
footing as far as
authenticity of the
Company is
concerned. The place
to be careful here is
the kind of team one
gets.
S.No Parameter Freelancer Corporate Remarks
Let’s compare the two against various parameters in the table below:
In a nutshell, while it is not possible to give a blanket statement about which is a better option, freelance consultants or large
corporatized consulting companies.
However, given the fact that businesses are becoming more and more niche players, their needs are becoming more and more
specific and the fact that there are enough senior, experienced and knowledgeable consultants coming into the industry, the
climate is beginning to change in favour of freelance consultants.
Also gone are the days that one saw good quality consulting only in “dark suit, light shirt and blue tie”. Nowadays people
with quite accomplished background are entering in the field of business consulting and are surely worth considering for the
value they bring to the table.
June 2018|
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32
™

36. Over the years there have been fast developments in
the fields of IP (Intellectual Property) Laws,
Technology trends, R&D and innovation; although
the current scenario demands better communications,
patient deliberations, willingness to listen and appreciate
other’s views and perceptions, with open mind to go back
to the drawing board reconciliations. With this goal and zeal
Dr. Gopakumar G. Nair, set up
Gopakumar Nair Associates
(GNAs) group, he is the
Founder and CEO of GNAs.
Having been associated with
numerous organizations, he has
travelled all over the world on
behalf of the Government’s
Export Promotion agencies,
Industry Associations and
Chambers of Commerce. This
exposed him to various World
Trade development
organizations such as GATT,
ILO, WTO, TRIPs, Uruguay
round, Doha round and many
global protocols such as
Montreal Protocol, at a very
early stage. Exposure to these
rounds and protocols enabled
him to closely notice the
potential impact of Uruguay Round, WTO, TRIPs and other
treaties on small–medium industry. Subsequently, he opted
out of Industry by merging his pharma company with a
larger entity and chose to become a service provider.
After acquiring new legal skills combined with pre-existing
technology skills, he consequently became an independent
IP practitioner, advisor and consultant.
Inspirational Journey from Childhood to becoming a
“Patent Guru”
Born to a humble Keralite family of Nairs, he spent his
early childhood in pre-independent famine days. In spite of
all the odds, his family was extremely educated, his father
had MA.LT degree, and was the college principal in the
1930’s onwards after which he
became active social worker.
He has witnessed the struggle
and success of India right from
the era of Netaji Bose, Gandhi,
and Nehru to Narasimha Rao,
Manmohan Singh; through
trials, tribulations and fair
residual progress till the current
Modi resurgence into global
economic dominance, growth
and leadership.
In spite of inadequate financial
support and odds, Dr. Nair
went on to do Ph.D. from
National Chemical Laboratory,
and post-doctoral studies at IIT-
Powai. He has also studied
Management courses at
Jamnalal Bajaj, Patent Law from
Institute of Intellectual Property
Studies and LLB from Mumbai University over a period
extending from 1962 to 2006.
Dr. Nair has a scientific research background, Pharma
Industry experience (as CMD, MD, Chairman and Director)
of nearly 50 years, and active public life participation in
various Industry Associations and Educational & Academic
Institutions. He provides consultancy and retainer ship
GNAs providing world-class
consultancy and legal
advice to protect their
client’s Intellectual
property
“ “
Dr. Gopakumar Nair:
A Personification of
Intelligence and Passion
June 2018|
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37. advisory services to a large number of entities, industries,
corporates, academia, R&D institutes, start-ups and
individual inventors; he is ably and efficiently supported by
a team of highly qualified professionals in achieving this
goal.
On the legal front, his contributions are phenomenal. After
becoming a Patent and Trademark agent and later
completing his LLB, he went on to become an IP Attorney,
IP Advisor and Consultant. Always being on the top of his
game he has served as the interim Dean of Institute of
Intellectual Property Studies. Currently, Dr. Nair is known
more as an “IP Guru” or “Patent Guru”. He is recognised in
India for his stature in the field of Patents in particular and
IP in general.
Dr. Nair is a Reflection of his Role Models
Throughout his life span Dr. Nair has had many role
models. If just one person to be mentioned, it would be
none other than Amitabh Bachchan; his resilience, fighting
spirit, magnificent obsession for humaneness, humor and
humility is outstanding. Dr. Nair also admires Dr. Yusuf
Hamied’s (Cipla) obsession for National pride and self-
reliance, his passion for pharma research is commendable.
He also considers Mr. N.H. Israni’s (Blue cross) and Mr.
Ajit Singh’s (ACG worldwide) corporate management style
and networking as unique and worthy of emulating. The
common thread of all these individuals is their passion,
excellence in their respective fields and goodness in all of
them make them commendable role models.
About the company
The original company was Bombay Drug House Pvt. Ltd
which later became M/s BDH Industries Ltd, where Dr.
Nair served as the Director for nearly 40 years. He has also
served as the CMD of M/s Bombay Drugs & Pharmas Ltd.
from 1978 to 2002.
With his unending thirst for knowledge and passion for
intellectual property, Dr. Nair founded GNAs in 2002,
Gnanlex Hermeneutics Pvt. Ltd in 2007 and Gnanlex LLP
in 2016. He also founded a knowledge broadcasting
platform for IP training, known as Patent Gurukul. Under
his wise guidance and watch, CIPROM was registered as a
Charitable Trust in 2002. Presently, Dr. Nair is a leading IP
Advisor and Consultant for many reputed research
organizations and corporates.
GNAs offer superior solutions to clients in the areas of
intellectual property protection and enforcement. Their
experienced and expert senior patent and trademark
associates provide support to clients in many of the
technical aspects of IP, TM, patent practice, patent Non-
infringement services, freedom to operate opinions as well
as patentability, infringement and work around solutions.
A Glance into the Bright Future of GNAs
The organization has emerged as a leading, reliable and
efficient intellectual property service provider, specializing
in Patents. The association looks forward to strengthen its
presence in this field to take a leadership position.
Budding entrepreneurs are increasingly associating with
GNAs. Addressing them Dr. Nair says, “Innovation,
Innovative pathways and novel products with breakthrough
technology applications are the way forward. Common
sense, presence of mind, sense of humor, agility and sound
health, sound knowledge and experience in chosen field are
essential requirements of a business leader.”
Dr. Gopakumar Nair
Founder & CEO
T
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10MOST
CONSULTING
LEADERS
INFLUENTIAL
TO WATCH IN 2018
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38. CHANGING TIMESCHANGING TIMES&The Relevance
of
BUSINESS ETHICSBUSINESS ETHICS
in 21 Century
st
Values, Ethics & Morals have always been among the predominant attributes of a ‘Good Human Being’. People have
always been judged on the basis of their actions, responses, behaviour and conduct in the public domain. More so,
Ethics and Ethical Principles have always acted as the fine line of demarcation between the right & the wrong.
However, with changing times and the world becoming increasingly success driven, it is high time for the relevance of ethics
to be introspected. Particularly in the fields of business, irrespective of its scale of operation, many a time, the worth of any
individual or any enterprise has been primarily analysed on the basis of revenue they are capable of drawing at the end of the
day. So, these are the fields where the existence of Ethics has been questioned since ages. But equally so, these are the fields
which have proven the critics wrong by setting unparalleled standards of Business Ethics at numerous instances.
The Outline:
Quite often, ethics is related to ‘Conscience’ or a simplistic understanding of ‘Right or Wrong’. In the context of business, it
is the reflection of any company’s ‘Philosophy of doing Business’ i.e. it simply defines the fundamental purposes of any
company. It is the code of conduct which guides the business leaders in deciding what to do and what not to, for emphatically
contributing towards the welfare of the society at large. Business ethics provides a shell of protection to different social
group’s viz. consumers, employees, small businesses, government, creditors and shareholders. It provides a basic framework
for doing business.
Just because the definition of ‘Right & Wrong’ is homogenous in itself, business ethics is a relative term. Quite naturally, it
differs from one business to another, one locality to another, and also changes from one country to another. In spite of this,
the basic elixir of business ethics remains the same at one place and all, i.e. a strict No-No to each and every business mal-
practices and unfair trade practices which can possibly impact the society’s welfare.
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39. The Background:
The term ‘Business Ethics’ came into existence first in the United States during the early 1970s. The education over business
ethics was started being implemented for millions of students across the world. Thereafter, several firms too started
highlighting their ethical stature during the late 1980s, possibly in an attempt to isolate themselves from the then occurring
business scandals. However, very sooner, the concept of business ethics caught the attention of academia, media and multiple
business entities. Since then, this concept and its effective practice are flourishing strongly across the world despite a section
attacking this school of thought as an infringement to the freedom of entrepreneurs.
The Principles:
Business Ethics enlightens the path of doing business for social good. It ensures zero exploitation of consumers under the
garb of trade and benefits. By keeping the motive of social welfare as the priority, the code of business ethics nourishes an
environment full of trust and transparency among the consumers as well as the employees. It promotes regular payment of
taxes to the government, timely audits of the company’s finances, and a lucid communication channel of information to the
investors and shareholders. The firm having a strong framework of business ethics completely discourages any sort of secret
agreements and meticulously promotes an atmosphere free of bribes and corruption.
The Code:
Technically, the code of business conduct is also known as the Code of business ethics. It is nothing but a set of defined
principles designed to guide the individuals associated in any business/work to conduct themselves with utmost honesty,
integrity and diligence in all of their actions representing the association.
A code of ethics is of supreme importance to businesses primarily because it ensures that the personnel involved are clear on
the vision, mission, values and guiding ideologies of the company/enterprise. Business organizations quite often had to
BUNCE OF ETHOS
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40. develop a number of policies, rules, and guidelines for governing their functioning in a proper manner. The size and content
of these guidelines solely depend upon the size and nature of the business organizations. For small-scale operations, the code
of business ethics is usually dependent upon the business owner’s personal values and morals; however, as the business
expands, the same code help the companies with a compass to channelize the organization through the nitty-gritty of a
turbulent business environment.
A defined Code of Business Ethic helps every organization but is not limited to, accomplishing the under mentioned:
Ø Boosting the Sales: Because the consumers are more likely to approach and stay loyal to the companies they trust.
This ultimately helps to attaining the monetary targets of any firm.
Ø Stabilizing the Rules: Right from the top of the organizational pyramid, to the rock bottom of the hierarchy, if the
rules are same for all, it stabilizes the professional atmosphere in its own beautiful way.
Ø Personnel Empowerment: When the businesses works with a defined rulebook, the employees feel very rightfully
empowered to report any possible ethical sidesteps that they come across.
Ø Defining Accountability: A good old saying goes like, “Accountability to more than one is Accountability to none”.
Once the accountability and the consequent repercussions in case of any deviation, are defined and properly
documented, then only in all the likelihood, the people involved in the business concerned will be aware of their
actions, the after effects and possible recourse in reality.
The Relevance:
Though the times have changed, the basic principles of doing righteous business haven’t. Yes, the pristine importance of
earning a profit and making money by business has not faded, but so is the eternal valuation of doing the same with proper
conduct and ethical means.
Indeed, there were few times in the last few decades when people were made to believe that if it is business then it cannot be
ethical, and if it is ethical, it cannot be termed as a business; implying that business is solely meant to make profits nothing
else. But, pretty sooner, it came up with utmost clarity that even in the globalized race driven by profit-making, only the
ethical companies which sincerely discharged their social responsibilities and welfare of the society have survived
competition and have continued to prosper and flourish. Expert says that they cannot survive in the long race until they win
others’ faith and clearly, one cannot earn faith by cheating.
A sense of scepticism and distrust always hampers the business image. Trust breeds trust and goodwill in the conduct of
business, good business ethics is and will always be necessary for, such mutual trust and goodwill.
Till the goods will continue to be traded & services will continue to be rendered, Business Ethics will continue to be the
fulcrum of competitive advantage. Consumers are known to trust the ethical brands and remain loyal to them even during the
phases of difficulty and turbulence.
In a nutshell, Trust is the Key and it’ll Always Be!
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42. India has emerged as the fastest growing economy in
the world and is expected to be one of the top three
economic powers in coming years, backed by its strong
democracy and partnership. Numerous foreign countries are
setting up their facilities in India on account of various
government initiatives like Make in India and Digital India.
Yasasve HR Consulting Services
was established in 2011, by
Mrs. Meghana Narsimha and
Mrs. Anitha. Their charisma,
upbeat nature and passion
towards their work, have been
the major driving forces behind
Yasasve’s success. Meghana is
the Managing Partner of the
firm, and handles the
recruitment sector. Her
responsibilities include
developing and executing the
company’s business strategies
in order to attain both the short-
term and long-term goals. She
also overlooks the company’s
financial performance,
investments and other business
ventures.
On the other hand, Anitha takes care of the skill
development and women empowerment training projects.
The prime objective of this skill development project is the
creation of self-employment and empowerment for women;
the firm specifically targets rural women so as to instill an
entrepreneurial spirit in them. Meghana believes that the
firm is now ready to expand its recruitment globally, and
has already begun talks with some of the US clients.
Meghana is a self-driven and a confident person and has
always been motivated by her passion to be a great leader.
She has received various awards and appreciations, to name
a few:
· Yasasve HR Consulting Services has been featured
among “Top 10 most promising Recruitment Consultant”
by one renowned magazine.
· Meghana has received
“International Achievers
award for Emerging
Company” on occasion of
44th Indian Achievers
th
seminar on February 20
2018, New Delhi.
Under the guiding light of
Meghana and Anitha, the firm
has launched Women
Entrepreneur of India, a
Chennai based firm, in
th
Hyderabad on February 14
2018 and promoting WEI
activities in Hyderabad. WEI is
an initiative that educates,
trains, supports and motivates
women entrepreneurs all over
India, through innovative business
ideas, startup funding avenues,
marketing support and mentor connects.
Story behind the Passionate Entrepreneur
Born to a family of doctors, Meghana’s parents always
wished their daughter would follow their footsteps and
become a doctor. In spite of this, she always looked up,
upon her dream to become a successful entrepreneur. She
We provide advanced
recruiting services, to
ease our clients work and
decrease the time spent on
screening of potential
candidates
“ “
Meghana Narsimha
A Path-breaking Leader with
the Vision and Courage to Dream Big
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43. has completed her MPhil in Management, and MBA in HR
& Management. After working in recruitment industry for
six years, she decided to start up her own firm in
recruitment space and became an entrepreneur.
Anitha and Meghana have been friends for over a decade
and have taken their friendship to the next level by setting
up this firm. Their zeal, vision to achieve big, and make
their dreams come true, led them to establish Yasasve.
Anitha, having worked for NIRD, Hyderabad, has handled
projects like PMKVY, Skills Training, and Roshini. She has
also worked with NGO’s, of the state and central
government projects; this experience is of utmost
importance for the firm.
“Dare to dream”
“Leadership is hard to define and good leadership even
harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends
of the earth, you are a great leader”—Indra Nooyi
Meghana believes in and looks up to Indra Nooyi, who is
her role model. Her speeches have always inspired and
motivated Meghana to achieve big, in her venture. Even
though the firm lacks a mentor, their determination, hard
work and trust has helped them develop and fight against all
odds.
Every successful entrepreneur was a budding and struggling
entrepreneur once. It’s the determination and dedication to
achieve big that has made them successful today.
Addressing young and budding entrepreneurs Meghana
says, “Being a great business leader takes a lot of sacrifice,
strong discipline, focus, innovation, confidence, passion
towards work, and work-life balance.”
Learning from ones failures and moving forward against all
odds, is what makes a great leader and entrepreneur.
Meghana believes that treating every hurdle as a stepping
stone towards success and a learning opportunity is
essential.
Providing Distinctive HR consulting service
Establishing Yasasve HR consulting firm few years ago
wasn’t an easy task; Meghana hasn’t kept a stone unturned
to achieve the stature that her firm has reached today. Her
determination, hard work, most importantly her 17 years of
friendship with Anitha and their faith on each other has
been crucial to tackle all the ups & downs in this market.
The firm started with two employees providing recruitment
initially only for Hyderabad & Secunderabad. Setting up a
startup has been a “roller coaster ride” says Meghana.
Yasasve now has 25 employees working together to achieve
great heights.
Meghana believes that if one wishes to sustain in this
competitive world, one needs to use strategies and
methodologies which are superior and different from its
competitors. Meeting deadlines is one of the bench marks
of strategies at Yasasve. They aim that operations should be
completed on time to eliminate the possibility of revenue
loss in businesses.Recruiting on social media sites which
help in spreading the message on niche social media sites
that are frequently visited by the target audience. Using
video interview technology can help enhance candidate
search by streamlining the screening process, and makes it
easy to spot potential candidate. These strategies are some
of the distinctive features and services offered by Yasasve,
and have led the path of the firm towards success.
Meghana Narsimha
Managing Partner
T
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10MOST
CONSULTING
LEADERS
INFLUENTIAL
TO WATCH IN 2018
June 2018| 41
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44. Efficacious business leaders are the ones who
consider that their decision making skills are as
carefully honed as their combat skills. They have
an unrelenting desire to succeed. They
overcome all the obstacles in order
to achieve their goals and lead
the company towards growth
and prosperity.
One such leader with an
innovative streak and an
indomitable yearning to
succeed is Minnat Hashmi,
the Founder and Director of i
tech Solutions(A division of
Jobsvala Group of Companies).
According to him, growth of a
business is equally more
important just as sustaining the
existing business is, be it any
sector or a business.
Hallmarks of a Successful
Frontrunner
Minnat feels that successful leaders should be intuitive,
explorative, and creative. They should inculcate the attitude
of a life-long learner and should be reflective. He feels that
being passionate about work is necessary. It helps one to
dedicate their time towards achieving their goals no matter
what comes in their way; their dedication and hard work
overcomes all.
An Arduous Journey to Success
Minnat was too young when he left home. He started his
career with a small factory as a
labour. Eventually he came to
Mumbai to chase his dream of
becoming an actor. Struggle
was a part of his everyday life.
It was not easy to even have
proper shelter and food. He
spent several nights at railway
stations and streets. Later, he
started doing field sales job and
other odd jobs.
Eventually, he took up a job in
BPO, due to which he was able
to manage his further studies
and establish “i tech
Solutions”which helped him to
grow and expand his business
across India. i tech Solutions
comes among top 3 consultant
in Mumbai ( As per Timesjobs
Report ). Now he has several offices
across India and plans to establish an office in Dubai soon.
Under his leadership, the company has also launched their
own job portal named “www.Jobsvala.com” in 2008.
In the year 2014, he decided to start a security guard
company named “ ”Allied Guard Force Security Services
which is well known security agency in Mumbai for its
exemplary services. Eventually, he decided to do something
Being passionate about
work is necessary,only
then you can dedicate
your time and yourself
to achieve bigger goals
“ “
Minnat Hashmi:
An Enthusiastic Leader with
a Vision to Succeed
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45. to achieve his dream and decided to start up his own
production house, “ ”.Hashmi Films Entertainment
An Industrious and Passionate Leader
Minnat describes himself as a consistent leader and work is
his focal passion. Apart from that he loves acting as well.
He is always ready to work at any time of the day, and
works for atleast 16 hours every day.
His father is his greatest role model because he had
exceptional determination. He always took time to help
those who are less fortunate and that inspired Minnat to
emulate in his own life. His father supported Minnat
throughout his career and stood for him throughout all the
ups and downs in his life. At times he got demotivated and
decided to go back to his native place, but his father’s
constant love and support boosted his confidence and
inspired him to march ahead positively towards making his
dreams come true. He attributes his success to his father
and says that whatever he is right now is all because of his
father’s support.
Noteworthy Accomplishments
Minnat has accomplished numerous landmarks throughout
his illustrious career. He has been awarded as ‘Young
Entrepreneur -2016’ (by Indian Achiever Forum in Delhi).
He was also nominated in the UK for the ‘Global Rising
Star-2017’. Under his astute leadership, i tech Solutions
received the Best Staffing Organisation-2018 Award (by
Times Ascent & World HRD Congress in Mumbai). Also,
Global Achievers magazine published an article on his
success (April,2018- Dubai). He considers these awards &
recognitions asa symbol of the blessings that he has
received from all throughout his journey.
Spearheading through the Industry
Under Minnat’s percipient leadership, the company deals
into recruitment and staffing business (temporary and
permanent), wherein they help people in finding the right
job. His motive behind sticking to this particular industry
was not just to earn profits but it’s a different happiness to
see a person smile & making their life easy by providing a
right job to them.
Minnat asserts that nowadays there are numerous
recruitment firms, where they convince a candidate to join
any industry irrelevant of their qualification or area of
interest, just considering an individual’s necessity and out
of their selfish motive to make better profits.
This action has an impact on their career from future
perspective. He feels that providing right guidance to an
individual becomes very important.
Future Strategies
Minnat wishes to succeed in other sectors that he might
soon get into. As of now, he is planning to balance his
career and business, and his passion to be a good actor.
Advice for Budding Entrepreneurs
Minnat suggests up-and-coming entrepreneurs to work hard
and find a way to achieve what they love. They may face
challenges and get disappointed as life is not easy. He also
adds that if life would have been so easy then every second
person in this world would have been a business mogul.
T
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10MOST
CONSULTING
LEADERS
INFLUENTIAL
TO WATCH IN 2018
Minnat Hashmi
Founder & Director
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46. VERTICAL LIMIT…
In Pursuit of Innovation
C
onquering Mount Everest is a metaphor for
achieving the impossible, of scaling great heights.
There are fourteen peaks above the height of
8000m, Mount Everest being the highest. Each poses a
challenge to the indomitable human spirit and there is a
constant effort by climbers to scale these peaks. The quest
began in 1924 when Mallory and Irvine lost their lives in
the first ever attempt made to scale the mountain.
Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to
reach the summit in 1953, and this proved to the world that
it was possible to climb these peaks. Till then it was
believed that it was impossible to climb the last 800 m to
the summit known as the “Death Zone”. Did conquering of
Everest or other over 8000 m peaks take away anything
from the challenge of climbing these peaks? Of course, it
did not. This “Next Mark” established by Hillary and
Norgay spurred several climbers to emulate their feat. It is
evident that people will continue to strive for Next Marks
that others will then benchmark.
What motivates people is the desire to do what has not been
done before? As one mountaineer said, “After my first
ascent, I had made up my mind to see the world, to see it
from above, from the highest peak, whence I could get that
wide and comprehensive view which is denied to those who
observe things from their own plane.”
It is this very spirit that motivates organizations to
continuously improve performance and aim for their own
Next Marks. This spirit and conviction has fueled several
innovations. The moment an innovation happens, others
enter the fray to benchmark that product, performance or
methodology. This ‘follow the leader’ process can only
show what has already been achieved. It can never make
one the leader. In today’s increasingly competitive world if
you are not there with the best of the best, you run the risk
of losing out. To truly become the best and keep winning,
one would need to set the “Next Mark” which would then
be copied by others. Take the case of Dell. They redefined
the business model of selling computers. Likewise, Amul
revolutionized the co-operative movement in the country
and set a benchmark for others on building a brand.
What are the right ingredients for organizations for
achieving the next vertical limit?
· Is it about the tools and technology?
· Is it the right people who do it?
· Is it clarity about the risks and knowing how to mitigate
them?
· Or is it the strong foundation of organizational processes?
Of the above, many believe that tools and technology are
the key. They then get caught up in the same and get limited
by the limitations of the enabler.
Over time, mountaineering equipment has become more
sophisticated. Also, technology advancement has resulted in
increasingly accurate information on weather. This has
positively impacted the success rate. In fact, most of the
successful climbs have happened after 1990. However, at
the same time there have been too many deaths too. Any
expedition to any high mountain is fraught with risks such
as inclement weather, crevasses and avalanches, faulty
equipment, bad quality oxygen and incorrect judgment.
Based on the above, what are the critical success factors for
achieving the Next Mark? Here are the vital few:
· Strong conviction to go into uncharted territories
· Appetite for risk
· Willingness to fail
· Ability to use tools and technology as enablers
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47. Breakthrough Management Group International (BMGI), a
global consulting rm, partners with organizations to
transform their business performance with a strong focus on
delivering results. BMGI enables businesses to solve
strategic, organizational and process problems. BMGI has
partnered with organizations in various stages of their
business life cycles and has delivered cumulative benets
to its clients worth several billion dollars with an
engagement ROI of 5:1 to 20:1.
In India, BMGI is located in Mumbai. BMGI's clients include
leading Fortune 1000 Global companies and other Indian
companies from diverse industries such as nancial
services, IT/ITES, airlines, chemicals, FMCG, discrete
manufacturing, telecommunications, petrochemical,
textiles, healthcare, energy and more.
bmgindia.com
About BMGI
June 2018| 45
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ORGANIZATION'S VIEWPOINT

48. How does an organization manage these vital few so that the Next Mark becomes a real goal which can be achieved
again and again?
An overview of the organization would show it to be a collection of processes managed by people. These processes
generate outputs as per desired levels of performance. This implies that management of these vital few would also
become a process. Hence, the following key issues emerge –
· How many organizations see Innovation Management as a process?
· How many organizations realize that to sustain innovation it is important to have a structure in place?
Achieving and sustaining the Next Mark requires constant innovation. Hillary, when asked about the time taken to go
up and come down and the amount of sleep at the top said – “It took seven days to reach the top from base camp but
only three days to come down! Sleeping is always difficult at high altitude, so we didn’t sleep much.” Quite
appropriate! It is difficult to stay complacent at the top as others will catch up. Also, it does not take long to undo the
good that was painstakingly built.
Here are a few musts that are needed to create the right environment and infrastructure that fuel creative thinking.
· Continuous up gradation of employee skills and knowledge levels
· Availability of robust processes that can be leveraged
Most companies do not realize that organizational processes follow a maturity curve. In order to internalize
innovation and sustain it, the processes need to be defined, implemented, measured and improved. Only then they
will be ready to face various challenges. Technology can be used as an enabler at any stage to derive the level of
performance desired.
See the Organizational Process Maturity Model below:
As the organizational processes progress on the maturity curve, a strong foundation gets built. These processes can
then seek to establish Next marks supported by a strong Innovation Management processes. It is clear that as the
maturity levels go up, the ability to manage and mitigate the risks improves and value creation too goes up.
The message is on the board. To be a leader one has to have the conviction to surpass barriers and leverage strengths
built over time. Or else, one will continue to follow beaten paths – those discovered or charted by others. How will
your organization want to be remembered as?
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50. Rapid globalization has led to intense competition
for businesses. Companies have now realized that
outsourcing of non-core activities like finance &
accounts, payroll, company law, legal and HR can help
them focus on building their businesses. One such company
that provides outsourced management services in the
finance and commercial areas to
customers is Arthtech
Consultants Pvt. Ltd. (ACPL),
instituted by Mr. Shekhar
Agharkar, in the year 1998.
As the Founder and Director
of ACPL, Shekhar brings 34
years of experience to the
Company. ACPL is one of the
leading management consulting
and outsourcing companies
which has promoted and are
one of the pioneers of the
Virtual or Outsourced CFO
concept in India.
Ever since its establishment,
Shekhar has been single
handedly responsible for the
growth & success, and is the
sole driving force behind this
company. He looks after all the aspects from strategy,
business, PR, to Operations. His vision and fervor has led
the company to its current position as a forerunner in
consultancy services.
A Visionary to Create a Global Footprint
Being a part of a humble family, Shekhar always looked up
to his father, a banker and a self-made man who rose
through the ranks. Major part of Shekhar’s secondary
education took place in Mumbai and he completed his
matriculation from Solapur. He is a proud alumnus of the
BMCC in Pune, having graduated in Commerce in the year
1979. He has always been at the top of his class and has
received notable achievements
and accolades during schooling
and graduation. In the year
1984, Shekhar qualified as a
Chartered Accountant, and is
one of the lucky ones to have
been promoted on the first day
of his job, immediately after
qualification in a reputed
project engineering company.
A combination of innovation
and rich experience in the field
of accounting, finance and
management consulting, has
lead him to start Integrated
Management Outsourcing
Solutions (IMOS) under ACPL
in 1998. He expanded the
operations of ACPL, to set up in
cities like Mumbai, Bangalore,
and Hyderabad. Shekhar’s passion is
to create an ideal organization which would be one-of its
kind in the Outsourced CFO space with a global footprint.
He always works towards excellence in everything that he
seeks out, with the aim that the society benefits the most.
Unique Capabilities of a Passionate Leader
Shekhar has efficaciously navigated his company through
We provide value added services
to the businesses of our clients,
in a timely and professional
manner, by assuring continuity,
confidentiality, quality and
integrity to our work
“ “
Shekhar Agharkar:
An Efficacious Leader with
a Vision for Success
June 2018|
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48
™

51. ups and downs. He likes to imbibe and practice the good
points from people he has met in his life’s journey and
whom he respects and draws inspiration. Being a smart
business leader, Shekhar has the ability to strategize, think
out of the box and efficiently implement his ideas. He is not
a materialistic person, and believes that his mission in life is
to spread happiness.
The Company’s Products and Services
ACPL is headquartered in Pune. The Company launched
the outsourcing services under Integrated Management
Outsourcing Solutions (IMOS) which is the brain child of
Mr. Agharkar. IMOS is a basket of services in the
management arena to manage non- core yet equally
important functions of any organization.
Virtual CFO, Finance & Accounts Management, Statutory
Compliances, Legal Services, Outsourced Payroll & HR
Management and Strategic consulting are the services
provided by ACPL. With a view to provide the various
benefits, with expert domain knowledge in multiple
segments, ACPL has started various divisions as outlined
below:
· Project Finance division that helps SMEs.
· Women Entrepreneurs division, which focuses on
providing support to the women entrepreneurs.
· Startup India division provides business incubation
services to startups.
The outsourced services are provided as a single window
solution both as an offsite and onsite model. The USP of
ACPL is that they not only consult but implement the
consultation. This makes ACPL a distinctive contender to
the industry; for the services it provides are not restricted to
just boardroom consulting. It also provides an end to end
solution from identifying and analyzing the problem,
coming up with practical and feasible solution,
implementing the same and monitoring the results
thereafter.
Awards and Tributes
Under the valuable guidance and leadership of Shekhar,
ACPL was recently awarded “The Certificate of
Appreciation” by the Great Indian SME Yatra 2018 for its
outstanding performance and contribution to the SME
sector. He is the author of a reference guide “Incubation at
a Glance,” which was released by the then Science Minister
in January 2010 at the ISBA Conference in New Delhi.
Views for Budding Entrepreneurs
“Big things often have small beginnings”, says Shekhar.
Entrepreneurship is all about choosing a road less travelled.
If one has the courage to do what it takes to pursue one’s
dream, then sky is the limit. Shekhar believes persistence,
obsession in the pursuit of one’s objectives, faith in one’s
abilities, sincerity of efforts, honesty and a never say die
spirit will help one reach their destination.
Creativity, innovation, humility, ability to strategize,
thinking out of the box, finding unique practical business
solutions to key issues faced by one’s business and effective
implementation of the solutions; are some of the key
features that makes a successful leader and entrepreneur.
Shekhar Agharkar
Founder and Director
T
H
E
10MOST
CONSULTING
LEADERS
INFLUENTIAL
TO WATCH IN 2018
June 2018| 49
™™

52. Being the driving force to grow new and upcoming
business’s is what I live for.” says, Mr. Yogesh
Choudhary, who is the Founder and CEO of
Radiant Web Technology Pvt. Ltd. When passion, faith
and a will to work hard are a person’s forte he can achieve
anything in life. From the past few years, Yogesh has
started working as a Brand Consultant
and acts as a visionary to boom
Business Enterprise’s. The
amalgamation of a Marketing
background along with his
expertise in the Tech industry
gives his clients a run for their
money.
Yogesh established his first
venture ‘Radiant Web Tech’ in
2008 and this marked his first
step into the business world.
“Establishing and running
Radiant has been a roller
coaster ride” says Yogesh.
Today Radiant has achieved
numerous feats and is one of
the leading Website-
development companies in
India. Although, this is just the
beginning and the company has
miles to go. Born in the city Rewari in Haryana, Yogesh has
completed his schooling and graduation there. After which
he moved out to Pune to pursue his MBA with a
specialization in Marketing. Here, he got selected as RM by
a Finance firm during the campus placement. He worked
there for a few months and later left his job to start his own
company.
With his commitment and hard work, Yogesh has received
many awards namely, the ‘Young Entrepreneur Award’ by
the former Chief Minister of Delhi Ms. Sheela Dixit and the
‘Star of Asia Award’ in 2016. He was also honored with 50
Most promising Technology Consultant of India in 2015.
Radiant Web Tech - a
Complete Digital Experience
Radiant Web Tech is a Web
development and Digital
Marketing Company based in
Delhi. Radiant is a full-service
agency optimized for a digital-
centric world. The company
has worked with many top-
notch brands from the industry,
starting from brands like HCL,
MDH, Trump Towers, Inox
Group to Porsche and Audi.
The company has worked for
more than 1100 brands from all
across the world.
Yogesh’s Passion and
Motivation that Drives Him
As a successful and versatile
entrepreneur, Yogesh tries to push the limits, to build a good
company. He believes that sometimes standing up against
conventional wisdom is essential to achieve something
great. With such experience and zeal as the company’s
backbone, he is always ready to support his employees and
ready to catch them in case they ever fall.
His work being his core ambition; has been the very reason
We
make
you
Visible
“ “
Yogesh Choudhary:
Architects Business Ecosystems
to Propel Innovation
“
June 2018|
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50
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