ICAI — Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
A R Shankar & Co

23

Countries

Finance & compliance managed simultaneously

11

Sectors

Deep cross-industry expertise

28+

Years

Senior leadership experience

$50M

Cost Saving

Single engagement · Chemical industry

Banking, Financial Services & Insurance

BFSI · Capital Markets · Insurance

Finance transformation for regulated, high-complexity organisations.

Deep experience within global banks, capital markets firms, and insurance businesses — across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. Advisory spans controllership, financial close optimisation, compliance, and operational performance.

Key Outcomes

  • Financial close: 25 days → 3 days (BFSI engagement)
  • Cash conversion cycle: 90 days → 21 days
  • DSO reduction of 30 days across receivables
  • Revenue assurance and compliance automation
  • Reporting transformation for a global bank in Saudi Arabia
  • Payment operations standardisation across international channels

Representative Engagements

  • Global Bank — Reporting Transformation
  • Global Bank — Payment Operations
  • Capital Markets — MIS Modernisation

Names withheld — references available on request.

Discuss your sector

Telecom & BPO/KPO

Telecom · BPO · Shared Services · Outsourcing

Scale, complexity, and cross-border operations — managed with rigour.

Led the finance and compliance functions for large-scale telecom and BPO businesses operating across 23 countries. Experience spans annual operating plans, ERP implementation, post-merger integration, and cost optimisation at scale.

Key Outcomes

  • Annual operating plans across 23 countries simultaneously
  • ERP and MIS implementation at business-unit level
  • ₹350+ Cr cost and revenue optimisation delivered
  • Post-merger integration: process, people, and compliance
  • Multi-country compliance and regulatory management
  • Shared services centre design and implementation

Representative Engagements

  • Telecom Group — Multi-Country Finance
  • BPO Business — Post-Merger Integration

Names withheld — references available on request.

Discuss your sector

Corporates & Conglomerates

Tata · Reliance · Large Indian Groups

Board-level advisory and transformation within India's largest groups.

Career experience within the Tata Group and Reliance Industries informs a deep understanding of the governance, performance management, and strategic planning challenges facing large Indian corporates and family-controlled groups.

Key Outcomes

  • Board advisory and corporate governance review
  • Turnaround of loss-making entities into profitable ventures
  • ERP implementation and merger integration
  • Decision-support MIS and streamlined financial close
  • Succession planning and CFO transition advisory
  • Stakeholder communication and investor relations

Representative Engagements

  • Tata Group Affiliate — Governance Review
  • Conglomerate — Turnaround Advisory

Names withheld — references available on request.

Discuss your sector

Chemical & Manufacturing

MNC Chemical · Industrial · Process Industries

Cost transformation and operational discipline in complex manufacturing.

Delivered a landmark $50M one-time cost saving and $500K monthly recurring savings for an MNC chemical group — through structural audit, vendor optimisation, and operational rehabilitation. Deep experience in process industries with international operations.

Key Outcomes

  • $50M one-time saving through structural and vendor optimisation
  • $500K monthly recurring savings from process improvements
  • Structural audit and seismic evaluation
  • Vendor onboarding and operational rehabilitation
  • Cross-border compliance and regulatory management
  • Finance process standardisation across sites

Representative Engagements

  • MNC Chemical Group — Cost Transformation
  • Manufacturing Business — Process Optimisation

Names withheld — references available on request.

Discuss your sector

Startups & Growth-Stage Companies

Series A-C · PE-Backed · Founder-Led

Institutional rigour for founder-led and investor-backed businesses.

Growth-stage companies need the discipline of a large organisation without the bureaucracy. We work with founders, promoters, and PE-backed management teams to build the financial infrastructure, governance frameworks, and strategic planning capabilities needed to scale confidently.

Key Outcomes

  • Funding readiness and investor narrative preparation
  • Financial model development and projection review
  • Data room setup and due diligence preparation
  • Board reporting and governance foundation
  • Fractional CFO and finance team augmentation
  • Pre-Series A, B, and PE/VC engagement preparation

Representative Engagements

  • Growth-Stage Business — Funding Readiness
  • Founder-Led Company — CFO Advisory

Names withheld — references available on request.

Discuss your sector

Professional Services

Legal · Consulting · Advisory Firms

Performance and governance for knowledge-intensive organisations.

Professional services firms face distinct challenges: managing human capital costs, pricing complex engagements, maintaining utilisation, and scaling without diluting quality. We bring structured financial and operational discipline to advisory, legal, and consulting practices.

Key Outcomes

  • Practice performance and utilisation analysis
  • Partner remuneration and equity structure review
  • Working capital and billing cycle management
  • Client concentration risk and revenue diversification
  • Practice area profitability and pricing review
  • Leadership transition and succession planning

Representative Engagements

  • Advisory Firm — Business Performance
  • Law Firm — Financial Management

Names withheld — references available on request.

Discuss your sector

Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences

Pharma · Generics · Healthcare

Financial discipline in a regulated, IP-intensive industry.

Pharmaceutical businesses operate under intense regulatory scrutiny, long product development cycles, and margin pressure from generics. We advise on financial governance, cost management, regulatory reporting compliance, and strategic planning for growth and expansion.

Key Outcomes

  • Regulatory financial reporting and compliance frameworks
  • R&D cost accounting and capitalisation policy
  • Supply chain cost optimisation and vendor management
  • Working capital management for inventory-heavy businesses
  • Licensing and royalty agreement financial structuring
  • Expansion feasibility and capital allocation advisory

Representative Engagements

  • Pharmaceutical Group — Financial Governance
  • Generics Business — Cost Advisory

Names withheld — references available on request.

Discuss your sector

Engineering & Infrastructure

EPC · Capital Projects · Industrial

Project finance, cost control, and governance for capital-intensive businesses.

Engineering and infrastructure businesses face unique financial challenges: long project cycles, contract risk, working capital intensity, and complex multi-party governance. We support EPC contractors, capital project owners, and industrial businesses with financial advisory, project cost control, and governance design.

Key Outcomes

  • Project cost tracking and variance analysis frameworks
  • Contract revenue recognition and billing management
  • Bid analysis and commercial terms advisory
  • Capital expenditure governance and approval frameworks
  • Working capital optimisation across project portfolios
  • Financial close and management reporting for project businesses

Representative Engagements

  • EPC Contractor — Project Financial Control
  • Infrastructure Business — Governance Review

Names withheld — references available on request.

Discuss your sector

Technology & SaaS

Tech Startups · SaaS · Digital Businesses

Unit economics, growth planning, and finance infrastructure for technology businesses.

Technology businesses require finance leaders who understand SaaS metrics, venture economics, and the path to profitability. We bring CFO-level strategic finance capability — covering unit economics analysis, board reporting, investor readiness, and the transition from revenue growth to margin discipline.

Key Outcomes

  • SaaS unit economics: CAC, LTV, churn analysis
  • Revenue recognition and ARR/MRR reporting
  • Investor readiness and data room preparation
  • Finance function build-out for scaling businesses
  • Board reporting and KPI dashboard design
  • Path-to-profitability planning and scenario analysis

Representative Engagements

  • SaaS Business — Finance Infrastructure
  • Tech Startup — CFO Advisory

Names withheld — references available on request.

Discuss your sector

Real Estate, Commercial & Housing

Real Estate · Developers · Housing Societies · Commercial

Financial governance and compliance for property and housing organisations.

Real estate developers, commercial property owners, and housing societies each face distinct financial and governance challenges. We advise on project financial management, compliance frameworks, accounts management, and the professionalisation of financial operations — including housing cooperative governance under the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act.

Key Outcomes

  • Project-level financial tracking and reporting
  • RERA compliance and project account management
  • Housing society accounts, audit, and statutory compliance
  • Working capital planning for development businesses
  • Builder-buyer agreement financial structuring
  • Commercial property asset management advisory

Representative Engagements

  • Real Estate Developer — Financial Management
  • Housing Society — Governance & Compliance

Names withheld — references available on request.

Discuss your sector

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