CEO Insights Magazine

In this profusely evolving business landscape today, where business and consumer trends are changing constantly, the importance of business consulting cannot be ignored. However, most of the consulting firms in India are not home grown and are either the Big Four or other firms promoted from outside India. All these consulting firms preferably cater to large corporates because of their expertise and high establishment cost and there is a huge gap so far as the requirements of midsize corporates are concerned. The small-size or midsize corporates are not able to attract that kind of talent and at the same time, the large big four type consulting firms are way beyond their budget. Due to this, their dependence on independent practitioners like C.A., C.S., and Lawyer is huge but they seldom give them one shop solutions.

Understanding this gap, the founder of Ab Initio India, Amit Manchanda (Founder & Managing Partner) thought of creating a business consulting firm that would be at par with the big four in terms of quality and at the same time, understand the corporate better than anyone else. Having worked extensively for 20+ years in corporate sectors in numerous leadership positions (the majority of which was Head of Legal & CS with one of the largest liquor companies in the country) in more of an insider profile, he has been a problem solver for the Promoters by tackling issues involved around Regulatory pressures, Expansion issues, Practical aspects involving day-to-day functioning, and Compliances of the Corporate. Amit has been a trusted partner to his clients, especially during times of crisis, and stands by their side resolving the problems they face in their business.

Recently, CEO Insights engaged with Amit to know more about him and his expertise in business consulting heading Ab Initio India. Let’s read through!

You possess over twenty-two years of experience. How has been your path to success and what is your success mantra?
Well, I love challenges, and being able to solve complex problems motivates me a lot, which I accomplish by conducting in-depth research, understanding the precedents, and adding my acquired knowledge of practical aspects. However, success is a very subjective term as beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, the parameters of success do differ from person to person. At the same time, it would be relevant to mention that success is a slow moving marathon where you keep doing your part of running with expectations. People often talk about burning the midnight oil or giving 100 percent to achieve success while I give more importance to problem-solving abilities rather than complicating them, one’s skills like a team player, leadership traits, and the contribution of people around you who are part of your success with or without your knowledge.

How would you define Ab Initio India as an organization and its current position in the market?
The word Ab Initio is a Latin word

that simply means ‘from the beginning’. The idea of adopting the brand name Ab Initio has two connotations to this a). It gives a clear message to the early stage corporates that we are for the beginners and so will be quite friendly in giving adequate time to their problem and also will be light on their pocket; and b). Secondly that whenever you conceive any kind of idea or an issue in hand then from the beginning you need to strategically decide your cards and your line of action through proper consulting so that you are not trapped in the procedural, legal, regulatory and other kind of complications which result into total chaos.

The trademark Ab Initio is owned by the company for legal and regulatory survives and is being established as a homegrown brand for early stage corporates as well as midsized organizations. We are largely catering to midsize corporates for their everyday advice by giving them tailor made solutions. Where it started off with one office and two employees, it has now grown to a team of 15 with three offices in NCR and associate offices all across the country, bagging a variety of assignments and lots of satisfied clients. The firm has a list of pristine clients all well-known in sectors like FMCG, Insurance, Hospitality, Liquor, NBFD, and Retail. The Regulatory world is quite complex which ultimately requires the sound knowledge of not only the laws and procedures but practical aspects of an issue in hand, hence, Ab Initio touches upon all those areas where there is a regulatory interplay and complications while dealing with regulators like RBI, SEBI, MCA, SFIO, CDSCO, and more, imbibing the practical expertise.

With more focus towards regulatory compliance and structuring, Ab Initio India's areas of expertise and specializations are transaction structure, shareholder disputes, documents and agreements, and dealing with instruments of investment. The firm has successfully handled big ticket litigations for many clients country wide. Though litigation per se is not the core but by devising the litigation strategy and identifying the right kind of implementing lawyers and senior advocates, Ab Initio is able to deliver wonderful results. I believe it is Ab Initio India’s better understanding of India than any multinational corporation for business consulting that has brought so much preference and goodwill to the team over the years.

Tell us about your leadership approach.
My leadership approach revolves around giving autonomy and freedom to the team to work without pressure and take their own decision. Ab Initio Team carries a versatile background with specialized experience in areas that are relatively new like Gaming, and technology, and quite old like Liquor and Investment. As a leader, it’s very important to find out the right kind of talent and nurture them with the right guidance so that you achieve the desired results in a quick span of time.

TCould you reflect on some of the toughest challenges you have encountered in your journey so far?

How did you overcome them and what did you learn from them?
As I mentioned earlier, I look for challenges on a daily basis and routine is boring for me.In consulting your challenges are more towards meeting the expectations of clients and then giving them the right kind of advice so that he has a sound sleep. Ultimately you cannot predict the outcome of every action you take but it’s always better to decide beforehand whether a fight is worth doing or better to accept the defeat. Maturity comes with taking decisions that though impractical may sound but will have the last laugh for the client.

Going forward, what are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate and what are the opportunities that you foresee?
The firm is expanding its horizons toward a full service firm, starting from Due Diligence, drafting of complex agreements, and negations with the clients, and the counter parties are coming out with innovative solutions and structures for a transaction. By enlarge this kind of delivery has been the forte of large consulting firms but Ab Initio is trying to bring it towards the mid size and lower size transactions which are now handled with ease. There is an attempt on the part of founders to bring a hundred percent satisfaction to the Client whether small or large so as to create a legacy and goodwill of the firm. The firm is closely working with top-notch law firms and consulting firms in the country. Whenever required the transactions if requiring a high level of involvement from the experts which is easily provided to the client.

The firm through its associate arm Ab Initio Capital has invested in early-stage businesses which gives an edge to the firm to understand what is happening around and how the businesses are taking shape and the areas where the new technology and new knowledge is creating wealth for the investors. The investment arm has so far invested around 15 Crore of money into 10 companies and has explored hundreds of proposals. All these efforts give huge exposure and understanding towards the business at large. The Founders have created a knowledge sharing platform called Sadgamaya which is now joined by more than 1500 luminaries of Legal and Regulatory background who are readily available at the fingertip to share induct knowledge of either specific industries or about the knowledge of complex litigation and regulatory issues. The group is well known in India as well as abroad and is one of the best creations so far.

The founders are committed to taking Ab Initio to the next level opening more offices in other metro cities and outside India as well where they are able to not only create a pool of high quality talent but also are able to provide ready expert knowledge to the clients.

Amit Manchanda, Managing Partner, AB Initio India
A Transaction Advisor, Business Enabler, Crisis Management Expert, Business Mentor, & Guide to Early stage businesses.

•Hobbies:Philosophy,Tennis, & Music
•Favorite Cuisine:Anything which is made differently
•Favorite Book:Any book having Sir Vivekananda in it
•Favorite Travel Destination:
Prague