BUILDING INDIAN CONSULTING CHAMPIONS

The dominance of foreign firms in India’s consulting sector is not inevitable. With clear intent, bold policies, and coordinated action, Indian firms can rise to global stature

- BY DAVINDER SANDHU, CO-FOUNDER & CHAIR AT PRIMUS PARTNERS

AS INDIA ENVISIONS a self-reliant, innovation-driven economy, the time has come to focus on a sector that quietly shapes decisions across government, industry, and capital markets—management consulting. While India’s IT services have conquered the global stage, management consulting remains overwhelmingly dominated by foreign firms, who control nearly 85% of India’s consulting market.

This is not merely a business statistic, it points to a structural imbalance in how high-value knowledge services are procured and delivered in India. Today, even Indian public sector tenders and private equity deals often mandate or tacitly prefer foreign-branded advisors. This preference has entrenched a system where Indian firms remain small, fragmented, and locked out of scale opportunities—despite a surging domestic market and abundant talent.

The Indian consulting industry is projected to grow to $24 billion this year. Yet, the share of Indian-owned firms is minimal. A premium layer of advisory fees also flows out, as foreign networks repatriate profits and shape strategic decisions across Indian institutions. This undermines the sovereignty of insight—how Indian problems are diagnosed and solved.

India must now actively nurture Indian-owned and managed consulting champions—a “Bharatiya Big Four”—to balance this equation.

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