India's C-suite sees rise of the consultant CEO

For the modern CEO, industry experience is no longer the sole currency.

- Devina Sengupta

The corner offices of India Inc. are increasingly occupied by a new breed of executives: the strategic consultant.

Veterans from McKinsey & Co., Bain & Co., BCG, and Kearney are swapping advisory roles for the driver's seat, as top companies seek out executives capable of navigating a leadership depth crisis in a volatile world.

Recent transitions underscore the trend. Rahul Guha, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Thyrocare and API Holdings, moved in 2022 after 17 years at BCG. Anuj Khandelwal joined JK Cement as business head for the grey cement division in 2023 after 12 years at BCG. In 2024, Abhishek Malhotra, who has worked at McKinsey and Kearney over 10 years, joined RPSG Group as president and strategy head. Most recently, Vikas Kaushal was named chairman and MD of HPCL in 2025 following 25 years at Kearney.