Sreejit Nair

How does a Group CFO resolve this quagmire , this tricky situation ? CFOs have many delicate , yet, critically important relationships to deal with. If I have to single out one, it is the relationship with the CEO of SBU / Business Vertical / SBU head. As Group CFO, this may extend to many SBU heads / CEO's of different Business Verticals . This is not either way, a reporting relationship , but a relationship which needs to be handled with utmost care. Initially , this used to be a big challenge for me , when as Group CFO , you are handling many business verticals and many SBU heads. I eventually figured this out, after hits and misses, my own learnings. Let us accept : There is element of some level of Mistrust , with Group CFO, who is invariably considered to be coming from the Head office / Corporate office, and , SBU heads, question if the CFO is giving a level playing field to them. Financial resources are limited, and the SBU heads expect funds to be allocated to their business vertical. Then, there are Finance teams at SBU , who are reporting to the SBU head and also have to deal with the Group CFO. Still , there may be some Business Verticals which the CFO may not have handled . How does a Group CFO resolve this quagmire ? It is perfectly fine for the CFO to give differential treatment to SBU heads, depending upon CFO's comfort level, financial health of the SBU , Size and complications of SBU -Eg, Real estate and Manufacturing may need more time than a logistics business due to their complex business models . Good Listener, Patience and ability to talk business with the respective CEO , and adding value to them, helps the CFO . Effective delegation by CFO, also helps in managing this delicate but a very critical relationship Regardless , CFO needs to set his own boundaries .

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This is a great step forward. GST had become to complex and too big to serve its original purpose of unifying India into a one large market rather than several fragmented markets with "Chungi" (custom duty) being charged at several intermediate points along the way between various long haul routes. It was also meant to be simple to encourage broader compliance. I guess two tiers are better than four and maximum of 18% is much better than maximum of 28% but why could it not be a single tier of 18%? Is 5% tier really necessary? It is meant to be a consumption tax. We need to impose it on everything equally beyond basic necessities consumed by poor people. In any case, it is a great step forward. No need to spend cycles to differentiate between Rotis and Parathas! https://lnkd.in/gcE7npbj

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Unequivocally indeed - Albeit , some Enigmatic aspects and their solutions ! "Role of CFO has undergone a total transformation over the last 5 TO 7 years to a Business CFO with Covid decisively served as a big time accelerator in this massive transformation-Albeit , some Enigmatic aspects of Business CFO, I do see, continue to haunt today "   This is my take on these enigmatic aspects of a Business CFO , which manifest , rally into divergent thoughts : 1) Horses for Courses. Getting nuances of businesses, does it need CFO spending more time with other functions? The onus is on Business CFO to be conversant with the business nuances, going deep dive. The caveat for CFO, is not to over indulge. Therefore, Horses for Courses. 2) Ammunitions? Business CFO cannot be bookish, but be academically strong. CFO needs to have expertise in niche accounting and finance. He gets it by academics and experience. These are ammunition for point 1. 3) Which is one non-negotiable skill for Business CFO? Are people skills more important than technical skills? Both are equally important, but if I have to choose one, I will choose technical competencies over people skills, more so, if Business CFO is handling diversified businesses 4) Business CFO Secrets in Managing Board/ Ownership: Board management is a challenge and to get their buy in: Indeed it is. You need to be quick, agile, keep facts, solutions ready to discuss with the ownership your action plan, in the language they understand. If you have to change, so be it. If you are right, approach Board again. Engage with all stakeholders- Internal, External. Empathy with the external stakeholders goes a long way. You can convince the ownership if you prepare them for the worst, with solutions and demonstrating your genuine efforts In the attached dossier, I have covered  various Enigmatic aspects of Business CFO , with possible solutions for a Business CFO , imbibing sound bites of pandemic , current times and the times ahead . 1) New Expectations from CFO. 2) Who is Business CFO. 3) Check points- Business CFO ?? 4) How to become Business CFO ? 5) Future #Leadership #Finance #Owners #CEO #Founders #Innovation

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Curious about the dynamics shaping hospital mergers and acquisitions in India? Clinicatalyst has published a new blog post on hospital M&A in India: "Decoding Hospital M&A Values in India: What Drives the Deals? What factors determine the price of a hospital in an M&A deal? Is it just about the financials? We explore the crucial factors influencing hospital valuations, from strategic location and financial health to the pivotal role of clinical talent. Note this post reflects our perspective on this topic. Read the full post on our web page . (Link to blog is in 1st comment) #indiahealthcare #hospitalindustry #m&a #businessvaluation #growthstrategies Clinicatalyst Shital Sewda

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Forget IT. India’s next global export story is medtech. And private equity is already betting billions on it. Let’s check the numbers 👇 Since 2020, PE and VC firms have invested $14.5B in Indian healthcare. That’s not across a decade, that’s just five years and the pace is accelerating. Just last month, Abu Dhabi’s ADIA put $200M into Meril Life Sciences, valuing the company at $6.6B. When sovereign wealth funds start cutting checks of that size, you know the market has changed. And it’s not a one-off: Accel-KKR, TPG, Kedaara Capital, and Multiples are all circling Hyderabad-based diagnostics firm Sensa Core Medical Instrumentation Pvt. Ltd. in a potential $300M deal. That’s four of the world’s biggest PE names chasing the same Indian medtech asset. I remember when Indian medtech used to mean “good enough for domestic markets.” That's not the case anymore. Today, companies like Meril are exporting cardiac stents to 100+ countries. That’s not a local success, it’s a global player headquartered in Vapi. The export story is also clear: - $3B in medtech exports in 2022 - 16% annual growth in U.S. demand (though this remains uncertain due to recent tension) But one thing is certain that American hospitals aren’t buying Indian devices because they’re cheap. They’re buying them because they’re high-quality and cost-effective. This isn’t the usual PE playbook of “buy, optimize, exit.” The smart money is betting on a structural shift: ➡️ India’s medtech market growing from $12B today to $50B by 2030 ➡️ Not just manufacturing scale, but genuine innovation We’re watching India quietly position itself as a global medtech hub. And PE firms aren’t chasing a trend, they’re placing long-term bets on that future.

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There is no denying the growth India is seeing in new GCCs setting up shop and existing one's doubling down on scaling up. However the real issue here that several of us have been thinking of is the severe talent crunch staring us in our faces, across sectors and across professions & vocations. It comes up in every serious C Suite conversation yet I don't think we are doing justice in the attention we are paying to solving the crunch. And it's not just in the professional services space but across the board and across career spans from entry level jobs to the senior most ones. We seem to be caught in a vicious loop where the talent pipelines aren't delivering the skills and numbers of resources required to cater to the demands for well rounded professionals. Some key themes that get called out include: Job readiness - The education system doesn't prepare your enough for real world jobs. There is a learning curve that is growing longer with newer entrants needing better orientation & acclimatisation. Some key skills that are called out as missing or needing enhancement include communication, maturity, commercial acumen & analytical ability. Solves include more well rounded skills and experimental training being embedded into academic programs with active collaboration between industry and academia. Longevity of jobs - The work life balance debate will always continue but it is also manifesting itself in a mismatch between the rigor/ depth of experience one needs and can only get with more on the job exposure (vertically and laterally) which is impeded by frequent job changes in early stages of careers as the exposure one gets is directly related to the experience and depth you gain. This gets exacerbated as more openings chase a limited number of eligible aspirants. Jobs & career paths need to be redefined to keep in mind the changing aspirations of the workforce. Reshape the hiring funnels - All of us are spending inordinately more time in hiring having to cast a wider net to find the right skilled resources while keeping a cushion for renegers and attrition. I personally believe you need a dynamic bench at all times to be able to cater to demand spikes and build a buffer for attrition while balancing the cost of doing so vis a vis the hiring expense. Again a much better integration between the join outcomes and the training can help but that has to be done by the employer to an extent either in collaboration with academia or on their own. There are several other dimensions to this including the expected career spans, ability to retain and motivate employees and offer them a wholesome career experience (flexible, hybrid, experiential, multi variate compensation etc.) [More on this in future posts] The opportunity is real and it is upon us to solve and ensure we sustain & increase the number and quality of jobs we offer. Mid-market GCCs likely to add 40,000 jobs by 2026 end - The Economic Times https://lnkd.in/gTCZp5bx

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GST has changed. Your financial controls shouldn’t. As a CFO, are you still figuring out how to handle the taxation changes and yet ensure compliances? For CFOs in India, managing GST volatility is a strategic imperative. Rate tables, HSN logic, and exemptions can change overnight, putting cash flow and compliance at immediate risk. Is your AP process agile enough to adapt without causing chaos? With Zvolv's Invoice-to-Pay automation, you can turn GST volatility into working-capital velocity. ✅ Stay Compliant: We auto-apply new tax slabs and validation rules centrally, eliminating guesswork and ensuring your AP team processes invoices correctly from day one. 💰 Protect Cash Flow: Our system flags rate mismatches before they hit the ledger, safeguarding your early-payment discounts and DPO plans. ⏱️ Accelerate Your Close: With fewer exceptions and zero firefighting, your team can focus on what matters most—a fast, accurate financial close. Don't let regulatory changes dictate your financial operations. Build a resilient AP function that thrives on change. - Zvolv #CFO #FinanceLeaders #GST #TaxCompliance #APAutomation #WorkingCapital #DigitalTransformation #Fintech #India #zvolv

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