ing in India

We have compiled a list of consulting firms in India over here, however, in this section we would
focus on Strategy Consulting Firms in the Indian consulting arena, these are

McKinsey & Company

Bain & Company

Boston Consulting Group

AT Kearney

McKinsey & Company

McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm that focuses on solving issues of
concern to senior management. McKinsey serves as an advisor to the worlds leading businesses,
governments, and institutions. It is widely recognized as a leader and one of the most prestigious
firms in the management consulting industry. It has been ranked No.1 for 6 consecutive years in
the Vault.com list of top consulting firms, and has been the first or second most desired employer
for recent MBA graduates since at least 1996.
Organization
McKinsey operates under a practice of up or out, in which consultants must either advance in
their consulting careers within a pre-defined time-frame, or else be fired.
A controversial aspect of McKinseys practice is that it is non-exclusive, and thus a conflict of
interest could arise as different teams of consultants might work for direct competitors in an
industry. This works to the companys advantage, as it does not require it to rule out working for
potential clients; furthermore, knowing that a competitor has hired McKinsey has historically
been a strong impetus for companies to seek McKinseys assistance themselves. The policy also
means McKinsey can keep its list of clients confidential. However, because of this there is great

emphasis placed on client confidentiality within the firm, and consultants are forbidden to
discuss details of their work with members of other teams. Consultants are also prohibited from
serving direct competitors unless they wait 3 or more years between the date they cease serving
one competitor and begin serving the next. In some cases, consultants are forbidden from ever
serving a competitor.
History
James O. McKinsey & Company was founded in Chicago in 1926 by James O. (Mac)
McKinsey, a professor at the University of Chicago who pioneered budgeting as a management
tool. Marshall Fields became a client in 1935, and soon convinced McKinsey to leave the firm
and become its CEO; however, he died unexpectedly in 1937.
Marvin Bower, who had joined the firm in 1933, succeeding McKinsey when he left, oversaw
the firms rise to global prominence and established many of its guiding principles. When
McKinsey died, the Chicago and New York branches of the firm split up. In 1939, with the help
of the New York partners, Bower resurrected the New York office and renamed it McKinsey &
Company. One of the first partners at McKinsey, Andrew T. Kearney, retained the Chicago office
and renamed the branch after himself, marking the start of the competing management consulting
firm A.T. Kearney.
Practice Areas
McKinsey serves clients across industries and functions, but to put more focus on some, it has
created practice areas in six functional areas (the business technology office, corporate finance,
marketing and sales, operations, organisation and strategy) and 18 industry practices, ranging
from banking, high tech, pharmaceutical and private equity to health care, public sector, retail
and telecommunications. While most of the firms practice areas have remained consistent
through the years, the business technology practice, or BTO, established in 1997, is a relative
newcomer. The BTO helps clients align technology to the management of their businesses in the
areas of IT governance, architecture and infrastructure.
Recruitment Trends:
McKinsey looks for professionals who have the following skills:

Distinctive intelligence

Expertise

Analytical mind

Leadership potential

Creativity

Team work

Indian Operations
In September 2007, the firm was hired by IDBI Bank, one of Indias leading public-sector banks,
to assist in smoothing out legacy issues resulting from the banks 2006 merger with United
Western Bank. McKinseys work will involve restructuring the banks branches, reengineering
processes and implementing business strategy. In June 2007 McKinsey consultants teamed with
the Confederation of Indian Industry to present an in-depth report on rural growth to Dr.
Manmohan Singh, Indias prime minister. McKinsey and CII are working together to advise the
Indian government on Bharat Nirman, an ambitious initiative launched in 2005 to strengthen the
countrys rural infrastructure. One objective of the project (which has been called Indias New
Deal) is to ensure electrification of all villages by 2009.
McKinseys Knowledge Center India Private Ltd. (McKC) in Gurgaon is the largest hub of
knowledge management professionals within the firm. Created in 1998, McKC is made up of a
practice research group that supports McKinseys global industry and functional practices; an
analytics group that works on site and remotely with the firms consulting teams; and a
Knowledge-on-Call group that specializes in meeting business research needs on short notice.
The Gurgaon office is also home to the firms IT India team, which is a major supporter of
McKinseys global IT group
McKinsey Website: http://www.mckinsey.com/

Bain & Company

Bain & Company is a management consulting firm headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

History
Bain & Company was established in 1973 by seven former partners from the Boston Consulting
Group headed by Bill Bain.
Under Bains direction, the firm implemented a number of unconventional practices, by
traditional consulting standards, in its early years. Notably, Bain would only work with one client
per industry to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Partners did not carry business cards and
clients were referred to only in code names, further demonstrating its reputation for enforcing
client confidentiality. And the company preferred to win work by boardroom referrals rather than

marketing itself, sometimes landing clients by offering several weeks of work at no cost until
proving the results of its services. Bain consultants preferred to work on increasing a companys
market value rather than simply handing clients a list of recommendations. To win business, Bain
showed clients the increase in stock price of Bain clients relative to the Dow Jones industrial
average
After a successful start, the company found itself facing a growing list of challenges in the late
1980s. In the midst of sluggish business conditions and overstaffing, Bain also faced the
dilemma of having to turn away business due to its one-client-per-industry restriction.
Competition increased as other firms copied Bains implementation-focused strategy.
However daunting these external challenges were, it was internal infighting that threatened to
tear the firm apart. Bain was incorporated in 1985 and over the course of two years, the
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) was established, after which senior executives
borrowed against their equity for cash, leaving the firm with a heavy load of debt. As business
slowed, the debt load began to squeeze the firm.
Facing financial duress, former Bain Capital partner and former candidate for the Republican
nomination for the 2008 US presidential election, Mitt Romney was asked to rejoin the firm as
interim CEO. Bringing along two lieutenants from Bain Capital, Romney began traveling to all
the Bain offices to rally employees.
In 1997, the consulting firm Value Partners brought a suit against Bain regarding the defection of
its Brazilian partners and office. The case went to trial in federal court in Boston. After a fiveweek trial, the jury found Bain liable for unfair competition and interference, and awarded Value
Partners $10 million in compensatory damages (the full award requested). The trial court, after
awarding another $2.5 million of interest, denied all of Bains post-trial motions.
The 2000s began with Bain guiding its clients through the New Economy of e-commerce. The
collapse of the dotcom, coupled with a general slowdown in the economy as had been faced in
the early 1990s. The slowdown was painful on all of the major consulting players; however,
Bains previous experiences with contraction left the firm zealous in avoiding layoffs. The firm
weathered the economic downturn and emerged from it in a position of strength by investing in
its leadership ranks with internal promotions and key external hires. Subsequently, the economic
recovery has been followed by another period of sustained growth. In 2007, the firm expanded
its number of worldwide offices to 37, with the opening of offices in Kyiv, Moscow, Helsinki,
and Frankfurt in Europe, and worldwide consulting staff increased to approximately 2,700.
The new millennium also brought changes to Bains traditional generalist approach to solving
clients business issues. The firm developed areas of specialization with its deep industry
Practice Areas in order to better serve the varying needs of its increasingly diverse

multinational and local client base. Through targeted industry hires, Bain added industry experts
to each of these new Practice Areas, significantly raising its profile in fields such as Financial
Services, Healthcare, IT and Media and Entertainment industries
Working Style
Compared to its peers, Bain puts a greater emphasis on small- and midsized companies, with the
rest of its business coming from Fortune 500, private equity and nonprofit clients. Big names
associated with the firm have included Diamond Empire DeBeers, Starbucks, Kroger, Ford and
Continental Airlines. One typical engagement had the firm advising on the integration of
software companies Symantec and Veritas. Bain occasionally takes equity in lieu of fees and, in
fact, reins in about 10 percent of its revenue from equity or success stakes. For example, the
firm took an ownership stake in fruit processor Del Monte while working to revamp the
companys strategy
Bain Capital & Bain & Company
The first consultancy of its kind to establish a private equity practice, Bain is well known among
the money set, offering services like due diligence, IPO preparation, portfolio profit
improvement and revenue enhancement, geared toward leveraged buyout and venture capital
firms. However, Bain the consultancy shouldnt be confused with its venture capital wing, Bain
Capital, founded in 1984 by four former Bain consultantsincluding former Massachusetts
Governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Today, Bain Capital manages over $50 billion
in assets. The two companies are completely separate entities and have no insight into the others
client base. But, our sources say, its not difficult for insiders to jump between the two
companies.
Indian Operations
In July 2006, Bain established firmer footing in the country when it opened an office in New
Delhi. The New Delhi office now is comprised of over 90 percent Indian nationals and is under
the leadership of Managing Director Ashish Singh. This wouldnt be earth-shattering news for
most consulting firms these days, but it was the cause of much buzz for Bain, which had yet to
set up shop on the subcontinent, aside from a small in-house capability servicing center, Bain
Capability Center, in Gurgaon. Bain has served clients in the region for over 10 years,
historically from its Singapore office.
Asked by Indias Economic Times about the firms strategy in late 2005, David Shpilberg,
partner and worldwide IT practice head, insisted, We are not entering India as an afterthought,
our objective is not just to have an office here, our objective is to integrate India into the global
look of how we serve our clients. A few months later, Managing Director Steve Ellis himself

piped in to tell the paper that his firm wasnt concerned about its relatively late arrival, adding,
We believe that there is an opportunity for us to grow the business here and we are successfully
working with alternative ways of servicing certain parts of our business process and thats been
very encouraging for us.
Indian capability
Among other growth in India, Bain is building its group at the Bain Capability Center outside of
New Delhi. BCC is completely separate from the firms New Delhi office and serves as a remote
center to support the firms global consulting business. The BCC provides research and analytic
support to Bains global case teams. The center also plays a role in the codification of knowledge
for Bains capability and industry practices.
The firm has also been working in Indias private equity market. The India Private Equity
Outlook study, released in September 2006, forecasted that the private equity market in India
would grow from $2.2 billion to nearly $7 billion in 2010. According to Bains research, a
burgeoning consumer class and increasingly varied skills among workers are the factors driving
the surge in the countrys available capital
Rising in the Ranks
Bain isnt shy about pushing its consultants up the corporate ladder, often announcing a
sweeping series of promotions to its partnership ranks. In August 2006, for example, 50
consultants worldwide were tapped with the partnership wand-a record number for the firm in
any given year since its founding. In 2007, Bain promoted 36 consultants to partner. Among
those consultants were employees from Bains Tokyo, Australia and Singapore offices.
Bain looks for candidates who demonstrate intellectual, social, professional and business
leadership skills. The company also says it seeks applicants who exhibit a high degree of
enthusiasm and motivation for learning and solving difficult business issues. The firm draws
candidates primarily from the Indian Institute of Management.
Recruiting: local and global
Most offices in Asia conduct first- and second-round interviews for MBA summer internship
(summer associates). Potential Bain consultants should apply for positions through a form on the
firms careers web site. Applicants can apply for up to three of Bains worldwide offices, in order
of preference. Individuals who are interested in nonconsulting positions should get in touch with
specific offices directly. The companys career site also offers tips on how to prepare for
interviews.

Boston Consulting Group

History
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm, founded by Bruce
Henderson in 1963. It has 66 offices in 38 countries, and its current CEO is Hans-Paul
Brkner.The Company was formed when Henderson, a Harvard Business School alumnus, left
Arthur D. Little to become head of a new management consulting division of the Boston Safe
Deposit and Trust Company.
In 1973 Bill Bain and others left BCG to form Bain & Company, and two years later Henderson
arranged an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), so that the employees could take the
company independent from The Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company. The buyout of all
shares was completed in 1979.
The firm prides itself on its employee focused culture, and over the last 4 years has been the only
top-tier consulting firm to appear in Fortune magazines Best companies to work for report. In
the 2009 list, BCG is listed as the 3rd best company to work at, and is the only top-tier
consulting firm to appear in the top 100.
Indian Operations
There are two BCG India offices-in New Delhi and Mumbai-and the firm has come a long way
since the 1990s, when its presence in India consisted of one consultant working from his hotel
room. Over 90 percent of the firms consultants in New Delhi are graduates of Indian business
schools, and they work with clients in the pharmaceutical, IT, telecommunications, financial
services and industrial goods sectors. Since its debut in 2002, the New Delhi facility has worked
with Indias central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, and has helped build economic
development plans for government agencies. In August 2007, BCG was hired by the three major
Indian insurers-New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance-to help
them determine a joint business strategy. That same year, BCG assisted the Bank of India with its
business process reengineering strategy, and Tata Capital, subsidiary of the giant Tata Group,
tapped the firm to develop a roadmap for its entry into retail banking and other diversified
financial services. BCG Mumbai was established in 1996, after more than a decade of client
assignments in India.
The BCG Strategy Institute, a research team and think tank, was founded in 1998 to supply the
firms clients with ideas and analyses based on academic insight and other non business sources.
Candidates are not hired directly into the institute, but BCG consultants can apply there after
establishing a career at the firm. Institute projects focus on some heady stuff-like metaphorical
thinking, poetic thinking, thinking in social modalities and dialectic thinking
Getting Recruited

Most graduates with a bachelors degree enter BCG as associates. Candidates with an
international MBA enter as consultants. Those with a non-MBA graduate degree might enter the
firm as senior associates, though it depends on the individuals background and prior work
experience. BCG also hires those with extensive professional experience from top-tier firms in
all industries. The firm encourages student applicants to actively apply through their school
channel. Campus recruiting season runs from September to February, but recruiting is always
ongoing. Non campus applicants should check out the online application site at
www.bcgindia.com/chapters/join/howapply.html. Or hopefuls can simply send their resume at
indiarecruiting@bcg.com along with a cover letter.
Are you qualified?
BCG is ultra-selective when it comes to academic performance, and primarily considers only
those applicants in the top 5 to 10 percent of their class. The firm states that aside from a stellar
transcript, its looking for applicants with a sharp mind and intellectual curiosity. Though the
majority of hires come straight out of an MBA program, the firm states that diversity and
advanced degree candidates are also high on its recruiting agenda

A.T. Kearney

A.T. Kearney is a global management consulting firm, focusing on strategic and operational
CEO-agenda concerns. The stated mission of A.T. Kearney is to help the worlds leading
corporations gain and sustain competitive advantage, and achieve profound, tangible results. Its
slogan is: Ideas that last. Kearney was ranked in top 10 best place to work for in consulting
magazines 2008 rankings.
The firm operated within the United States until 1964 when it opened its first international office
in Dsseldorf. A.T. Kearney now has 51 offices in 34 countries.
History
A T Kearney lost its 56-yearlong autonomy in 1995 when it became a subsidiary loop on EDS
giant belt. The prominent Texas-rooted IT company came into A T Kearney s life at a crucial
point, and vice versa; both businesses needed the fusion, whether for securing a brawny empire
(EDS) or gaining access to the worlds foremost movers and shakers ( A T Kearney ). But despite
how the saying goes, these opposites did not attract for long. After long years of troubled
partnership, both firms decided to part ways, and finally in January 2006, A T Kearney became a
100 percent privately owned management consultancy firm
Practice Areas

A.T. Kearneys industry specialties include Automotive, Communications, Consumer & Retail,
Financial Institutions, Government, High Tech & Electronics, Pharma & Health Care, and
Energy & Utilities. Major competency teams include Supply Chain Management, Growth
Strategies, Mergers, Innovation & Complexity, IT Strategies, and Transformation.
To meet the increasing demand from environmentally conscious and socially responsible clients,
A.T. Kearney has introduced a sustainability service, which consists of an expert group focused
on developing corporate sustainability strategies and optimizing green product portfolios, to
assist clients in developing sustainable value chains and networks.
With a strong practice in procurements, A.T. Kearney Procurement Solutions accelerates and
streamlines the sourcing and supply management process through spend reduction and category
procurement solutions, leading-edge eBreviate sourcing technology, product lifecycle sourcing
capabilities and market-driven templates and insight
Indian Operations
A T Kearney, India, is the Indian subsidiary of Chicago based management consultants, A T
Kearney Inc. The company operates in 34 countries worldwide and has an employee base of
2500 people and over 70 clients in the Fortune 500 category. Out of the total workforce, a
majority, 1700 of them work as consultants. With offices in Europe, North America, South
America, Asia and Africa, At Kearney is on a lookout to increase its global footprint. Keeping
this in mind, in 2006, the firm forayed into the lucrative Middle East market by setting up a
centre in Dubai, UAE.
The company commenced its operations in India by setting up an office in Delhi. Second
operations centre came up in Mumbai in 2004 and since then is acting as India headquarters.
In India, the company works with clients to overcome problems in areas like growth, operations
excellence, merger integration, supply chain management and technology strategy. Its clients
come from diverse industrial sectors such as automotive, engineering and discrete
manufacturing, energy, retail, real estate, private equity, IT and financial services; these clients
range from MNCs, private and public sector companies, government and industry organizations.
Getting Recruited
As far as India operations are concerned, the recruitment happens at graduate and post-graduate
level. Graduate level vacancies are usually filled in by conducting campus recruitment drives.
Excellent academic record is the only criterion to get selected. A graduate candidate is placed as
a Business Analyst, giving him exposure to the companys work environment. After a short stint
(1-5 years) with A T Kearney, the candidate can opt for MBA or an equivalent degree, after

which theyc can join the company back at a Senior Analyst level. Selection process at graduate
level consists of a series of interviews, case study analysis, aptitude tests. Communication skills,
leadership, and potential client-relations skills play a crucial role in the selection process.
Management students have an upper hand over other candidates and can join at the Senior
Analyst level. The company visits B-school campuses in January every year. MBAs join the
companies at. Campus recruitment process consists of three to four rounds, with each round
comprising of one or two interviews. The first round tests a candidates communication,
analytical, problem solving and team playing skills. This is done via case study methodology.
The subsequent rounds are for the purpose of establishing the candidates compatibility with the
company, his interests and to determine where the candidate fits in. To get in touch with the HR
department of A T Kearney, visit www.atkearney.com/main.taf?p=1,4,3,1,9,1, or mail your
resumes at india_recruitment@atkearney.com