Career Biography

In the dynamic landscape of corporate legal affairs, Mr. Saurabh Tamang stands out as a distinguished leader renowned for his strategic acumen and forward-thinking approach. As Head of Legal at Sahakar Group, a diversified conglomerate with operations spanning real estate and infrastructure, construction, toll collection, mining, retail, and renewable energy, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the organisation’s legal framework and safeguarding its interests.

An alumnus of Government Law College, Mumbai, Mr. Tamang brings a wealth of experience from his tenure with leading multinational corporations such as Thomson Reuters, GroupM (WPP Group), JP Morgan Chase, and Blue Star Infotech. His cross-sector expertise has equipped him to navigate complex legal challenges with precision and foresight.

At Sahakar Group, Mr. Tamang oversees a broad spectrum of legal functions, including contract negotiation, regulatory compliance, risk management, and dispute resolution. Over the past three years, his leadership has been instrumental in enhancing legal governance, streamlining operations, and ensuring regulatory alignment across the organisation.

His ability to build and lead high-performing in-house legal teams is a testament to his managerial excellence. With deep expertise across sectors such as real estate, construction, media, technology, and employment law, Mr. Tamang has consistently delivered strategic legal solutions that drive growth and mitigate risk.

Mr. Tamang’s contributions to the legal profession have earned national and international recognition. In 2024 he was named among India’s Top General Counsels in the FORBES Legal Powerlist, an accolade presented by Hon’ble Mr. Justice J.K. Maheshwari of the Supreme Court of India. He also received the Lex Falcon Global Award – 2023 at the International Legal & IP Conference in Dubai and was featured as the ‘Legal Personality of the Month’ in Jurisprudence magazine by the Global Lawyers Association. Additionally, he was listed among the Top Ten Chief Legal Officers – 2023 by CEO Insights. He was also recognised last year by Legal 500 in the GC Powerlist India 2024.

In summary, Mr. Saurabh Tamang exemplifies excellence in legal leadership. His visionary mindset, strategic depth, and unwavering commitment to professional integrity continue to shape the future of corporate legal affairs—both within Sahakar Group and across the broader legal community.

What are the most significant cases, projects or transactions that you and/or your legal team have recently been involved in?

As Head of Legal at Sahakar Group, I have had the privilege of making significant contributions to both the organisation and the broader legal fraternity, while achieving several key milestones that reflect strategic growth, leadership, and professional excellence. The following are some of the highlights of my recent accomplishments:

In my capacity as Head of Legal at Sahakar Group, I have spearheaded the formulation and execution of the Group’s overall legal strategy, ensuring robust compliance, proactive risk management, and sound corporate governance across its multifaceted business operations. I have successfully overseen and negotiated complex commercial contracts, led cross-border legal initiatives, including the recent strategic acquisition of a European entity, and provided comprehensive legal support to facilitate the Group’s international expansion and business diversification.

I have advised the organisation on a broad spectrum of legal issues, including corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisition, regulatory compliance, contracts, taxation, litigation, arbitration, and risk management. I have been instrumental in shaping the Group’s legal and business strategies, driving cross-border initiatives such as international acquisitions, and fostering a culture of compliance, integrity, and strategic risk mitigation.

Leveraging my extensive and multidisciplinary legal experience, I have delivered strategic counsel across a wide range of sectors, including real estate, infrastructure, renewable energy, media, entertainment, information technology, retail, and employment law. This broad-based expertise has enabled Sahakar Group to effectively navigate complex regulatory environments, mitigate risks, and achieve its commercial objectives with legal certainty and strategic confidence.

Over the course of my career, I have built and scaled multiple in-house legal teams, establishing robust governance frameworks and institutionalising best-in-class legal processes across the organisation. At Sahakar Group, I have developed a dynamic and high-performing legal function equipped to handle complex, multi-sector matters across infrastructure, real estate, retail, sustainable energy, mining, and international business law.

Under my leadership, the legal department has evolved from a support function into a strategic partner, driving compliance excellence, enhancing enterprise-wide risk resilience, and fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and collaboration. This integrated approach ensures that the Group’s legal and regulatory strategies remain closely aligned with its vision for sustainable global growth and long-term value creation.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis particularly within a diversified organisation operating across real estate, infrastructure, mining, retail, sustainable energy, and toll collection requires a sector-specific and agile legal strategy. In times of instability or crisis, I believe the role of a legal leader extends far beyond managing risks. It is about enabling resilience, clarity, and continuity across the organisation. My approach is rooted in preparedness, agility, and foresight. I start by identifying potential vulnerabilities; contractual, regulatory, or operational and then design pragmatic, forward-looking legal strategies that not only mitigate exposure but also preserve business momentum.

At Sahakar Group, I have built a legal framework that emphasises proactive governance, rapid response, and cross-functional collaboration. During uncertain times, this structure allows the legal function to operate as a stabilising force, guiding leadership decisions with clarity, maintaining transparent engagement with regulators and stakeholders, and ensuring that every action is both legally sound and strategically aligned.

Every crisis also offers an opportunity to strengthen institutional resilience. By re-evaluating legal processes, renegotiating critical contracts, and embedding stronger compliance mechanisms, I aim to transform challenges into long-term value drivers. This philosophy has helped position Sahakar Group as a legally agile and future-ready organisation capable of navigating uncertainty with confidence. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that legal strategy acts as a stabilising force protecting the organisation’s interests while enabling resilience and operational continuity across all sectors.

How does your team contribute to the overall business strategy of the company? Can you share an example of a recent legal-led initiative that had a significant impact?

At Sahakar Group, the legal team functions as a strategic business partner rather than just a support unit and operates at the intersection of law, strategy, and leadership. My team’s philosophy is simple i.e., to empower business decisions through legal clarity and strategic foresight. We work hand-in-hand with the leadership across all group companies and verticals to ensure that every major business decision or initiative, from domestic expansion to international ventures, is grounded in legal prudence, and aligned with the Group’s long-term vision for sustainable growth. Our focus is on enabling the business to move decisively, but always within a framework of governance, transparency, and risk awareness.

A recent example of a legal-led initiative with significant impact was the successful acquisition of a European luxury retail company, a milestone that redefined our global presence. The legal team led the transaction from start to finish, navigating cross-border due diligence, regulatory approvals, complex structuring, and post-acquisition integration. What made this initiative truly impactful was not just its successful execution, but the framework it established for future international collaborations and sustainable global growth.

By combining legal precision with strategic agility, my team has transformed the legal function into a catalyst for innovation and expansion, one that does not just protect the business, but actively propels it forward. Through such initiatives, the legal department continues to drive strategic value, transforming complex legal challenges into opportunities for growth, innovation, and long-term business resilience.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about? Why is this?

One cause that I am deeply passionate about is advancing sustainable infrastructure and responsible development, particularly in sectors like real estate, mining, and energy. These industries have immense potential to drive economic growth, but they also carry significant environmental and social responsibilities. I believe legal professionals have a unique role to play in embedding sustainability into the DNA of business strategy, by shaping contracts, influencing policy compliance, and ensuring that development is both commercially viable and ethically grounded. This passion stems from witnessing firsthand how thoughtful legal frameworks can balance progress with preservation, enabling long-term value creation for both communities and companies.

Further, I am also passionate about building a culture of integrity, accountability, and conscious growth, both within business and the legal profession. I believe that true leadership lies not just in achieving results, but in doing so with purpose and responsibility.

At Sahakar Group, I have worked to embed these values into the organisation’s DNA, ensuring that every decision, every transaction, reflects transparency and long-term vision. I am also equally passionate about mentoring young legal professionals and helping them see law as a dynamic force for positive change rather than a reactive discipline. Ultimately, what inspires me most is the idea that ethical governance and human values can coexist with ambition and innovation, and that when they do, they create not just successful businesses, but enduring institutions.