India Teams 2017 – GC Powerlist
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India Teams 2017

  • Industries

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Accenture

| Accenture

Commercial and professional services

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions to clients around the world. Representing over a quarter of the company’s global headcount,...

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adidas India

| adidas india

Consumer products

The Indian subsidiary of German multinational sportswear company adidas contains a top class legal team that has been influential in steering its business through a relatively rocky period. This is...

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Aditya Birla Group

| Aditya Birla Group

Industrials and real estate

A $41bn revenue corporation and a constituent of the Indian Fortune 500, Aditya Birla Group operates in 40 countries with more than 120,000 employees worldwide. The in-house legal department of...

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AkzoNobel India

| AkzoNobel India

Materials and mining

When Dutch multinational chemicals company AkzoNobel bought Imperial Chemical Industries in 2008, AkzoNobel India was formed with a portfolio of decorative paints, performance coatings and speciality chemicals. ‘The legal team...

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Altico Capital

| Altico Capital

Financials

Fresh off the back of successfully supporting a blockbuster Rs500 crore real estate investment in Mumbai in late 2016, non-banking financial institution Altico Capital is moving into an exciting new...

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Axis Bank

| Axis Bank

Financials

One of the most significant banks in India, with a recorded $6.2bn revenue for 2016 and over 56,000 employees across approximately 3,000 branches, Axis Bank boasts a large and highly...

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Barclays India

| Barclays India

Financials

Barclays has had a branch presence in India since 1990, achieving market leading positions in its lines of business across banking, technology and shared services operations. Responsible for the general...

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Bharat Petroleum

| Bharat Petroleum

Energy and utilities

Ranked fifth in the Indian Fortune 500 list of companies, Bharat Petroleum is a leader in the oil and gas industry in the country and is in the process of...

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Bharti Airtel

| Bharti Airtel

Telecommunication services

Bharti Airtel is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top four mobile service providers globally in term...

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Bharti Enterprises

| Bharti Enterprises

Industrials and real estate

Founded in 1976 by Sunil Bharti Mittal, Bharti Enterprises is a leading multinational conglomerate that is headquartered in New Delhi, and owns businesses spanning across telecommunications, agribusiness, financial services and...

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Boeing

| Boeing

Industrials and real estate

A constituent part of the global airliner duopoly along with its competitor Airbus, Boeing’s expansion into India has been undertaken in earnest only over the past two years. Dr Akhil...

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Citibank India

| Citibank India

Financials

Citibank India is an Indian private sector bank headquartered in Mumbai and is a subsidiary of Citigroup, a multinational financial services corporation. As one of the premier financial institutions in...

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Coal India

| Coal India

Materials and mining

The largest coal-producing company in the world, and one of the largest employers in the world (with a total workforce of over 330,000 as of 2015) Coal India is a...

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Cyient

| Cyient

Industrials and real estate

Cyient is a global solutions provider focused on engineering, manufacturing, data analytics and networks and operations. Ashok Reddy, president corporate affairs and infrastructure, heads the legal, governance and secretarial team,...

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Dell

| Dell

Information technology

Multinational information technology giant Dell is serviced in India by a global contracts and legal as a shared service (ClaaSS) team based out of Gurgaon, which is led by Smita...

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Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories

| Dr. Reddy's Laboratories

Healthcare

Defined by its unique corporate culture that has been described by Suprio Dasgupta, senior vice president and general counsel, as ‘collaborative, fast, and simplified, aimed at helping businesses achieve their...

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DuPont

| DuPont

Industrials and real estate

In India, multinational conglomerate DuPont manufactures agricultural, food and personal care products, industrial biotechnology and process safety products as well as high performance materials, polymers and fibres. Legal head, Sanjit...

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Everstone Capital Advisors

| Everstone Capital Advisors

Financials

The in-house legal team of Everstone Capital Advisors has modelled itself as a full service international law firm that can ‘work end-to-end in so far as the corporate secretarial compliance,...

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EY India

| EY India

Commercial and professional services

The 11-person EY India in-house legal team has experienced significant growth since starting with only two lawyers five years ago. As national director for legal and general counsel for India...

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GAIL

| GAIL

Industrials and real estate

GAIL – formerly known as Gas Authority of India Limited – is India’s largest natural gas company and is ranked among the top gas utilities in Asia with a turnover...

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GE India

| GE India

Industrials and real estate

GE is the world’s digital industrial company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions. GE India works on the best technologies and toughest challenges to create tailor made solutions for...

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Global Health Private Limited (GHPL) (Medanta)

| Global Health Private Limited (GHPL) (Medanta)

Healthcare

Medanta is established with the sole mission to deliver world-class, holistic and affordable healthcare focusing on the development of people and knowledge. The legal team instils this same culture in...

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Godrej Industries

| Godrej Industries

Industrials and real estate

Heritage Indian consumer goods company Godrej Industries (established in 1897) has a legal team that is highly competent, well-motivated and strictly delineated structurally to ensure maximum effectiveness in dealing with...

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Grasim Industries

| Grasim Industries

Materials and mining

Part of Aditya Birla Group, Grasim Industries ranks among India’s largest private sector companies with a consolidated net revenue of $6bn in 2017. The company has a strong presence particularly...

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HCL Infosystems

| HCL Infosystems

Information technology

India-based distribution and information technology company HCL Infosystems operates through hardware products and solutions, distribution and learning services. The tech savvy legal team is composed of 16 lawyers and three...

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HDFC Bank

| HDFC Bank

Financials

Senior vice president legal of HDFC Bank Augustine Quadros leads the legal team at the largest bank by market cap in the Indian market. The company provides a wide range...

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HDFC Property Ventures

| HDFC Property Ventures

Industrials and real estate

HDFC Property Ventures Limited (HPVL) is the private equity arm of HDFC, the largest bank in India by market capitalisation. The company engages in the business of advising asset management...

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Hindalco Industries

| Hindalco Industries

Materials and mining

A subsidiary of the conglomerate Aditya Birla Group, Hindalco Industries is among the world’s largest aluminium manufacturing companies, employing in excess of 20,000 people and recording an annual revenue figure...

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Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited 

| Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited 

Energy and utilities

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) is an Indian state-owned oil and natural gas company and is one of the largest Indian businesses. It has 25% market share in India among...

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Hindustan Unilever

| Hindustan Unilever

Consumer products

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) is an Indian state-owned oil and natural gas company and is one of the largest Indian businesses. It has 25% market share in India among...

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HP India

| HP India

Information technology

Serviced by a Bangalore based legal team and part of a global information technology company, HP India can rely on high calibre legal and corporate advice when outlining and working...

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Huawei Telecommunications (India)

| Huawei Telecommunications (India)

Telecommunication services

Huawei Telecommunications provides telecommunication network marketing and servicing solutions and operates as a subsidiary of Huawei Technologies. Founded in 2001, the company is based in Gurgaon, India. The legal team...

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ICICI Lombard General Insurance Limited

| ICICI Lombard General Insurance Limited

Financials

Supporting one of the leading private sector general insurance companies in India, ICICI Lombard’s award-winning legal team is made up of 144 lawyers, out of which 123 are legal professionals...

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Idea Cellular

| Idea Cellular

Telecommunication services

Idea Cellular is a leading pan-Indian GSM operator offering 2G, 3G and 4G mobile services to nearly 200 million subscribers in the country. Praised extensively for its skills in litigation,...

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IDFC

| IDFC

Financials

Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) has been an integral part of India’s development story since 1997, when it was formed with the specific mandate to build the nation. It has...

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IDFC Alternatives

| IDFC Alternatives

Financials

IDFC Alternatives is India’s leading multi-asset class investment manager, overseeing over $3.4bn on behalf of leading institutions from across the world. Its six-strong in-house legal department headed by Vinod Joseph...

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Indian Oil Corporation Limited

| Indian Oil Corporation Limited

Energy and utilities

Since its founding in 1964, IOCL has emerged as India’s largest business enterprise with a turnover in excess of $65.3bn recorded in its most recent financial results. Having a proven...

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Infosys

| Infosys

Information technology

Posting an annual revenue figure of over $10bn, Infosys is a leading Indian IT firm and global leader in technology services and consulting. A key part of Infosys’ growing global...

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InMobi

| InMobi

Commercial and professional services

The eight-person Indian team at the global mobile advertising platform InMobi has helped the business cope with a difficult period by handling complex matters with ‘sensitivity and efficiency’ according to...

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InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo)

| InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo)

Transport and infrastructure

Leading a team of 16 lawyers and two non-legal support staff, Priya Mehra Dewan is the general counsel of low cost Indian airline InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo), which occupies a dominant...

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ITC

| ITC

Industrials and real estate

Indian business conglomerate ITC’s diversified business includes five segments: fast-moving consumer goods, hotels, packaging, paperboards and specialty papers and agri-business. K S Suresh, the current ITC general counsel, was appointed...

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Jacobs Engineering Group

| Jacobs Engineering Group

Industrials and real estate

‘The India legal team was established in 2010 and in a mere seven year period it has grown to support the operations of the Jacobs business worldwide. This is a...

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JSW Steel Limited

| JSW Steel Limited

Materials and mining

A truly international company, JSW Steel Limited – the main revenue producer for Indian conglomerate JSW Group – accrued a revenue figure of $8.9bn across its various operations in the...

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KCT Group

| KCT Group

Materials and mining

KCT Group is one of India’s leading conglomerates. Founded in 1929 as a coal mining company, today KCT has a highly diversified portfolio of businesses with interest in sectors ranging...

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Kotak Mahindra Bank

| Kotak Mahindra Bank

Financials

Posting $4.4bn in revenue for 2016 and with almost 1,400 branches across the country, Kotak Mahindra Bank is also the fourth largest bank in India by market capitalisation. The company,...

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L&T Finance Holdings

| L&T Finance Holdings

Financials

Conducting its financial services businesses through various subsidiaries, L&T Finance Holdings is an Indian holding company offering a focused range of financial products and services across rural, housing and wholesale...

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Lanco Group (EPC and Solar Verticals)

| Lanco Group (EPC and Solar Verticals)

Industrials and real estate

The team at the core of Lanco Group’s solar and EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) businesses is headed by Parvesh Kheterpal, a seasoned power and infrastructure counsel with an expertise...

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Larsen & Toubro

| Larsen & Toubro

Industrials and real estate

Larsen & Toubo (L&T) is an Indian multi-national conglomerate earning global annual revenues of around $17bn and with business interests in engineering, construction, manufacturing goods, information technology and financial services....

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Lupin

| Lupin

Healthcare

Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company Lupin puts compliance at the heart of its business activities, and its 13-person legal team has a hugely important role to play in this mission-critical endeavour. The...

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Mahindra & Mahindra

| Mahindra & Mahindra

Consumer products

Indian multinational corporation Mahindra & Mahindra is a leading car manufacturer and is ranked in the top 20 list of Indian companies by Fortune. Providing legal advice to the company’s...

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METRO Cash & Carry India

| METRO Cash & Carry India

Consumer products

Rajneesh Jaswal, head of legal and compliance for the seven-person in-house legal team at the Indian arm of global self-service wholesale titan METRO Cash and Carry, aptly describes the advancements...

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Monsanto India

| Monsanto India

Industrials and real estate

Monsanto is a US-based global modern agriculture company that develops products and tools to help farmers around the world grow crops while using energy, water, and land more efficiently. Comprised...

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Morgan Stanley

| Morgan Stanley

Financials

The lean but highly capable legal team at Morgan Stanley in India provides legal coverage to all front office businesses of the global financial services firm, in addition to dealing...

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Mphasis

| Mphasis

Information technology

Now boasting over a billion dollars in revenue – a spectacular growth achievement given the equivalent figure was just $150m in 2005 – Mphasis has employed the services of a...

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MRPL (Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited)

| MRPL (Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited)

Energy and utilities

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) was set up in 1988 with the initial processing capacity of 3.0 million metric tonnes per annum and has expanded over the years to...

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Nielsen

| Nielsen

Commercial and professional services

‘Open. Connected. Useful. Personal. These four words sum up the ethos of the team and the organisation as a whole’ says Sandhya Vishal, chief counsel and compliance and integrity leader...

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Nike India

| Nike India

Consumer products

Supplying kit sponsorship to one of India’s most important cultural symbols, Nike’s famous “swoosh” logo has been highly visible on the uniforms of the Indian national cricket team since 2006,...

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NTPC Limited

| NTPC Limited

Energy and utilities

The largest power utility in India, NTPC Limited (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) has a vast operation that currently has 51,708MW of installed capacity and ambitious growth...

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Oil and Natural Gas Corporation

| Oil and Natural Gas Corporation

Energy and utilities

India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is a multinational energy business headquartered in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and the largest oil and gas exploration and production company in the country. Headed...

OLA (ANI Technologies)

OLA (ANI Technologies) | OLA (ANI Technologies)

Transport and infrastructure

Indian online transportation network company OLA was founded as an online cab aggregator in Mumbai but is now based in Bangalore. Primarily a technology and innovation driven company, to enable...

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Ostro Energy

| Ostro Energy

Energy and utilities

An Indian wind energy business with ambitious plans with regards to its renewable energy projects, Ostro Energy is currently ‘working closely with most of the prominent wind power producers in...

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Paytm

| Paytm

Information technology

Established in 2010, e-commerce and electronic payment provider Paytm hit the corporate stratosphere in 2015, when it raised $625m in funding from donors including Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, further to...

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Perfetti Van Melle India

| Perfetti Van Melle India

Consumer products

The Italian-Dutch global confectionery and gum manufacturer Perfetti Van Melle employs a highly capable legal team to support its India based operation. In the last two years the team has...

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Petronet LNG

| Petronet LNG

Energy and utilities

Petronet LNG is one of the fastest growing pioneering companies in the Indian energy sector, behind setting up the country’s first LNG receiving and regasification terminal in the Gujarat region...

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Philips Lighting India

| Philips Lighting India

Industrials and real estate

Philips Lighting was set up as a separate entity in India with a new and independent legal team in April 2016 and the initial challenge for the team, without causing...

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Piramal Finance

| Piramal Finance

Financials

Piramal Finance is a global diversified business conglomerate with operations in several sectors including pharmaceuticals, health care information management, financial services, specialty glass packaging and real estate. The structure of...

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Rajesh Exports

| Rajesh Exports

Materials and mining

Gold manufacturing company Rajesh Exports Limited (REL) is India’s largest gold exporter and with revenues of $38bn, was featured in the Fortune Global 500 list of companies. A key figure...

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Ramco Systems

| Ramco Systems

Information technology

Part of the $1bn Indian conglomerate Ramco Group, Ramco Systems is a market leading software products and services provider. In the last decade, the company has been among the fastest...

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Reliance Industries Limited

| Reliance Industries Limited

Industrials and real estate

Ranked at number 215 in the Forbes Global 500 rankings of top international companies, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is a diversified conglomerate that has holdings in a variety of sectors...

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Renault Nissan India

| Renault Nissan India

Consumer products

Experiencing a recent corporate shake-up, the Indian operations of global car manufacturing giants Renault and Nissan – which were consolidated in a joint venture created in 2005 – is significantly...

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Reserve Bank of India

| Reserve Bank of India

Financials

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India’s central banking institution which controls the monetary policy of the Indian rupee. Leading the team, legal adviser, PSN Prasad, joined the bank...

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RPG Enterprises

| RPG Enterprises

Industrials and real estate

Comprised of fifteen companies operating in the areas of infrastructure, tyres, technology and other specialties, the Mumbai headquartered RPG Enterprises is one of the largest Indian industrial conglomerates. Providing legal...

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Samvardhana Motherson Group

| Samvardhana Motherson Group

Commercial and professional services

Samvardhana Motherson Group (SMG) is an Indian auto parts company founded in 1975, of which the flagship company is Motherson Sumi Systems, a joint venture with Sumitomo. SMG is present...

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SBI Card

| SBI Card

Financials

Incorporated as a joint venture between the State Bank of India, India’s largest bank, and GE Capital, SBI Card is a payment solutions provider with a customer base of over...

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Schindler India

| Schindler India

Industrials and real estate

Founded in Switzerland in 1874, the Schindler Group is a leading global provider of elevators, escalators and related services. Schindler India is a 100% owned subsidiary of Schindler Group and...

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Sequoia Capital

| Sequoia Capital

Financials

Led by director of legal and chief legal officer Sandeep Kapoor, US-headquartered global venture capital firm Sequoia Capital has an Indian legal team of five lawyers in addition to a...

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Spencer’s Retail

| Spencer's Retail

Consumer products

Spencer’s Retail is a chain of retail stores headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal with presence in over 35 cities in India. Winning numerous industry awards, the widely-known retailer has many...

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State Bank of India (SBI)

| State Bank of India (SBI)

Financials

Government owned State Bank of India (SBI) is the country’s largest banking institution with a total of 24,000 branches and 190 foreign offices scattered around the world. The bank’s skilful...

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Sterlite Technologies

| Sterlite Technologies

Telecommunication services

Listed on the Mumbai Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India, Sterlite Technologies is the country’s only integrated producer of optical fibre and one of the largest optical...

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Suez India

| Suez India

Energy and utilities

As a part of the large global legal team of Suez, the Suez India team has the benefit of engaging with and learning from lawyers across the world. Equally, over...

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Sun Pharmaceutical Industries

| Sun Pharmaceutical Industries

Healthcare

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (Sun Pharma) is one of India’s leading pharmaceutical companies that manufactures and sells pharmaceutical products primarily in the large markets of India and the United States. Lead...

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Suzlon

| Suzlon

Energy and utilities

Suzlon is a world leader in renewable energy solutions and wind turbine supply based in Pune. It was ranked as the world’s fifth largest supplier with 17,000 MW of wind...

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Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

| Tata Consultancy Services Limited

Information technology

With a revenue figure of $17.6bn, international multinational information technology services company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is one of the top 10 listed companies on the Fortune 500 India listings,...

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Tata Housing

| Tata Housing

Industrials and real estate

Led by general counsel Parveen Mahtani, the Tata Housing in-house legal team has 14 individuals organised between litigation and non-litigation teams. Mahtani explains how the team has developed its role...

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Tata Power

| Tata Power

Energy and utilities

Part of the Tata Group, Tata Power is a multibillion dollar earning Indian electric utility business and since 2007, the company’s in-house legal department has been spearheaded by group head...

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TATA Sons

| TATA Sons

Industrials and real estate

After the vacation of the position of group general counsel by the long standing Bharat Varsani – who had occupied the position for over 17 years only to move into...

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Tata Steel

| Tata Steel

Materials and mining

A vast organisation that was responsible for 23.9 million tonnes of crude steel delivery in the 2017 financial year alone, Tata Steel is a Forbes 2000 ranked company with $18bn...

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thyssenkrupp India

| thyssenkrupp India

Industrials and real estate

thyssenkrupp, a diversified industrial group with a global turnover of approximately €39bn (2015-16) is headquartered in Essen, Germany. In India, thyssenkrupp has grown to become one of the most trusted...

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Uber

| Uber

Information technology

US private hire company Uber has expanded exponentially since entering India in 2013 and now has 450,000 drivers. Identified as a “top country” with its rapidly expanding population and often...

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Union Bank of India

| Union Bank of India

Financials

The Union Bank of India (UBI) law department supports one of the largest government owned banks in the country. The team is led by deputy general manager and chief law...

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UPL

| UPL

Materials and mining

Formerly known as United Phosphorous, UPL, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets chemicals across India, Europe, North America and Latin America. Providing full legal coverage to the company’s agricultural...

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Vedanta Group

| Vedanta Group

Materials and mining

London headquartered, mining and metals giant Vedanta Resources is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, it has a number of diversified...

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Viacom 18

| Viacom 18

Consumer products

Founded as a joint venture between Viacom Inc. and the Network18 Group in 2007, Viacom 18 is one of India’s fastest growing entertainment networks that houses iconic brands offering multi-platform,...

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Vodafone India

| Vodafone India

Telecommunication services

Vodafone India employs a sizeable operational legal team comprised of 55 in-house legal professionals based across the country. With an exciting blend of young and up-and-coming professionals and more experienced...

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Volkswagen Group Sales India

| Volkswagen Group Sales India

Consumer products

Volkswagen Group Sales India retains a six-person legal team, led by head of legal Vijay Kamath and supported ably by the next most senior lawyer in the team, assistant general...

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Wadia Group

| Wadia Group

Industrials and real estate

Beginning operations over 250 years ago, the Wadia Group of companies is one India’s oldest conglomerates, and today operates as an investment company headquartered in India’s main financial centre and...

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Wells Fargo

| Wells Fargo

Financials

Suraj Singh is the current vice president – legal at US based bank Wells Fargo in India, and leads Wells Fargo’s Enterprise Global Services (EGS) legal teams across India and...

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Wipro

| Wipro

Information technology

Wipro is a Bangalore-headquartered global leader in information technology, consulting and business process services company, and employs over 160,000 employees in India and around the world. Satyaki Banerjee, legal vice...

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Wockhardt

| Wockhardt

Healthcare

Mumbai-headquartered global pharmaceutical company Wockhardt utilises a 14-person legal team of highly qualified and forward-thinking lawyers. Debolina Partap, general counsel and head of legal provides some detail into the range...

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Yum! India

| Yum! India

Consumer products

Yum! is a Fortune 500 listed company that owns some of the most well-recognised restaurant brands globally, such as Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut. Positioned at the focal point...

One of the most populous and culturally diverse places on Earth, India is also a business and financial hub with strong trade links to its Asian neighbours and markets further afield, and recently overtook China as the world’s fastest growing major economy. The dawn of the late 20th century – more specifically the 1991 economic liberalisation program – saw India drive towards becoming more market and service-oriented and expanded the role of private and foreign investment. More recently, the emergence of developing economies as being strategically important within the global business sphere has opened up more avenues for domestic and international companies to operate in India, complimenting the traditionally strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit within the country.

Sectors that the Indian economy is particularly strong in include agriculture, financial services, technology and internet start-up businesses as well as large construction and manufacturing sectors. These many positive indicators – which also include a young population, strong savings and investment rates and increased integration into the global economy – all point to a bright future for Indian business. Challenges will no doubt emerge as a result of this growth and as India’s role within world markets changes, and the variety of legal and business hurdles must be navigated successfully should India strive to fully reach its potential.

The legal teams contained within these pages, and on The Legal 500 website all possess excellent legal knowledge as a matter of course – they are all technically gifted and highly trained but this is not necessarily what sets them apart. Rather, it is their ability to utilise their legal knowledge strategically alongside keen business insight to make a positive impact towards their organisation’s success that place them among the top in-house legal counsel in the region.

I would like to express my personal thanks to our sponsors for supporting this publication: our international law firm partner CMS, India law firm partner Luthra & Luthra, recruitment partner Vahura, knowledge partner India Business Group and our chambers partner, Blackstone. A special mention must also be made for in-house lawyers that took time to speak to us throughout the process, and for the research team that worked on this GC Powerlist publication.

CMS

CMS logo

CMS is proud to support the GC Powerlist for the India region for the second consecutive year. The in-house legal community continues to make a critically important contribution to India’s remarkable economic story, and has been justly celebrated.

In an increasingly uncertain world where challenges to the working of the global economy are commonplace, India remains one of the fastest growing emerging market economies. According to a recent IMF study, growth is expected at 6.6% in this fiscal year and 7.2% in 2018. Expansion at this rate is partly export-driven, and owes much to the growing internationalism of India’s businesses and the “Make in India” policies. In its turn, this open face to the world brings with it calls for system reforms and an increasing complexity of regulatory compliance.

It is in this environment of confidence and challenge that general counsels and their in-house legal teams are becoming ever more crucial to the success of the modern Indian business.

The in-house legal teams featured in this Powerlist are characterised by the excellence of their legal knowledge. But India’s rapidly expanding business opportunities have meant the role of GC has also evolved. Financial understanding and commercial acumen have become as necessary as managerial flair and legal excellence. The modern Indian business expects its GCs and their teams not only to provide brilliant technical solutions to complex legal issues, but to offer strategic wisdom and streetwise savviness too.

The key quality possessed by the teams showcased in this publication is adaptability. Delivering value to a business and contributing to its growth requires the legal team having a thorough understanding of the firm’s market and strategy. This might typically mean organisational change in the way the team is structured. Centres of excellence in litigation, IP, compliance, tax or employment might be established to widen the knowledge base of the team as a whole and support the business more effectively. A thorough knowledge of the relevant sectors and constant communication with the business’ principals means the right advice is given – and the value added by GC expertise is always apparent.

India, and its thriving businesses, are not of course immune from the impact of new technologies. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the software programmes that drive it forward represent huge opportunities for in-house legal teams. This remains a controversial innovation that some may feel threatens their livelihood. But clear-sighted GCs will see the potential that new technology brings. As always, the essential point is to ensure the legal department has the right composition and is ready to work with the new tools of excellence.

This GC Powerlist: India Teams not only recognises the central place that GCs and their legal teams now have in the ambitions of Indian businesses but also celebrates the speed and efficiency with which in-house legal teams have adapted to this constantly evolving world.

Luthra & Luthra

Luthra & Luthra logo

On behalf of the entire firm, I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to all the eminent in-house counsel who have been recognised and awarded in the GC Powerlist: India Teams 2017 by The Legal 500.

The key characteristic for a general counsel today, is their unquestioned integrity. Their role is extremely challenging and is increasingly becoming more important in Indian companies, which are turning more and more to them for providing advice that goes beyond legal compliance.

They are now viewed as partners in the business process.

A GC’s knowledge of how the legal environment is developing becomes a basis on which they can give valuable advice in planning transactions or taking
other business initiatives. They must retain the ability to make clear-eyed professional judgments, and to have the backbone to raise issues with the appropriate decision-makers.

Not many lawyers have all the skills required to play this role, therefore, the “congratulations” are more heartfelt, for you all have perfected this art, whilst being great managers of people too.

Kudos also, to the GC Powerlist team who have worked tirelessly over the last few months, collating the nominations, followed by an extensive independent research to shortlist and reach these results.

My sincere and heartiest congratulations, once again to all the ‘power’ filled GCs.

Vahura

Vahura logo

Vahura is proud to support the GC Powerlist India Teams 2017. Our heartiest congratulations to the GCs and in-house counsel recognised in this Powerlist. It is wonderful to see this appreciation of your important work and innovation.

As the leading legal search and consulting firm in India, we regularly help build legal teams and also engage with GCs on strategic initiatives. Since 2007, we’ve witnessed the rapid evolution of the in-house legal role in India. Some of the recent trends include:

Rise of GCs within the corporate structure

Reporting has changed from CFO to CEO or Founder. The GC is often a member of the Executive Committee. We are also seeing GCs represented on the boards of companies.

Multi-resourcing strategy

Greater movement of in-house talent across sectors and from law firms. 23% of laterals last year were from law firms. Increasing use of flexible talent through secondments, contract roles and remote teams.

Technology and Innovation

Use of technology systems across contract management, compliance and litigation support. Innovation around process, communication and use of collaborative dispute resolution.

Expansion and Internationalisation of Role

The writ of the GC is expanding beyond legal to public policy and government relations, compliance, regulatory and corporate affairs. With MNCs, India is becoming a key hub for the global legal team. For Indian conglomerates, as the business becomes more international, legal guides the expansion of business in new jurisdictions.

Better compensation, more dynamic roles and the success stories of in-house counsel, are inspiring bright lawyers at all levels to move in-house. All of this signals an elevation in the role of the in-house counsel, within the corporate structure.

The corporate counsel is now also recognised as an important member of the legal profession. The government and regulators have sought out the views of the in-house legal community on the recent deliberations on the liberalisation of the Indian legal profession. This is a good sign, and more can be done in this regard. So many of you contribute to the development of the profession by teaching students, recruiting and mentoring young lawyers and supporting underprivileged students. Some GCs are also incorporating social metrics such as diversity and inclusion, as factors in selecting external counsel. The GC is now a powerful influencer, from the corporation, to the legal profession and broader civil society.

Every person featured in this Powerlist represent the best of our profession. Kudos to you and your teams for the important role that you play within the organisation and beyond. Congratulations once again and best wishes for the future.

Blackstone Chambers

Blackstone Chambers logo

Blackstone Chambers congratulates all the in-house legal teams recognised by The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist: India Teams.

Blackstone Chambers is a leading set of barristers based in London and is the UK home to one of India’s most renowned advocates, Harish Salve SA. Members of Chambers offers expertise in the international arena across a range of specialist areas, including arbitration, commercial litigation, financial services, public & regulatory law and international law.

IBG

IBG logo

The liberalisation of India’s economy has enabled significant growth in the past century. India is a vibrant, diverse and rapidly expanding nation, predicted to be in the top three global economies by 2030. The government of India has placed a significant focus on the reform agenda and ongoing relaxation of the limits of foreign direct investment to some of India’s core sectors such as defence, banking, railways and construction.

Combined with a deep commitment to enhance the ease of doing business in India, the administraion is encouraging greater opportunities for Indian and international business. In particular, the recently introduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) 2017 is recognised as the most significant tax refrom since independence and will help bring transparency and consistency in procedural matters.

The flagship Indian initiatives of Make in India, Digital India and Smart India (amongst others) have been widely promotedto invite foreign investment and innovation. Against this overall positive outlook, the legal industry is vitally important in the development of economic growthand partnerships within India on a domestic and interntional level.

The Indian Business group, headquartered in London, is particularly excited about the tremendous opportunites for boosting bilateral trade and investment between the UK and India. As we celebrate the UK – India Year of Culture 2017, both countries are showcasing collaborations in a range of sectors, such as business, energy, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure, arts, sports and further connecting people in this corridor.

On behalf of the team at India Business Group, I am delighted that we have been appointedas Knowledge Partner for The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist: India Teams 2017. The launch of this exciting initiative within the legal profession could not come at a better time. I extend our hearty congratulations to all of the GC Teams included and wish them every success for the future. We look forward to working with you on similar initiatives for the Indian market.

Jones Day Hong Kong Roundtable 2024

The Legal 500 was thrilled to join a selection of top Jones Day partners and a hand-picked group of 15 the most prominent GCs in Hong Kong for a freewheeling and no-holds-barred discussion on geopolitical risk management at a time of global transition. Steve Brogan, managing partner of Jones Day from 2002-2022 flew over to lend his considerable expertise to the discussion, as did Partner-in-Charge Hong Kong Joelle Lau. Joining them to give expert briefings on the topics of the day were partners Peter Wang, Dr Qiang Xue, James Fidler, Samuel Ngo and Charles Chau. The conversation moved from sanctions and counter sanctions, to the increasing pre-eminence of the Asian economy, to the philosophy of the rule of law in times of crisis.