Changeover Artist

However, Chandra Srinivasan, vice-president and managing director of AT Kearney India Ltd, begs to differ from this stereotype. Many Indian companies have taken help from consultancies, he remarks. Clients are often advised to either move into new businesses or hive off unrelated divisions, or induct new technology, for instance. But not many consultants sit down with the clients and actually work out a step by step method to implement this change.

This is the area where he believes that AT Kearney can add substantial value in. AT Kearney is among the worlds top ten general management consultancies, with an expertise in change management as one of its core strengths. We have extensive experience in implementing change within organisations across the world. We have transformed it into a discipline and developed several methodologies to implement it, says Srinivasan.

But Srinivasan knows he has the job cut out for him in India. This is a challenging assignment, he says. Companies know they need to change their business practices and yet do not want to invest in new processes or technology.

Knowing what we do about Indian companies attitude towards change, convincing them to tow his line may keep Srinivasan preoccupied for some time to come.