Business APAC’s LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES of 2020

APRIL 2020 EDITION

CONSULTING
COMPANIES
Leading

Pg.10

MANHADAY
Uday Hegde
Director

CONSULTANTS
A Reliable Financial Specialist with
Local and International Network
Hitachi Social Innovation is
 EDITOR’S LETTER
Leading
CONSULTING
COMPANIES
2020

The Rise of Consulting Landscape

in the APAC Region

C
OVID-19 has triggered a chain reaction, causing businesses around the world to address new
challenges. The consultant industry is no exception. Companies, including consulting firms,
allowed their employees to work from home (WFH) rather than in offices or the fields.
According to consulting.org, India's position in the APAC market only grew stronger over the course of
last year. This is partly due to a slowdown across the region, particularly in China, where tightened
government restrictions on private equity investments have dampened deal activity. China remained the
top market for investments, although India's challenge to its position at the top is intensifying.

However, the good news amidst the gloom is that consulting firms tend to be highly adaptive by nature,
and have demonstrated their resilience and flexibility in previous crises. These consulting firms quickly
learned the way businesses operate today to modify their services and solutions. Our latest magazine
issue, “Business APAC's Leading Consulting Companies 2020,” features the leading consulting
companies that are going beyond the imagination to provide their services and solutions. Whether the
focus is on strategy, operations, tax, HR, IT, finance, or any other field, these companies are delivering
their finest services/solutions to satisfy their clients' requirements.

In our latest issue, featured on the front cover is Manhaday Consultants, a boutique investment
banking firm based out of Mumbai, India. Over the years, the company has grown from a pure debt
syndication firm to a full version of finance consultancy/investment banking firm. The Director, Uday
Hegde proudly asserts, “We have achieved some level of success, built credibility, built an excellent
network across the world, and we have some great names as our clients.”

Rolling to the next pages, we have featured the leading consultant companies that are offering novel
solutions with respect to their fields. Along with this, we have written interesting articles for our readers
in the respective sections: Trending Technology and Pandemic Effect.

Stay home, Stay safe!

Deepali Sarwade
Editorial Coordinator
 CREDIT PAGE
Publisher : Archana Ghule
Editor-in-Chief : Vikram Suryawanshi

Editorial Coordinator : Deepali Sarwade

Shubham Biradar
Vidya Joshi
Rakesh Mahto

Art Director : Vinod Alhat

Head of Distribution & Production: Aakash Mahajan

Web Development & Maintenance : Vishal More

Project Manager : Vaishali Khandade

Business Analysts : Maria Smith

Advertising : Jacob Eddy

BUSINESS APAC
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+1 (213) 814-2941 info@businessapac.com www.businessapac.com

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CONTENTS
10
COVER STORY
Manhaday Consultants

LISTING
ANOVA
18
Aqua Utility Designs and
Management Pvt. Ltd.
20
20
COENSUS
28
HPGConsulting
30
Kognitivus Training and
Consulting
32
Miebach Consulting
36
Pioneer Food Solutions
38
30
ARTICLES
TRENDING TECHNOLOGY PANDEMIC EFFECT
A Game-Changer For The Business The Virtual World is not
World Big Data Analytics immune to pandemic
22 40
 28
10

32
18

36 38
 LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES

10
MANHADAY
CONSULTANTS
A Reliable Financial Specialist
with Local and International
Network

11
 LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES
T he finance consultancy
industry has undergone
dramatic change compared
with what it was around 15-20 years
ago. Back then, they were large
investment banking firms and the
mid-size / smaller firms were not
really significant or were not so
competitive, but now the mid-sized
firms are competing against big
names and winning mandates. Most
of the mid-size firms are promoted by
“We see our success
in satisfied clients
and client’s
satisfaction is our
motto.”
ex-bankers/finance professionals and
one such company that has
established its strong footprint in the
finance consultancy industry as a
specialist and promoted by ex-banker
is Manhaday Consultants Private
Limited. It is a boutique investment
banking firm based out of Mumbai,
India. The company's mission
“Efficiency is doing things right,
effectiveness is doing the right
things,” reflects how it is helping
businesses attend the success through
its services.
The consulting firm has associates all
over the world and some of these are
very big names in their country. It is
also a member of M&A networks
which helps it in its international
fundraising /JV / M&A / technology
12
tie-up, etc. Because of these
international associations/networks,
Manhaday Consultants has good
Indian corporate as its clients for
their international growth
opportunities. Today, in mid-size
investment banking it is one of the
big names in India and has associates
internationally in every continent and
then Manhaday in near future is
planning to have offices in major
countries in the upcoming years.
A Full Version of Finance
Consultancy / Investment Banking
Firm
Established in 2007, Manhaday
Consultants was formed by
experienced banking and finance
professionals with nearly 25 years of
experience. Since then, the company
has grown from a pure debt
syndication firm to a full version of
finance consultancy/investment
banking firm. Manhaday Consultants
management uses their experience,
knowledge, and understanding of
business / business processes and
financial gaps to execute transactions
smoothly and faster.
Today, the expert team members are
spread across the country and have
expertise in a specific domain,
thereby offering services such as
Growth Strategy, Merger &
Acquisitions, Joint Venture/
International Technology Tie-up,
Private Equity, CFO Services/
Enterprise Risk Management, and
Debt Syndication.
Present scenario
Over the last decade, many things
have changed across diverse
industries. Similarly, in the finance
consultancy industry, today's
challenges are totally different as
compared to15-20 years back. A
decade back, 75% of mid size finance
consultants were into debt
syndication and the amount of
consultants / investment banking
firms were few in numbers. The
present scenario is totally different
with specialized professionals for
every product / service. Very few
firms can offer total solutions or a
combination of products / services.
Manhaday Consultants is one of few
investment banking firms which
offers the majority of solutions under
one roof. Manhaday management
understands that the present
challenge the clients faces requires a
drone and a microscopic view of the
client's requirement for their growth
opportunities.
Standing Out From Other
Consultants
Today, the market is crowded with
numerous consultants. Therefore, it
becomes a tedious task for clients to
seek out consultants who have the
right skills, knowledge, and
execution capabilities as well as
understand their requirements
appropriately. Likewise, when a
client comes to Manhaday
Consultants for advice, the client has
Uday Hegde
Director
to be pretty convinced that the
Manhaday possesses the right
knowledge / capabilities and
execution capabilities for their
specific requirements. This is where
Manhaday Management makes a
difference in understanding the
clients' problems, their financial gap,
their growth opportunities and
coming out with solutions which
from the clients' perspective is out of
box thinking. Today even a SME /
MSME has to work like a big
company / MNC mindset as now the
world has become a global village.
Manhaday Story
In the beginning, Manhaday
Consultants faced some challenges in
signing clients as there was no big
financial institute name on their
visiting card. But, it was a more of
individual professionalism /
knowledge / experience and
relationship that helped the company
acquire clients. Now, Manhaday is
one of the leading consulting firms is
well established in the investment
banking / finance consulting industry
for more than a decade. The company
has been recognized by various
business magazines as one of the top
mid-size investment banking services
firms in India.
The Director of Manhaday
Consultants Private Limited, Uday
Hegde used to come on TV and he
still speaks at finance events /
seminars. As Manhaday has been
constantly delivering solutions for
more than a decade, now the client's
expectations are pretty high as they
have tasted its success delivery
results. Highlighting his thought,
Uday shares, “Today, we have to up
the antenna compared to the past
bench marked services and compete
successfully with the best and the
biggest names in the industry and
sometimes with international firms.”
A Veteran Leader in Investment
Banking Business
Uday is a MBA graduate with more
than 15 + years of professional
experience in the banking and
finance world and the last 15 years in
the Investment Banking business.
Recalling his memories, he shares, “I
was really lucky to have worked with
some of the big financial names those
days and was part of a successful
team where the majority of them
today are directors/ presidents/heads
of business in banking and finance
world spread across the world.”
Because of the banking experience,
Uday realized that he can venture on
13
 LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES

“We keep ourselves

updated on as of
today happenings in
the corporate/
financial world, new
products both locally
and internationally,
new versions of
services, better local
and international
networks, and
associates.”

his own and can advise clients where they can benefit from
his knowledge/ experience / understanding of business across
sectors and also having lenders / investors' contact. The
seasoned leader is also director of SkyEarth Tradecom Private
limited where the company takes business development
rights/marketing rights of foreign companies for India as a
territory. Recently, it has started doing the reverse for SME /
MSME companies in India, they are taking business
development rights for the international market, and here they
have already signed a couple of clients.

Additionally, Uday is also a strategic board advisor to a

couple of start-ups and SME/MSME firms. Uday proudly
asserts, “We have achieved some level of success, built
credibility, built an excellent network across the world and we
have some great names as our clients.

14
 INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS GROWTH
ACCELERATOR FOR
ENTRY TO
INDIAN MARKET
Manhaday Consultants

Impact of Pandemic on Business
As a seasoned consultant, Uday
believes that the pandemic has now
put a challenge for all parties
involved so everyone will be
rethinking on their strategy and
Manhaday Consultants is no
exception. He says, “I have been
speaking to some of my clients and
all I can say that the discussion is on
a totally different level. I think now
we are more like financial
physiatrist/doctor to many of our
clients. Very frankly uncertainty level
is very high but everyone also feels
India is one country that will be
better placed then even some
developed countries and India will be
a better story for the next 10-20
years.”
Now post COVID, the government
has a huge role to play with helping
the corporate world, organized and
unorganized sector, the farming
world, etc. Uday predicts that Indian
government/RBI coming out around
USD 1 trillion stimulis and
postponement of EMI/ interest and
government taxes, waiver, postpone
of GST/ reduction in % of GST, etc.
He also Believes the coronavirus will
be tapering down in 4-6 months and
the lockdown will be there for 60-90
days minimum and keeping the
finger crossed that we find a vaccine
soon. The pandemic is worse than 2
world wars/great depression and the
financial crises put to gather so it is
challenge which the government
actions will be the central focus and
there will be new order where India
will play a very important role. We
have to thank to all health workers /
para medical / police force /
sanitation workers / government and
of course the ordinary people for
following the lockdown and making
it a success story for the future.

15
 TOGETHER
WE ARE CHANGING
THE WAY THE
WORLD INVESTS
 LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES OF 2020
ANOVA
A Trustworthy And Reliable Advisory Partner For all Businesses
T he VUCA climate has brought forth new challenges
in the business world. Businesses must ensure
continued consumer stickiness, timely capital
availability, comply with evolving and challenging
government regulations, in addition to attempting to scale,
both organically and inorganically. Because of this,
businesses look out for consulting firms that can help them
develop innovative strategies to grow and penetrate/entry
into new markets. Furthermore, Mergers and Acquisitions
(M&A) has emerged as a major focus and improvement
area for businesses to try and achieve optimal market share
in both domestic and international markets.
This is where M&A specialist firm, ANOVA, steps in to
deal with the buying, selling and combining of different
companies that can aid, finance, or help a growing company
to mature rapidly. The Founder, Chandrashekar Kupperi
with his team is working with entrepreneurs and business
owners for their requirements on the acquisition of
businesses or brands, sale of businesses for strategic
reasons, besides helping with fundraising.
Passion Turned Into Business
Chandrashekar became fascinated with mathematics and the
numbers world during his secondary school education. So,
for his higher education, he chose 'accounting and finance'
to boost his capacity to evaluate and interpret data. Then
with Chartered Accountancy and other qualifications linked
to finance, his obsession with slicing and dicing data
increased! Thus, he pursued an interest in Investment
Banking, as data analysis and insightful information is the
core activity of Investment Banking.
As an expert consultant, Chandrashekar observed that in the
last decade there has been a surge in the number of start-
ups, with tech start-ups leading the way. Numerous
revolutionary concepts have emanated, various business
companies have arisen, few of which have been purchased
by major players, and countless innovations continue to
take shape as business ventures. With the emerging start-
ups, there was also a need for consulting firms that can add
fluidity to processes by guiding them and the other small
and medium-sized enterprises with strategic outlook,
18
financial stability, the ability to raise funds for growth and
related aspects. This led him to venture out into this
segment, leading to the birth of ANOVA in 2013.
Delivering Value-Added Services
ANOVA is an investment banking and advisory business
that provides value-added services to Corporates (including
MSMEs and Starts-ups), both in India and Internationally.
The company's tagline ‘Revitalize your business’ reflects its
motivation and dedication to aid businesses. As an
investment banking firm, it provides Mergers and
Acquisitions (M&A) Advisory and Fundraise services,
besides Business Valuation, Financial and Commercial Due
Diligence Services and Financial Modelling. It also offers
Strategic CFO services on a selective basis, to empower
Entrepreneurs and Business Owners with
financial/commercial acumen and provide support in
strategic areas.
Overcoming the Challenges
“To me, getting the Clients to accept that ‘things could be
different, and that different can be better’ has been the
toughest challenge!” says Chandrashekar. The bigger
strength of ANOVA is to 'structure' effectively the client's
requirement. But then this calls for a different approach, as
clients are not easily persuaded and willing to follow. So,
the team expends much time and energy with the Founders
and the Senior Management to handle this, working
together without compromising their freedom and
concentration on day-to-day operations. They simulate the
end-result, often by referencing relevant examples, and are
bold enough to decide on a large portion of their fees based
on a positive outcome. This has resulted in an enlargement
of trust in ANOVA, as well as building a strong association
with clients.
Helping and Supporting Businesses to Thrive
ANOVA's key motive has always been to recommend
effective corrective steps, that are both timely and
implementable. To achieve this, the company invests
quality time with the client co-designing and implementing
 ’’
Our vision and
strive is to
become a leading
Investment
Banker and a
brand well-
known globally
by 2025.
a plan for (1) building a consensus about what steps are
required, and (2) setting the momentum to ensure that such
steps are enforced. Chandrashekar proudly asserts, “To
ANOVA, effective consulting means convincing a client to
take 'the' action! We work with the clients, not only towards
helping them act, but giving enough support so that the
movement leads to achieving the set objectives.”
Using Diverse Approaches To Help Businesses
ANOVA deals mainly with mid-size corporates and early-
stage companies. It believes that the consistency in growth
for these businesses truly occurs only when it can
successfully address and increase their confidence to handle
changes, via periodical mentoring and being strict in not
compromising on financial discipline. With this in mind,
ANOVA allows its customers to make themselves unique,
robust as well as support them to achieve:
Ÿ Assessment of the business position and prospects,
Ÿ Providing the right valuation opinion and expectation
that bridges the gap between aspirations and practicality,
Ÿ Finding the right fit between investor, investee and
creating a philosophy-value synergy by the right match,
Ÿ Structuring the deal to ensure the right execution and
transition during the said change.
Chandrashekar Kupperi
Founder
It is the achievement-oriented and customer-centered
approach along with acting appropriately and adapting to
the changing complexities of the market help ANOVA
retain its consulting services at the highest level.
Preparing To Grow And Expand
In the next five years, ANOVA would be actively engaged
in corporate advisory matters with larger corporates across
the globe. It will be largely helping them mature in business
process optimization and efficiency in financial information
management. It also aims to involve itself in larger
transactions and push towards making even more
transactions cross-borders.
In addition, ANOVA has been working towards its dream of
employing and training incumbents, especially from non-
ivy league institutions, to generate and contribute to jobs in
the Corporate Finance/Investment Banking sector. It also
plans to extend its corporate advisory services segment to
support larger corporates including MNCs, and help them
mature in business process optimization and efficiency in
financial information management and utilization by
mentoring them and helping them build a system.
19
 LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES OF 2020
Aqua Utility Designs and Management Pvt. Ltd.
A Foremost Provider of MEPF Design Services
E stablished in 2002, Aqua Utility Designs and
Management Pvt. Ltd. - an eminent professional
utility services design firm providing single point
services of MEPF Design Consultancy under one roof.
Around two decades ago, the first head office of AUDMPL
was established in Ahmedabad. The company was formerly
known as Aqua Designs, and over the years, it has
expanded its branch offices at Indore. Today, it has
representatives based at Mumbai-Maharashtra and Rajkot-
Gujarat.
Consulting Industry is a very dynamic industry which seeks
for different skill sets and is highly demanding. Companies,
especially in consulting, grow as per the amount of varying
range of services it can provide. AUDMPL is no different;it
provides lucrative solutions in MEPF design services. Due
to its wide range of services, the company has distinguished
itself amongst the most competitors. Along with the
qualitative solutions, the strong foundation with its strong
principles such as honesty, sincerity, and dedication have
immensely contributed to the success. Today, Aqua Utility
Design and Management is amongst the top sought after
MEPF design firms working on a large number of diverse
projects throughout the country.
Constant learning is essential
AUDMPL's principles have a strong impact on the team.
Thus, the team is always striving to become the one-point
solution for the clients. The continuous learning and
knowledge up-gradation has helped the company to reach
its prosperity. To stay up to date in the market and stay
relevant at the same time, AUDMPL conducts various
training, seminars associating along with different technical
institutes. This constant learning has benefited with
profound experience and has helped the company
contribute to the industry for more than two decades. Over
these years, it has successfully worked in 22 states and 2
Union Territories of India and South Africa, with over 2500
projects completed.
A Multidisciplinary and Visionary Leader
Dipen Mehta is the Founder and Managing Director of
AUDMPL he initially established AUDMPL as Aqua
Designs in 2002. Dipen has multidisciplinary knowledge,
20
experience and vision, which has resulted in the
establishment of the company. He is also the founder of
PCSPML, where he looks over the overall management and
operational responsibility of all PCSPMPL projects and
organizations too.
As a leader, Dipen's responsibility is also very diverse
ranging from advising the board of directors, motivating the
team members, and driving the change within the
organization. Dipen has been sharing the same
responsibilities in both the firms and excelling at it. Apart
from this, he is a Corporate Member of the Indian Green
Building Council (IGBC), Gujarat Chapter and GRIHA
Evaluator and Trainer. He has always aimed to save natural
resources and is duly performing all the corporate
environmental responsibility through his both the
companies.
State-of-art Engineering Designs
AUDMPL has been popular for the state-of-art engineering
design of diverse projects throughout the country. With
considerable experience in MEPF Engineering Design and
Management, the company has been successfully catering
to several industries from medium to large size projects,
including educational campuses, institutional buildings,
hospitals, theatres, townships, office buildings, residential
complexes and factories throughout the country. Over the
years, it has been successful in delivering around 2500
projects in utility designing. “We understand the
requirements of our clients and provide them the best
possible designs as per the guidelines,” asserts Dipen.
AUDMPL also manages to provide a cost-effective
engineering solution with quality management by a trained
and qualified organization and maximized inter-service
coordination benefits. In addition to this, it also offers long-
term support to all clients and hence has a high business
continuity ratio. AUDMPL offers a wide range of MEPF
services on a variety of projects mainly,
1. MEPF Design Services
2. MEPF Audit Services
3. Management and Coordination of Services
4. Green Building Design
 ’’
We are continuously
striving to deliver
the best possible
solutions as per the
norms to accomplish
the highest client’s
satisfaction.
Delivering Solution Accurately and Swiftly
The team plays an important role in the company's success
and growth. Dipen states that their team has always
managed the clients and their requirements accurately. The
team of AUDMPL works closely in conjunction with the
clients and designers to identify the objectives,
requirements and prospective challenges in a project. The
team understands the importance of transparent
communication and are always responsive to all its clients
and project designers' requirements. This helps them to
deliver effectively meet all the set requirements by the
client. The skillful team has been successful in delivering
solutions accurately and speedily. “Being single point
MEPF design services, all the clients can receive a solution
with much faster turnaround time,” said Dipen.
Perfect Balance between Nature and Technology
Having been a veteran in the industry, AUDMPL works
with a mission to be a global leader in MEPF Design
Services, with corporate social responsibility. Often times,
environmental responsibilities get neglected in the
competition. However, AUDMPL aims for unambiguous
excellence, honesty, and integrity. The team of AUDMPL
aims for profit but also doesn't overlook the benefits to
humanity. It delivers a unique utility design with innovative
and economical concepts followed by utmost Customer
Dipen Mehta
Founder & Managing Director
Satisfaction and Customer Awareness. AUDMPL always
aims to have the perfect balance between taking care of
nature and delivering accurate solutions to the clients. The
company's tag line itself states— Synergizing Air, Water
and Power.
Focusing On Environment and Technological
Advancements
AUDMPL is seen serving for over most of the industries.
Similarly, AUDMPL is planning to integrate them into the
system through Building Management System, Access
Control, Security and Surveillance System, Energy
Management, Fire Alarm, and Detection System, Computer
and Data Management System. The company sights for
continuous expansion and innovation in terms of services
and infrastructure, up-gradation of knowledge and training
for skilled manpower in the fast-moving era and meet the
expectations of client and project team.
AUDMPL also aims to become an icon in the industry by
providing eco-friendly designs to save natural resources
like air, water and energy and to provide the best possible
solutions as per laws to accomplish the highest client
satisfaction.
www.aquadesigns.co.in
+91 79 26937262/+91 98250 42785
21
 TRENDING TECHNOLOGY

22
 A GAME-CHANGER
FOR THE BUSINESS WORLD
BIG DATA
ANALYTICS
I n today's data-driven world, social media, log files, videos, voice messages, emails,
computers, and much more are generating a massive amount of data. Companies that
are gathering all of this structured and unstructured data and then leveraging it to drive
better business decisions can have a significant impact on their business. Big data analytics
has a considerable potential to change the way people do business. Through this, business
leaders can make better business decisions leading to increased revenue generation and
decreased operating costs while creating new business models. To understand big data on a
deeper level, let's take a look at the four characteristics that help define it.

Ÿ Volume: This is the scale of how much data there is and can help to determine whether
the data is considered “significant” or not.
Ÿ Variety: This includes various forms of big data like structured, unstructured, video,
text, etc.
Ÿ Velocity: This refers to how quickly the data is created and used because most of the big
data enter in real-time.
Ÿ Veracity: This refers to the quality of the data that is captured.

Now, the question remains why big data is so vital for businesses? Do businesses need big
data analytics for handling their data? To answer these questions, we need to know the
importance of big data.

Importance of Big Data

Data plays a crucial role in understanding valuable insights about customer preferences. It
explains a lot about customers’ behavior, personalities, and life events. The generated data
of customers when captured and analyzed correctly, it provides valuable insights for
businesses to take action upon it. Even though the notion of big data and its importance has
been around for years, but only recently has technology allowed the efficiency and speed at
which large sets of data can be analyzed.

23
 TRENDING TECHNOLOGY

There are two forms of data— structured and unstructured, which will expand significantly in the years to come. These
forms of data will be gathered and analyzed to discover new perspectives and even help predict the future. Big data analytics
can change how even the smallest enterprises become more available as data collection and analysis. Emerging innovative
and cost-effective technologies are continually improving, thereby making it exceptionally easy for any organization to
implement big data solutions seamlessly.

Furthermore, business success and failure depend upon the decision taken by the business owners. Therefore, it is imperative
to have data-driven insights that can help these business owners make better decisions. Combined with advanced data
analysis, big data analytics can significantly enhance decision-making, reduce risks, and unravel useful insights that
otherwise remain unnoticeable.

How Big Data is used in Businesses across Industries
Data has become an integral part of business today. Various
industries and verticals are investing in big data solutions to
optimize their operations and manage data traffic. Below are
some of the areas of business where big data is embraced and
leveraged.
Ÿ Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI)
Big data analytics is extensively applied by the BFSI
sector to become more effective, customer-centered, and
thus more profitable. It is used by financial institutions to
remove overlapping, redundant processes, as well as to
provide resources for easier data access. Banks and
retailers use big data, among others, for calculating
sentiment and high-frequency trading. The sector also
relies on big data for risk analysis and tracking the
operation of the financial markets.
Ÿ Retail Industry
Today, the key aim of every retail business is to attract new
customers, retain existing customers, as well as sell more
to each customer to improve the revenue generation. To
achieve this, retail businesses are required to offer
customers the products they want at the right prices and
at the same time ensure a delightful customer experience.
As a result, many retail organizations are using data
analytics to achieve the objectives mentioned above.
Ÿ Manufacturing Industry
The manufacturing industry is one of the hubs that
generate a massive amount of data that remains
untapped. The industry faces a variety of obstacles, such
as labor shortages, dynamic supply chains, and
breakdown of equipment. This is where big data can
enable companies to discover new ways to save costs and
improve product quality.
Ÿ Oil Sector
As the business world becomes more receptive to the
advantages of big data, the oil industry does not seem to
be far behind. When the vast amount of data is just
collected, it has little worth. However, when it is
identified, aggregated, processed, evaluated and refined
then the outcome is valuable data-driven insights. The
ability to access and draw rich insights from broad data
sets will improve the productivity and output of the oil
sector.

However, the use of big data has been sluggish in many sectors, such as healthcare, gas, and so on. The technology is
expensive to implement, and the bulk of the data obtained during operations is still not used by many businesses. Big data
usage is also affected by business silos and a lack of integration of data between units. The information is not always stored
or formatted correctly across an enterprise. Moreover, identifying workers with the expertise to optimally evaluate and
leverage data is also a daunting task.

To conclude, according to IDC, the big data and analytics software market, which in 2018 reached $60.7 billion worldwide,
is expected to grow at a five-year CAGR of 12.5%. This showcase that the big data market is expected to experience
remarkable growth in the forecast years. A sudden increase in the amount of structured and unstructured data is an essential
factor. The increased penetration of technology in all facets of life and the proliferation of smartphones are among other
factors that lead to the generation of more massive amounts of data. The growing need for data processing would lead to
increased demand for big data analytics. Additionally, due to higher profit margins, the number of online businesses in the
industry is also growing. Many sectors, such as hospitals, transportation, and banking, would make extensive use of online
platforms to provide better customer support. All of the above factors are expected to lead to the growth of the global big-
data industry.

24
To INTEGRATE with
the WORLD and
®
 LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES OF 2020
COENSUS
Consistently the First Choice for Your Service Requirements
C
ontinuous technological transformation is an
inevitable reality for every sector and industry.
Businesses such as manufacturing, real estate and
other such conventional set ups have been a part of industry
for a long time, thus their shift to digitization was relatively
smoother. Presently, the consulting industry is at a matured
stage in its life cycle and its growth is more or less directly
proportional to that of the overall economy. Most large-
sized companies err on the side of caution by engaging the
traditional big names, thereby missing out on innovative
services offered by new-age niche consulting firms. On the
other hand, MSME companies are tight-fisted, and therefore
there is always the cost versus output conundrum.
To bring about game-changing disruption, the competition
within the consulting sector should be focussed on
innovation and novel solutions rather than plain old
efficiency. Headquartered in Mumbai, COENSUS is one of
the leading consulting companies offering a host of
innovative business services and solutions. The company
operates on five key verticals — Business Advisory, Market
Research, Business Support, Digital Support, and Learning
& Development.
Providing Key Strategic Services
Today, India not only helps businesses within the country to
grow but also invites industries from all over the world to
be a part of its growth story. The scenario of consulting
companies in India is a bit different from the rest of the
world. Consulting companies in India are focussed on being
facilitators of market information rather than playing an
active part in building strategies for their clients, thus
adding real value to businesses. A lot of research that goes
around can also be conducted by research agencies;
however, the only way a consulting company can value-add
is through active participation in the strategy development
process.
Understanding the market scenario and going beyond its
competitors' capabilities, COENSUS provides key strategic
services to its clients, such as Market Opportunity
Assessment, Market Size Modelling, Market Analysis,
Product Feasibility Studies, Go to Market Strategies,
Qualitative & Quantitative Research, Business Process
28
Management, Business Plan Development, Franchise &
Channel Sales Development, etc.
Identifying the Objectives Before Project Execution
Consulting is largely a manpower dependant business, and
COENSUS believes that every individual has something
unique to offer, irrespective of their age, experience,
designation, qualification, or background. The company
does not hesitate from listening to anyone's perspectives, as
it believes that the more it listens, observes and assimilates,
the more it gets closer to answers that can potentially solve
complex business problems. When dealing with clients, the
company ensures that it spends sufficient time in designing
and planning the research, and clearly identifying objectives
before proceeding to project execution. COENSUS firmly
believes that, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.
The key expectation will always be a value addition to the
client's business by virtue of top-line and bottom-line
improvement, efficiency improvement, cost efficiency and
above all meeting the key objectives of the consulting
assignment in a manner that will have medium to long term
impact on the business. COENSUS endeavours to diligently
assess its clients' needs, followed by assessing the market
and consumer behaviours, eventually leading to the
facilitation of intelligent and informed business decisions.
Never-Ending Quest for Knowledge
Anand Banerjee, Founder and Business Leader of
COENSUS, has over twenty years' experience in the fields
of Market Research & Consulting, Sales & Marketing,
Customer Care & Service Delivery, Process & Quality
Management, Client Servicing & Business Development
spanning across sectors such as CPG, FMCG, IT, Telecom
& ITeS, BFSI, Agriculture & Primary markets, e-
Commerce, etc. Prior to the founding COENSUS, he co-
founded BnB Global Solutions (2010), Tangram Research
& Consultancy (2012), and Diapers4Baby.com (2013).
Anand has an inquisitive mind, constantly curious to figure
out the inner workings of everything around him. This is
probably the key reason behind him eventually settling
down into a profession that gives him the incredible
 ’’
We at COENSUS,
provide optimum
value to our
clients through
high quality, on-
time service
delivery
opportunity to explore and investigate various products and
services spread across myriad categories. He has been
fortunate to have engaged with companies involved in
various products, right from stationery products to food &
beverages, from automobiles to spares' manufacturers, from
hair oil to beauty & makeup, from X-Ray machines and CT
scanners to Office Automation products, from Teak Wood
and Cashew farming to packaged goods and restaurants, the
list is endless. Anand says, “All in all, I'm glad I do what I
do, as my passion is to ask questions in a never-ending
quest for knowledge!”
Recommendation to all the Clients
Irrespective of the industry, the client is an integral part of
any business. Understanding the clients' needs and
expectations helps the business to grow at a much faster
rate, especially in the consulting industry. COENSUS now
has years of experience in the business and knows how to
deliver its services to its clients. A few clients may not
involve the consultant at the execution stage, and midway
through the execution of the project, the consultant may
realize that the original research design might turn out to be
inadequate for it to arrive at a comprehensive solution.
Sometimes, this may cause major disruptions with the
execution plans and may extend the project timeline,
thereby putting a strain on the consultant's as well as
Anand Banerjee
Founder & Business Leader
company's resources. COENSUS generally recommends the
clients to involve the consulting company right from the
design stage, so it may conduct preliminary research, and
redesign if needed, right at the outset.
Rapidly Expanding the Partners
AI is still at its nascent stage of usage in most consulting
firms. Anand says, “I believe that there's a lot more that can
be done using the power of AI. For instance, AI can be
tapped to streamline the delivery of projects, on the back of
more effective resourcing and prioritization, event &
calendar management, admin tasks like invoicing and
payroll processing, process management, record keeping,
etc.
Currently, COENSUS use AI for data collection, data
management, data validation, data integrity checks, data
analysis, mapping of the value chain & sales channels,
customer journeys and client behaviour. The company has
been rapidly expanding its partner base across South Asia
and Southern Africa for now, and in the near future, it will
focus on expanding its field capabilities across South East
Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the Americas. It is
also looking at acquiring new clients in the FMCG, CPG &
Primary market segments, besides healthcare and
technology.
29
 LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES OF 2020
HPGConsulting
Offering the Perfect Blend of Value and Sustainability in the Hospitality Domain
I n the APAC region, industries confront many unique
opportunities and challenges because of the diversity
of technology. Likewise, the existing consultancy
industry of this region offers limited services related to
hospitality. Even though there are numerous individual
consultants but they are not well organized. As a result,
organizations are looking for quality consultancy services
through a team of seasoned consultants who have
significant experience in hospitality operations,
development & feasibility.
Incorporated in 1999, HPG Consulting provides its team
of professional consultants who have in-depth training and
hands-on experience in the design, projects, operations &
management aspects of hotels and food service industry.
The company aims to innovate through its expertise while
using a comprehensive approach for efficacious logistical
planning of spaces and equipment that translates into a
successful design model. It is using the latest technology
like Artificial Intelligence which has helped the company in
reaching out to its target sectors; however, its nature of
work is more of creativity and manual interference. HPG
Consulting forte is its expertise in bringing the project-costs
down without compromising on quality.
A Multidisciplinary Consulting Firm, Fulfilling Clients'
Expectations
HPG Consulting is a multidisciplinary consulting firm
specializing in Food Service, Laundry, Back-Of-House, and
Waste Management for all market segments. The company
is focused on providing solutions to various investors,
developers and operators in terms of optimization. It
specializes in offering services that range from hotels to
mixed-used development to corporate offices and also
hospitals. The leading company believes that success in the
hospitality industry will depend on being more focused on
the core business and being close to the customer.
Therefore, HPG Consulting takes time to understand the
clients' requirement and then, develop a customized
solution that best suit the clients' requirements. The
company leverages the latest tools and technologies to
make sure to fulfill the customers' expectations. As a result,
30
clients expect from HPG Consulting to deliver value-added
services. This can vary from commercial to concepts to
minimizing the design. It promises to assist its clients, in
providing direction by offering focused concepts and
positioning strategies, facility designs and operating
solutions, thereby ensuring practical and smooth operations
at all times.
Why choose HPG Consulting
As previously mentioned, HPG Consulting keeps pace with
the latest in the industry to deliver the best of breed
solutions. Clients choose the solutions offered by the
company because of its valuable benefits which gives
clients a competitive egde. These benefits are make HPG
Consulting a unique firm:
Ÿ Headed by a team of trained and dynamic professionals
with hands-on experience
Ÿ Excellent teamwork and collaboration
Ÿ Expertise in the entire range of F&B planning and
development services
Ÿ Worked with all major hospitality brands in the world
Ÿ Hundreds of prestigious projects, both completed and
ongoing
Ÿ Render services to hotels, resorts & spas, religious
institutes, healthcare facilities, etc.
Ÿ Presence in India, Srilanka, Bangladesh, Middle East &
Africa
Focusing On Training & Keeping Pace With The Latest
Trends
Like so many others, the hospitality industry is finding the
digital transformation can uncover new solutions to its
unique challenges. Therefore, the team of HPG Consulting
keeps themselves updated with the latest news, trends, and
technologies. The team is offered training which not only
includes in-house but also various manufacturers and
development personnel from across the globe. The
combination of operational experience with up-to-date
knowledge of the latest in the field strengthens the overall
capacity of the team to better envision the industry's present
and future requirements and thus contributes to the requisite
 ’’
We, at HPG Consulting,
holds a vision towards
maintaining excellence in
Integrated Solutions for
the Hospitality projects,
through Honesty, Integrity
& Transparency providing
value-added services to
our clients, ensuring high
standards of quality every
time.
Rajat Rialch
Principal Consultant / CEO

operational performance, which is of utmost importance in
the present times.
Furthermore, a lot of operators across India, Bangladesh,
Srilanka, Middleeast, and Africa are expanding very
aggressively. This brings in a lot of opportunities for
seasoned consultants such as HPG Consulting into the
market. Because of this, the company strives to stay ahead
in the innovation curve.
A Multi-Faceted Leader Establishing Strong Presence In
The Industry
The CEO, RajatRialch started HPG Consulting about 20
years back. After graduating from the Institute of Hotel
Management, Bhopal, he worked with various
organizations. He went on to do an M.B.A from I.M.I Delhi
with majors in Finance and Operations, following up with a
specialized course in Managing & Transforming
professional Service Firms from the Harvard Business
School. He is an adventure enthusiast, an avid mountain
trekker, and a passionate rafter who is not afraid to explore
what daunts others & has an inherent conviction to delve
into the unknown.
In the last 7 years, Rajat has expanded to various countries
such as Srilanka, Bangladesh, the Middle East, and Africa.
For him, in the beginning, it was quite difficult to establish
HPG Consulting's presence in the market like any other
business. However, through consistent effort and devotion,
he was able to build HPG consulting as huge as it is today.
As an industry expert, Rajat believes an individual must
possess certain skills in order to survive. This includes
awareness about anything related to hospitality and being
updated with the latest movement in the world is very
important in this industry.
Expanding Footprints
Rajat has strategic growth plans for HPG Consulting. The
company is focused on expanding footprints towards
Bangladesh and Africa sector as the amount of investment
towards these zones are much higher. Also, there are
opportunities in these zones for hospitality development
which Rajat believes will help HPG consulting develop new
innovative solutions in the hospitality industry.

31
 LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES OF 2020
Kognitivus Training and Consulting
A Trusted Partner - Helping Organizations Build High Performing Culture
I n today’s highly competitive business environment,
even the leading organizations struggle to maintain
their business longevity. To increase their chances of
long-term success, companies must transform into
sustainable enterprises, skilled in adapting to changing
priorities, markets, and customer demands. In this
transformation, the workforce plays a crucial role. Having a
high performing team can positively affect the
organization’s growth and help them stay competitive. As a
result, they provide learning and development (L&D)
programs for their employees and use several other means
to keep their employees engaged.
In many cases, because of the culture of the organization,
the adoption of learning from these programs is relatively
less, thereby limiting the effectiveness of the L&D program.
But, even if the employees attempt to adopt the learning
with the right intention, repeated failures in those trials lead
to “Learned helplessness.” The culture also renders some of
the employee engagement methods ineffective. To address
this issue, Kognitivus Training and Consulting was
established in 2015. The company’s sole purpose is to help
people unleash their potential by helping organizations
build a culture that unleashes excellence, promotes
connections & catalyzes growth; leading to a highly
engaged workforce that drives value creation for their
clients. It has developed a unique approach that not only
assists people to learn and adopt new behaviors, but also
works with the organization’s leadership to form the culture
in alignment with their strategy to ensure sustainability of
the culture and eventually the organization
Delivering Innovative Services
Clients look for Kognitivus so that it can solve their
problems and deliver real value for the business.
Recognizing this, the company’s solutions are targeted
toward creating corporate culture of excellence,
connections, and growth. These offerings are divided into
three categories: People Strategy, People Development, and
Innovation Culture development.
Ÿ People Strategy – Growth Consulting: Under this
service, the company assists its clients with their typical
organizational challenges like “How to reduce
32
attrition?”, “How can we bring alignment in the
organization at a leadership level and with
organizational strategy?”, “Can we design the
organizational structure such that we can tap into the
intrinsic motivation of people?”, etc. It provides
solutions that are totally culture-centric, context centric,
and people-centric using the key ideas of behavioral
changes from neuroscience and psychology.
Ÿ People Development: The company provides targeted
L&D programs to solve a specific issue. It has
developed programs like “Being in Demand”, “Being
World Class”, and “Lead with Compassion” which are
detailed, well researched, and thoroughly for different
levels of people in the organization. The contents of
these L&D programs are created meticulously as per the
Indian mindset so that an immediate connection can be
made with the members. Besides this, Kognitvus creates
tailored program based on organization key issues also.
Ÿ Innovation Culture development: Through this service,
Kognitivus works with organizations or teams within the
organizations to help them create a culture of innovation
by taking them through the process of the innovation
cycle, developing the mindset for innovation, thus
unleashing creative potential.
Innovating the Space of Solutions
Kognitivus uses a unique approach where it considers itself
as its competition. By doing so, the company continuously
reinvents itself and keeps innovating in the space of
solutions for its clients. Also, it focuses on enhancing the
customer experience by building trust with clients, being
multidimensional, leveraging expertise to deliver impact,
exploring all the possible dimensions before proposing a
solution. The leading company also consciously avoids
slipping into a comfort zone and is passionate to perform
and excel in the work.
Unique Upcoming Offerings
Currently, Kognitivus is working on certain specific
products and new frameworks. These products and
frameworks will make it easy for the clients to define and
 ’’
We develop an
aligned and
engaged workforce
for high
performance and
ongoing innovation
to drive value
creation for your
clients.
execute with their people strategy and bring in more
tangibility to this supposedly intangible area of work. The
company’s upcoming offerings are ’Dhruva – 5D culture
model for alignment’, ’Coffee with Kaaran’ (a reason), and
’6 Core for Inclusion and Diversity’.
The Multi-Faceted Leader with Extensive Experience
The Founder and CEO, Siddhartha Dubey is passionate
about building innovative and sustainable organizations for
the future. He has a total of 16+ years of experience with 5
years at Kognitivus and 11+ years of experience in
corporate and has worked in leading companies like
Infosys, PepsiCo in the USA, IBM and ZS Associates. As
the CEO of a leading company, he interacts and works with
CXOs, Senior Directors and HR heads to design and
execute organizational change management to ensure
business goals are aligned with people’s development,
business strategy lined up with people strategy, and
innovation capabilities at all levels. The industrious leader
is also a trained classical musician (instrumental), an
amateur astronomer, a budding filmmaker, an avid reader,
and a spiritual seeker.
Siddhartha Dubey
Founder & CEO
According to Siddhartha, candidates who want to succeed
in this sector should have a certain skill set. This skill set
includes complex problem-solving ability, emotional
intelligence, high integrity and values, creativity &
innovation, service orientation, working with ambiguity,
and cognitive flexibility.
Developing Finest Solution with Consistence
The space of Strategy, Growth, and People Alignment is
one of the most difficult areas as it is where there is no one
solution for every problem. Therefore, Siddhartha believes
that in order to succeed in this space, the consulting
company needs to be continuously learning about the
obvious and non-obvious, to self-develop its people, bring
in a serving attitude, flexibility in approach, and finally,
develop innovative and novel solutions. By adopting and
implementing these points, the consulting company can
develop the finest solutions and deliver a consistent level of
experience to every customer.
In the upcoming years, the Founder believes that HR
Analytics is going to be the next thing in the people strategy
and transformation and will use Artificial Intelligence and
Machine Learning at the core.
33
 LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES OF 2020
Miebach Consulting
Delivering Supply Chain Consulting And Engineering Services
O
ver the years, the supply chain has turned more
diverse, multinational and is incorporated rapidly
with multiple companies operating in conjunction
with the source, transforming, and disturbing goods to
clients. Due to this, the supply chain sector is continually
facing challenges such as changing technological
advancements, increasing demand for quality and
differentiation, and scarcity of resources. As a result,
companies need to design and apply individual strategies
that enable profitable growth.
This is where Miebach Consulting steps in to help
companies design sound strategies and execute successful
solutions for network structures, processes, and facilities
along the complete supply chain and ensure the supply of
the world. The Founder, Dr. Joachim Miebach, believes
that supply chain consulting is still mostly viewed as an
add-on with strategic consulting. This results in broad
brushing or generalizing of the supply chain needs of
organizations. To address this, Miebach Consulting
recommends solutions, systems, or software that fit best the
supply chain requirements and will maximize the return of
its client's investment.
Bridging The Gap
With over 370 consultants in 21 countries around the world,
Miebach Consulting is bridging the gap between consulting
and engineering. The expert consultants deliver from
strategy to implementation & beyond, having in-depth
knowledge of making solutions work. The service line of
Miebach ranges from working on major supply chain
transitions (including network designs and asset systems as
well as processes) to conceptualizing and implementing on-
the-ground facilities and training the logistics personnel in
their new tasks in the ramp-up phase.
As a holistic supply chain consultancy and engineering
enterprise, Miebach Consulting sets the standard in the
combination of strategic knowledge and implementation
capabilities. It has a proven international record of
successfully implemented projects, and solutions exceed
10,000. Dr. Joachim articulates, “Combining global
expertise with a strong local team helps us bringing the
flexibility as well as the capability to perform the tasks on
36
hand.” Currently, Miebach Consulting is working on
several transformation projects and planning to align its
business strategy with the public & private sector to create a
vision for 2030. It is also planning to become an attractive
organization for its people and shape local talent.
Furthermore, the company wishes to grow by 25% in
resources year-on-year until 2022 and continue to grow and
stabilize in the coming years.
Unicorn Miebach Consulting
Miebach Consulting is committed to operational excellence
as the key to creating added value. To stand out, the
company attains excellence through a variety of steps that
mitigate risks through the supply chain and IT
improvements leading to a significantly higher operational
efficiency. Its capability to consider the trade-offs between
cost & functionality, avoiding unnecessary gold-plating
while strongly focusing on the feasibility of the solution.
Furthermore, its willingness to operate as the client's
advocates and extended arms, as well as courage to
challenge market perceptions and technological
assumptions, make Miebach Consulting a unicorn amongst
its competitors.
Furthermore, AI is already adapted by many industries and
integrated into solutions. Similarly, Miebach Consulting is
leveraging AI technology to enhance its offerings, such as
data leveraging and analysis and simulation of complex
systems.
Facing Challenges Head-On
Supply chains are complex systems that need continuous
reevaluation as they face ongoing efficiency and
responsiveness challenges. As a leading company in the
supply chain sector, Miebach Consulting is confronting
various challenges. These challenges include changing
circumstances resulting in scope and schedule variability
during a project, long gestation time in acquiring projects,
and comparison with consultants from other streams.
Through its experience and implementation capabilities
across multiple industries, it is planning to overcome these
challenges.
 ’’
We are the # 1
enabler for
changing the supply
chain and logistics
game across
industries in MENA
by supporting the
market in making the
leap into a new era.
Ensuring Delightful Customer Experience
In the supply chain consulting industry, clients are looking
for consultants who listen and understand their pain points
and deliver the ideal solution to solve it. Likewise, clients'
expectation from Miebach Consulting is to provide hand-
over ambitious & complex facilities as turn-key solutions as
well as ensure that the projects are in budget, on time, and
quality. The consulting firm is using a holistic approach
considering IT, technology, processes, organizational
requirements, (big) data inputs, civil (local) requirements,
and economical / business aspects and combining all of
those to deliver a viable solution. It is also leveraging its
global experience and local knowledge and presence to
transform ideas on the drawing board to bricks on the
ground. In the end, Miebach Consulting is using the best
strategy to achieve its client's goals and maximize their
customer's experience.
Building One-Man-Company
After studying industrial engineering at Berlin Technical
University and the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Joachim
founded Miebach Consulting in Frankfurt am Main in 1973.
In the following decades, he grew his one-man-company
Dr. Joachim Miebach
Founder
into a consulting firm focused on an international consulting
partner. Many groundbreakings, creative projects paved the
way for dealing with warehouse automation to providing
the full spectrum of supply chain engineering. Today, he is
the Chairman of the Advisory Board, dealing with the long-
term strategic development of the Miebach group.
As a prominent figure in the supply chain consulting
industry, Dr. Joachim would like to see some improvements
such as bottom-up or applicability review of strategic
solutions, which are necessary so that the suggested
solutions are implementable. Also, higher transparency in
planning parameters including sensitivity for future
business scenarios is an important factor for developing a
best fit and sustainable solution.
Practical Skills For Consultants To Possess
To succeed in the consulting industry, professionals need to
possess specific skill sets. Dr. Joachim believes that these
skills should be flexible in thought and action to adapt to
changing circumstances, ability to foster and nurture Client
understanding, and patience in moving along with client
from requirement RFP offer negotiation. These skills
are going to improve the professionals' development as well
as ensure that they have the drive to create something.
37
 LEADING CONSULTING COMPANIES OF 2020
Pioneer Food Solutions
A Unique Blend Of Chemistry, Economics, Engineering, Marketing,
And Biology
In the APAC region, India is the topmost offshoring
destination for IT companies. Time and again, India has
proven its capabilities in delivering both on-shore and off-
shore services to global clients. Emerging technologies now
offer an entire new bouquet of opportunities for the top
companies in India. The global sourcing market continues
to grow at a higher pace as compared to the IT-BPM
industry. Indian IT and ITes companies have set up over
1,000 global delivery centers in about 80 countries across
the world. This has made India the digital capabilities hub
globally contributing to around 75% of global digital talent
present in the country.
In addition to this, the FMCG Food Science and
Technology consulting services industry market in India is
7500 crores By 2020 and has about a 15% growth rate per
year. Major share penetration for Food Quality & Food
Safety IT enabled services with IoT,AI,Big data/Cloud data
technologies.
Established in 2013, Pioneer Food Solutions (PFS) was
started with an aim to provide unmatched food and
technology services and consultancy. PFS is the best Food
Science and Technology services and consulting for Food
Value chain business operators. Since its beginning, the
company is focused on its founding principle of building
and implementing great idea that drive progress for clients
and enhance lives through enterprise solutions. Ready made
Concept2consumer business models are available with PFS
i.e. mylocalbasket, efoodnews, chemist choice, Dharthi,
Smart Agro, Smart food lab etc.
The Perfect Solution to Food Value Chain
Pioneer Food Solutions has always been able to assist
clients to create and execute strategies for their food
business transformation with emerging foodtech application
development, knowledge management, and business
process management. The company has been successful in
helping clients find the right problems to solve and solve
the same effectively. This is due to the solutions provided
by the company are a unique blend of chemistry,
38
economics, engineering, marketing, and biology.
PFS ensures the nutritional values and food safety while
promoting its services and solutions which are mainly
categorized into two. Firstly, the PFS has Solutions to Food
Value Chain that deal with the Agri Farms, Agri produces
Packing and Storage, Food Research-processing-testing-
packing, Trade, Food Diets, Food Waste, etc. with process
ready platforms.
Secondly, the PFS is the one-stop services provider for the
new and existing food business operators' as it delivers the
following,
Ÿ Project viability reports: Market Research, Detailed
Project Reports, etc.
Ÿ Research: R&D Lab setup, Contract Research, DSIR
scheme assistance
Ÿ Processing Units: contract manufacturing facilities
evaluation and setup new facility as per DPR, Subsidy
schemes assistance
Ÿ Quality Assurance: ISO22000, BRC, HALAL,
KOSHER FSMS certifications, Food hygiene audits,
third party Vendor qualifications, etc.\Quality Control:
Food Lab setup, Food Quality, and Food safety testing's,
NABL(ISO 17025/17034/17043)accreditation
consultancy, Subsidy schemes assistance
Ÿ Regulatory: FSSAI and International Export Market
License assistance
Ÿ Training: Conduct FOSATAC /Technical training at the
client's facility
Ÿ Marketing Strategy: Distribution network and
Franchise model development
Ÿ Support services: Allied Food Industries
Team of Innovators
Food and Technology solutions and consulting are
emerging rapidly in the industry. The rise in competition
has led to a rise in client expectations. The clients now
demand a more strategic food business plan, quality
systems and more innovative marketing strategy for sales.
 ’’
We believe
good food act
as mood
enhancers
around you.
PFS fulfills all these client requirements successfully. In
addition to these, it also offers regulatory compliance,
Source of quality ingredients, Shelflife of food product and
Training of food business operations.
Despite the competition, Pioneer Food Solutions has proved
true to its name and has pioneered in its services. This is
due to the team of innovators at the company. Under the
leadership of Phani Prakash (Founder and Director), the
team is being successful in delivering beyond the
expectations. The individuals are differentiated by their
creative skills, expertise, across food industries and
technologies, which in turn prove helpful in every project of
PFS. Phani proudly asserts, “Our team of innovators, across
India, is differentiated by the imagination, knowledge, and
experience, across food industries and technologies that we
bring to every project we undertake.”
A Veteran in Foodtech industry
Phani Prakash is the Founder and Director of Pioneer Food
Solutions. He established the company with a mission to
ensure and deliver the best foodtech solutions. Phani has an
experience of more than a decade in the food and pharma
industry. He had contributed to the industry branches of
diversified food, Pharma and the Nutraceutical Industry.
Phani understands the requirements of the food business
operators and allied industries in India. Phani started the
company as a partnership firm but over the years due to his
Phani Prakash
Founder & Director
excellent skills set and founder vision, he was able to make
PFS a private limited firm in just 5 years. In this time span,
he was able to accelerate the services of organizations to the
next level with a strategic plan to spread across India with
the services, and Phani was successful in the same. Today,
Pioneer Food Solutions is the only service provider of its
kind and has been specially designed to cater to the Indian
Food Industry.
Technological Advancements in the Services
Currently, every industry is anticipating the adverse effects
of a pandemic. Phani too awaits the impact coronavirus is
going to have on the market and is preparing for the team
for the changes. Apart from this, PFS has been utilizing
cutting edge technology for its services to ensure more
accuracy and efficiency. It provides Food Safety Training at
the premises of Food Business Operations.
Further, PFS plans to upgrade the testing services by
creating Smart Lab at Medium Scale Food Business
operations by using the technology of Artificial Intelligence,
IoT, Deep Learning, Machine learning process. Also, with
blockchain tech emerging in the industry, PFS is looking
forward to utilizing the technology for food traceability
services. Technology is going to be the main area of focus
in the future to stay up to date with the industry and ensure
food quality and food safety in Farm to Plate Process.
39
 PANDEMIC EFFECT

THE VI
IS N
40
 T oday, almost half-century after the introduction of
the internet and thirty years after the invention of
the World Wide Web, we can say that the world is
obsessed with the internet and technology. Myriad of
volunteers, activists, business people, companies, and
governments have made the internet and the modern world
possible. A surge of emerging technology, sensors embedded
in digital products, machine learning, and next-generation
networks allow us to collect, interact, process, and act on
information in real-time on a global scale. Technology has
the ability to change how we survive and thrive, how we fly,
how we generate and consume products, and how we
address environmental and growth challenges. Digitalization
was considered to be the key to industry 4.0 and a path of
growth for the companies.

The economic crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic

has moved us deeper into the digital world, and behavioral
shifts are likely to have lasting effects as the economy starts
to pick up. But not everyone can accept a more digitized
life, while some entrepreneurs let the future slip from their
grasp, others see it coming. Nevertheless, the question here
is, was our “virtual world” immune to the global crisis?

Is The Virtual World Thriving?

In a move to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemics, the

world watched companies and governments transferring
their activities and services online to restrict physical
encounters. Online networks are also flourishing as
customers pursue entertainment, shopping options, and new
ways to communicate during the crisis. Besides,

IRTUAL
NOT IMMUNE TO PANDEMIC
41
 PANDEMIC EFFECT
digitalization facilitates the proliferation of telemedicine,
telework, and online education. It also produces more data
on the spread of the virus and helps to share knowledge for
analysis.
However, this virtual world is not giving a fair number of
opportunities to all the sectors. According to research, the
changing digital landscape since the last major global
calamity— 2008-09 financial crisis, is working for some,
but not all equally. The data states that the transition
towards the digital economy is happening rapidly due to the
acceptance of digital solutions, tools, and services. But,
there lies a large gap between the connected and the
unconnected, revealing that many are still deprived of the
virtual world.
Currently, the world is stuck in an adaption-or-die situation,
with most companies facing an existential threat. Many of
them have made a valiant attempt to transform, render a
transition, and digitized over the last few weeks. Although,
there is still a technical void in the vital areas of human
lives that have made this transition to the digital world
difficult. The way we teach, sell, train, eat, etc. has all been
changed, which creates opportunities for innovators.
Ÿ Translating curriculum and homework online
For the first time, there are more than 33 million public
school students are taking classes virtually amid the
coronavirus. Despite online education being practiced at
many institutes, this transition has not been smooth for
both—the teachers and students. Many of the schools
struggled in finding the right video infrastructure,
whereas others struggled in translating the curriculum
and homework online. The video platform Zoom has
been gaining popularity in this pandemic, but still, it is
difficult for the teachers to replicate the classroom
environment. Students are finding it difficult to engage
in the virtual classroom, thus leading to distractions.
In this time of crisis, many schools came up with
innovative solutions like in Silicon Valley; the school
district provided laptops and internet to the student's
homes. Also, at San Francisco, high school art teacher
has turned his students' lack of laptops into an
opportunity for them to design using a free app on their
phones.
Ÿ In-House Workout Trend
In the wake of pandemic or in the rise of pandemic,
businesses shifted to digital platforms almost
immediately. But the fitness companies are facing very
42
adverse effects of the lockdown. Recently, a famous
pilates studio in NYC faced a major lay-off of
98%workforce due to the coronavirus effects on sales.
This is similar for many other major fitness studios, too,
which are implementing pay reductions or layoffs of the
employees. Local fitness centers are facing a more
difficult situation.
In order to recover from the crisis, gyms are utilizing
innovative techniques to reach audiences digitally.
People are now slowly practicing fitness routines in
their house. And as a response to the accelerated in-
house workout trend, gyms trainers are becoming
content creators, going virtual with online classes,
Instagram stories, live streams, and conducting personal
training sessions via Zoom. Now, these initiatives are
influencing other gym trainers to create online content
for the audiences.
Ÿ Food Joints Not Sustainable Without Technology
Food businesses, and especially restaurants with no
online revenue stream or presence over the internet, are
facing different wrath of the pandemic. To tackle this
situation, many food-joints have transformed into a
cloud kitchen and do delivery only. While some of them
are trying a more innovative approach, where the store
delivers the ingredients to the customers and later hosts
an online Zoom class on how to cook the dish. These all
may be significant initiatives, but without technology
can these businesses survive the crisis?
These businesses cannot be sustainable without
technology as most of these restaurants are practicing
V
the services on pen and paper viz., traditional methods.
They don't have accurate data; thus, they cannot predict
demand or optimize delivery routes.
Fortunately, there were few early adopters of
W
technology who better positioned themselves, knowing
the customer base and maintain the reach despite the
loss in foot traffic. For instance, an online pizza-
ordering platform called Slice is helping 8,200 pizzerias
IN
in 2,200 cities, and these locally owned pizzerias are
directly competing with well-established pizzerias like
Domino’s.
4
Ÿ Loss of Foot-Traffic affecting retail stores
The loss of foot-traffic has affected many stores from the
convenience stores to coffee shops. According to the
data, there was a 60% decline in foot traffic in the US,
 Ÿ whereas, 90% of customers neglected to shop in-store
due to the coronavirus. This has made it difficult for the
convenience stores as they now compete directly with
the already established e-commerce giants. Creating an
online revenue stream is now essential for these stores.
As an initiative to fight the decline in customers, many
companies are helping the stores to transform into e-
commerce players. Offline stores have now realized that
having an online presence is important to survive in this
time of crisis.
Upgraded Business Models and Leadership
Throughout the years, businesses have witnessed the
technological changes and the disruptive influence of
emerging IT and communication technologies. However,
for the companies of the future, it's not the adaptation of
technology that’s vital it is a business model that is future
proof. Businesses need to focus on an overarching business
model while leading towards the digital transformation.
Execution of this new model will not be smooth thus, the
business leaders play an important role in this
transformation. These leaders need to have design talent, a
flair for strategy, and the courage of the adventurer. But this
is only the beginning, and the new era will demand new
forms of leadership, a new organizational balance, and also
a staff with upgraded skillset.
Building businesses have always been tough, but
establishing a future-ready business will come with
additional challenges. This makes the role of business
VIRTUALQUARAN
WORLD FOODTINE
NDUSTRY WORKFROM
4.0 COVID-19 HOME
leaders more important. An effective business leader will
see the challenges as opportunities. The role of the leader
will be to entail the reinventing business models so that the
business of the present is also the company of the future.
The future starts now, and we must make the most of the
current situation to come up with a new and better business
model.
Quarantine and Tech Trial Run
Humans have always fantasized about a futuristic life
powered with tech. Also, we have been successful in
creating some extraordinary tech like drones, self-driving
cars, smartwatches and robots, and humanoids. The sudden
turn of events forced us into a virtual world overnight. In
the rise of coronavirus, the world is pushed into quarantine,
thus making every platform operate digitally, even the
businesses. It's amazing to see that even if the crisis caught
us off guard, people were fast to grasp the digital
operations. Apart from this, this crisis also allowed seeing
how an entirely virtual world would operate, thus giving an
exposure to the gaps yet remaining to be filled.
Everyone is hoping that life will soon return to normal, and
experts are speculating that people will just bounce back
and resume their daily offline activities. But now that we've
been able to sneak a peek into the virtual world and had an
exposure on the gaps, we can concentrate on more
technological advancements to perfect the forthcoming
virtual world. A virtual world where the transition from
offline to online will be fast and seamless for all sectors, as
well be immune to any global crisis.
43
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