About

As senior vice president for legal at Piramal, one of the most diversified major conglomerates in India, Anand Vardhan has a particular focus on financial legal matters; including, funds, finance, realty and healthcare funding. Before taking this role in 2013, Vardhan held a series of appointments at high profile financial institutions such as HDFC Venture Capital and ICICI Bank, as well as a position as general counsel of private equity fund SUN-Apollo. Now in charge of 12 individuals across the group of companies that he is responsible for, Vardhan has overseen a positive progression within the legal team that has seen it move from a ‘support function, to a business-enabler, to participation in the business itself’. Vardhan now considers himself part of the strategic element of the company, making sure that his team and the CEOs office have a relationship that enables business partnering and risk management, as they participate ‘in the decision making process from the inception’. Vardhan explains this has had a corresponding positive effect on how the legal team is perceived at the company overall, advising that ‘once your inputs are valued, the reputation of the legal department also benefits’. In terms of barriers to the progress, Vardhan points to necessary adaption in the face of a constantly changing regulatory landscape. This has required continuous updates and proactive steps that have demanded a significant portion of the legal team’s attention.