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.