About

Having experience of 24 years in leadership positions in two of the largest multinational companies in their respective sectors, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and Vodafone India Limited (VIL), Saswata Dhar is highly respected in-house lawyer. He is currently the country counsel and executive vice president of legal at Vodafone India which is a 100% fully owned subsidiary of the Vodafone Group Plc having pan India operations serving over 210 million customers (over 114 million in rural areas). Over the course of his career, Dhar has developed expertise in multiple sectors such as fast moving consumer goods, chemicals and fertilisers, telecom, financial services, e-commerce, retail, plantation and property development while working in a global organisation. In addition to sector-specific laws, he has keen interest in the specialised and emerging laws such as competition laws, indirect tax laws and privacy laws etc. His area of responsibilities include managing and leading a large team of around 48 in-house legal professionals in providing strategic and proactive legal support organic growth of business of Vodafone India and its group companies for all its business operations including the financial services business which has a turnover of nearly US$6bn. Dhar has run his team to be proactive and effective risk managers through identification of risks on broad complex issues and advising on mitigation plans which has resulted in a positive impact on the business. The team has managed the merger of several subsidiaries to collapse the corporate structure into a single entity through a M&A process involving approvals from multiple regulators and High Court resulting in significant business flexibility and savings through the rationalisation of resources. He also led the team to achieve the successful closure of high value transactions including an IT outsourcing deal having financial commitment in excess of US$1bn. The team he leads also supported the largest ever Indian M&A Transaction, being the most complex and regulated sector merger of India’s second and third largest telecoms companies to form the India’s largest and the world’s second largest telecommunication operator, upon obtaining necessary approvals including those from the Competition Commission India (CCI) & National Company law tribunal (NCLT). His efforts on these deals have not gone unnoticed as nominators were quick to highlight Dhar’s performance during this year’s research.