The management consulting team of KPMG is working on hiring nearly 8,000-9,000 people in India. Following these appointments, a tenth of them to be deployed on projects overseas, as they see global clients increasingly demand from one of the big four audit firms to implement solutions and demonstrate results for the strategy guidance it gives them.
Traditionally, consulting and advisory firms have looked at global companies and helped them draw strategy to either cut costs or improve business, most often using technology.
One of the senior executives stated that the plan implementation is often done by their client employees or third party vendors based on these strategies. This is changing and the consulting firms are expected to deliver results, often pegging their fees to outcomes.
“They (clients) want you to deliver on the promise on the value you said you are going to deliver. They are getting outputs oriented,” Tim Jones, Partner and Global Head of Management Consulting said.
KPMG is consolidating its global delivery capability in India, its largest offshore base, hiring engineers and executives to deliver on the promises its consultants make to clients.
“It is even more pronounced (in India). Here, the client, say a retailer, asks you: I want a digital roadmap where you use digital techniques, improve customer experience and use multiple channels and help me sell more. (If it is achieved, he says) I will give you a percentage of increase in sales (and) If you can cut my costs, I will share part of the savings,” said Arvind Gupta, head of management consulting Advisory for KPMG India.
Analysts mentioned that KPMG joins the other Big Four auditing firms such as Deloitte and E&Y in building an offshore base as they increasingly compete with global and Indian tech services players such as IBM, Accenture and Tata Consultancy Services in delivering technology services.