Quit Deloitte to join mid-sized firm; now Co-CEO with 1700+ team, clients in 50+ countries

• Hi, I am Mayank Lakhani, Co-CEO of Nexdigm.
• In 2007, I made an unconventional career move —I left Deloitte to join Nexdigm which was only a 150-member firm primarily focused on Audit and Tax services.
• Fast forward 15 years—I now lead 1,700+ professionals across 5 countries, serving clients in 50+ markets.
• We’ve grown 10X, here’s how!

Big 4 to mid-sized firm, this was a massive shift!

I qualified in 2002 and started my journey with Deloitte, one of the Big 4.

But for me, the real goal in life has always been to be an entrepreneur.

By 2007, I knew it was time to take the leap.

I had two choices:

• Start my firm or
• Join a firm that would give me the space to explore my entrepreneurial drive.

That’s when an opportunity at Nexdigm, (which was a mid-sized firm with just 150 employees) came my way!

The entire firm was smaller than some departments I had worked in…Naturally, I had my doubts!

Would I be able to implement the strategies I envisioned?

Would Nexdigm give me the platform to test and refine my entrepreneurial instincts?

After careful analysis and reference checks, I decided to take the plunge.

Within two years, I knew I had made the right call to join Nexdigm!

Also read: This CA Firm with 40 Partners & 750+ Professionals saw 20-30% YoY growth.

“Aha!” moment that fueled Nexdigm’s 10X growth

Focussing on the Right Clients

Most firms in India chase large domestic giants…We took a different path!

Instead of competing in a crowded market, we positioned ourselves as the go-to partner for global firms navigating India.

Today, 75% of our clients are global enterprises.

That said, India remains a key focus. We’re expanding into India’s promoter-led businesses—a massive untapped market.

Diversifying our service lines

When I joined Nexdigm, it was like most CA firms—focused on Audit and Tax. But I kept asking: How can we add more value to our clients?

Nexdigm encouraged my entrepreneurial mindset, giving me the freedom to build new service lines.

We played it safe at first, but soon saw huge potential beyond traditional offerings.

Between 2010 and 2016, we expanded aggressively adding 5-7 new business lines.

This reduced dependence on highly competitive areas.

Today, we stand on two strong pillars:
✅ Business Services
✅ Professional Services

And that’s how we set ourselves apart.

Multidisciplinary talent pool 

Unlike most firms – It’s not 80% CAs and 20% others.

Instead, we have an equal mix of CAs, engineers, IIT/IIM grads, and lawyers.

Several team members have built service lines from scratch, scaling them to revenues of several crores.

Investing in Technology & Infrastructure

This may be a controversial take but I believe technology is going to kill all the professional services, if not now, later on.

With the rise of RPA (Robotic Process Automation), AI-driven chatbots, and automated compliance tools, many manual tasks are becoming obsolete.

What we did early on – focussed heavily on Technology and Innovation. We reinvested our earnings into:

• Technology
• Global-level infrastructure

As of today, the firm has a 70-member in-house tech team focused on:

• Automation
• Software-based services
• Product development

Also read: EY Director Quit on spotting new & bigger opportunities outside Big 4

Unique service lines introduced by Nexdigm

From the beginning, we wanted to grow both vertically and horizontally.

• Vertical growth meant diving deeper into existing service lines and strengthening expertise.
• Horizontal growth meant expanding into complementary or entirely new services and even venturing beyond our geography.

Yes, we do have traditional advisory solutions like M&A Advisory, Transaction Advisory, Risk Management, Cybersecurity, Tax Advisory, and Cross-Border Consulting.

However with pricing pressures and constant new entrants—including breakaway firms from Big 4 or Big 6 firms— we have strategically diversified our offerings.

Business services

Focus on leveraging technology to enhance efficiency, primarily through Business Process Management (BPM).

Key Offerings:

• Legal Contract Management – Streamlining and outsourcing contract processes.
• Procurement Outsourcing – Managing sourcing, purchasing, and supplier relationships.
• Market Research – Delivering insights for data-driven decisions.

Professional services

• Supply Chain & Procurement Consulting – Optimizing procurement and logistics.
• Business Transformation & Program Management – Managing large-scale change, including post-merger integration.
• Technology & Digital Transformation – Implementing tech-driven solutions for efficiency.
• CFO Advisory Services – Supporting CFOs in strategic decision-making beyond finance.
• Market Entry & Expansion – Conducting feasibility studies, competitive analysis, and regulatory guidance.
• Business Case Preparation – Helping global boards justify an Indian market entry.
• Entity Setup & Management (ESM) – This has been a GAME CHANGER! For us, ESM is the largest revenue contributor as of today.

Expanded across multiple markets. Why?

We have a good presence in the U.S., Dubai and now Poland.

Let me explain why we cherry-picked these markets.

Poland, born out of a client requirement

One of our Fortune 500 clients needed specialized services that required multilingual capabilities—Spanish, French, English, and more.

Poland has a deep talent pool of professionals fluent in multiple languages.

Moreover, Poland is an outsourcing hub for the European market, home to several Global Capability Centers (GCCs) and compliance centres, much like how India serves the US market.

• We started with a small, focused team delivering select services.
• Unlike many firms, we didn’t relocate Indian professionals—we built a local team of 22–23 professionals to align with the market’s needs.
• Poland represents a long-term strategic play, and we are carefully refining our go-to-market strategy to maximize its potential.

Dubai, we expect 5x growth 

Dubai is undergoing a major regulatory transformation, and this shift has worked in our favour.

Initially, we focused solely on DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre), one of the most respected free zones globally.

Our services in DIFC included:

• Finance Officer functions
• Secretarial compliance
• Accounting
• Internal audit

As Dubai introduced new regulations, we broadened our service offerings to include: Indirect and direct tax advisory (now a significant revenue contributor)

What are are very bullish about right now? Outsourcing solutions! It is a booming sector post-COVID,  as many companies in the Gulf region are open to outsourcing and setting up shared service centres in India.

We help businesses establish, train, and operationalize from the ground up.

We expect 5x growth in Dubai, in the next five to six years.

To support this expansion, we are investing heavily in Dubai. We are even relocating senior leaders from India to strengthen our leadership team in the region.

Also read: This CA Firm with 40 Partners & 750+ Professionals saw 20-30% YoY growth.

Client acquisition strategy when entering new markets?

Hard selling rarely works

• Instead, we focus on building relationships.
• It brought in serious inquiries because people saw that we weren’t just selling services.
• And, once that trust is built, the sky’s the limit. Clients stay with you for life.

India first approach

• Clients are not interested in what services you offer.
• So instead of telling our clients, why they should choose Nexdigm, we tell them Why they should choose India. This has been a game-changer.

Cracking new markets through alliances

Entering a new market? Collaboration is key.

At Nexdigm, we built global connections—travelling, engaging with trade chambers, and forming strategic alliances. Our leaders actively share insights and success stories, reinforcing our impact and credibility.

Leveraging social media

We have a dedicated marketing and sales team within the consulting division, backed by a strong branding strategy.

Roadshows to promote ease of doing business in India!

This effort paid off, bringing in clients from multiple countries.

Also read: EY Director quit on spotting new & bigger opportunities outside Big 4 

Challenges 

Yes, we have had our fair share of challenges.

High employee turnover

To be honest, we have had a fair amount of attrition over the past six months to a year, though it has now reduced.

But it is not for the reasons you think it is. Some employees leave to start their ventures, while others find better opportunities or move abroad.

Dealing with the new Gen of employees

Additionally, the new generation workforce (Gen Z) doesn’t stay solely for money; they seek purpose, flexibility, and growth.

To address this challenge,

• We are implementing policy changes.
• Introducing new benefits—not just monetary, but also in terms of flexibility and career progression.
• Ultimately, our goal is to enhance the happiness index within the firm.

This industry is extremely price-sensitive

If we can’t deliver services at a competitive rate, someone else will.

So, we have to provide high-quality service at the best price, which is not always easy!

Technology disruption

As I mentioned earlier, Technology will KILL professional services firms!

So we are also focussed on service lines that are NOT dependent on technology, and where human intellect is imperative.

Next big move?

Our future goal is simple;

To double our bottom line every four to five years, while making sure that our quality remains intact.

So, we have outlined five agendas for that.

• Expanding global presence and deepening our footprint/service offerings in key markets.
• Cultivate ownership culture: We already foster a strong ownership mindset at the leadership level. Now, we aim to extend this culture to employees at all levels.
• Quick decision-making: Often, we overanalyze situations. And one thing I’ve learned is that it’s better to make a wrong decision and fail quickly than to delay making one.
• Becoming an employer of choice: Ultimately, we want to build a workplace where top professionals aspire to join us.
• Strategic collaborations: We will pursue inorganic growth opportunities to scale our business. This involves actively identifying strategic partnerships that align with our vision.