Bain Aims to Triple Indian Business as Global World Shifts

In an exclusive interview during his first visit to India, Christophe De Vusser, the new worldwide managing partner of American consultancy Bain & Co., has cited the country's "demographic dividend", energy security and geopolitical positioning as key drivers for its growth.

The firm, widely regarded as part of the 'Big Three' of business consulting, aims to triple its Indian presence over the next five years. According to De Vusser, this is driven by India's emergence as a hub in an increasingly fragmented global world.

"We're not just bullish on India; we're also bullish on our business here,” he said. "We have great ambition to build our core consulting business and our global capability centre, both at home and abroad."

Bain plans to focus on providing consulting services to top local businesses as well as multinational firms seeking to tap into India's growing economy.

"We're working with clients to explore India as a consumer market and a production hub, particularly in the face of distributed supply chains becoming less feasible due to increasing tariffs and protectionism," De Vusser added. "We will also be offering advice on adjusting business strategies in a post-global world, energy transition, and AI."

The company is developing its own in-house AI solutions that can become plug-and-play tools for its clients.

"We're not just giving high-level advice; we're working with our clients to build client-ready solutions in their companies using AI," he said. "AI is a once-in-a-generation technology wave. While ChatGPT is not the end of it, but rather the start."

According to De Vusser, India's advantages lie in its demographic dividend, energy security and geopolitical positioning.

"Whatever you look at—post-global agenda, technology acceleration, demographic tailwinds—a lot of countries will wish they had the benefits that India has today," he said.

Earlier this year, Bain had cut around 150-200 employees from its Indian workforce, but De Vusser did not confirm the size of its current workforce here or any plans for fresh hiring.

However, a spokesperson cited by Mint earlier stated: "India is a key growth market for us and we will continue investing in our team to drive our growth strategy forward."