Overview
Management consultants advise corporations and governments on strategy, operations, digital transformation, M&A, and organisational change. The Indian consulting market is led by Big 4 advisory practices (Deloitte, EY, PwC, KPMG), MBB (McKinsey, BCG, Bain), plus tier-2 firms (Kearney, Strategy&, Roland Berger, Accenture Strategy). Top-tier MBB pay is among the highest entry-level salaries in India.
Day-to-day responsibilities
Build PowerPoint slide decks and Excel models for client engagements; conduct primary research (expert calls, surveys); structure and decompose ambiguous business problems; lead workstreams within larger consulting projects; present findings to client C-suites; manage junior consultants on subset of project; travel to client sites (less so post-COVID, but still significant); business development support for partner team.
Skills required
- Structured problem-solving (issue trees, MECE)
- Excel modelling (advanced)
- PowerPoint storytelling
- Primary research (expert calls, market sizing)
- Hypothesis-driven thinking
- Stakeholder communication and influencing
- Industry knowledge (chosen vertical)
- Project management
Education path
Top-tier MBB and Big 4 consulting hires primarily from IIM A / B / C MBA, ISB Hyderabad, IIT undergrad direct (BCG, McKinsey), plus top non-IIM premier B-schools (XLRI, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR). Tier-2 consulting firms hire more broadly. Direct entry from undergrad is rare except for IIT engineering plus exceptional academic profile.
Career progression
- 1Associate / Business Analyst (0-2 yrs)
- 2Consultant (2-4 yrs)
- 3Senior Consultant / Engagement Manager (4-7 yrs)
- 4Principal / Associate Partner (7-12 yrs)
- 5Partner (12+ yrs)
Top employers in India
Useful certifications
- MBA from top tier (the de facto certification)
- CFA (for finance-heavy consulting)
- PMP (for transformation consulting)
- Six Sigma Black Belt (for operations consulting)
- CIPM (for investment consulting)