Murali
Our CEO, Murali, founded Ujwal, and thus pioneered the ‘accounting outsourcing’ model in India. Under this model, Ujwal took over the responsibility for running the entire Finance and Accounts functions of its clients. Under Murali's stewardship, Ujwal started providing accounting outsourcing services to a number of manufacturing companies in India, before changing its focus to the IT sector, in the late nineties.

One of the companies Ujwal provided accounting outsourcing services to was Aztec Software and Technology Services Limited. Murali went on to become the CFO of Aztec. He was responsible for the successful completion of Aztec's IPO in the year 2000. After running the finance function at Aztec for more than three years, Murali went on to head their BFSI business unit, when he was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. He soon returned to Ujwal as its head. Even as Aztec’s CFO, Murali was involved with Ujwal as its Non-Executive Director. Murali has been responsible for creating a process-driven, customer-oriented environment at Ujwal.

Ujwal’s clients – particularly early stage companies – benefit greatly from Murali’s experience and expertise in areas like capital structuring, fund raising, formulation and implementation of control policies, taxation, etc. Under Murali’s leadership Ujwal’s size of operations–measured by revenues, number of customers and number of employees–has grown at a CAGR of more than 100% over the past three years.

Shekar
A Director on our Board, Shekar has more than 35 years of international experience in Finance, Strategic Planning, Marketing, and Senior General Management positions. Shekar has worked as an advisor to ChrysCapital, a venture capital firm. He is a Director of ImpulseSoft Private Limited. He was an advisor to the Managing Director of Sasken Communication Technologies Ltd. He was also a Director of Aditi Technologies Pvt. Ltd, a successful provider of high-end technical consulting and mentoring services to Microsoft and other global software majors. Shekar is an engineering graduate from the University of Chennai and holds a PGDM from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Kantharaj
Kantharaj co-heads the delivery organization at Ujwal Management Services Limited. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He started his career with Ujwal. Kantharaj co-pioneered the accounting outsourcing model in India, along with Murali. When Murali was the CFO at Aztec Software, Kantharaj took over the mantle at Ujwal. Kantharaj has nurtured Ujwal throughout its existence and has played no small role in bringing Ujwal up to its current standing.

Kantharaj has vast experience of working with startups, being on the management teams of many such ventures. He also has experience of managing the finance and accounting setups of overseas subsidiaries of Indian companies. This experience has given Kantharaj a thorough understanding of the finance/compliances needs of a global technology corporation setting up a subsidiary in India; something that he leverages to the fullest in delighting Ujwal’s customers with high quality services. Kantharaj – along with Shankar – has been responsible for growing the Ujwal delivery team from less than ten people to close to seventy people over the past three years.

Sudhindra
Sudhindra holds a PGDM from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Sudhindra oversees the sales and marketing functions at Ujwal. He has driven a CAGR of more than 100% in Ujwal’s revenues over the past three years. He also works with some of Ujwal’s customers, assisting them with various aspects of fund raising like development of business plans, etc.

Sudhindra has more than eight years of experience, most of which is in the fields of Corporate Finance, Treasury Management and IT enabled services. Prior to Ujwal, he was working with Aztec Software and Technology Services Limited as a Business Analyst. At Aztec, he successfully set up an offshore professional services organization for one of Aztec's customers in the budgeting/forecasting space and won encomiums from the customer for his work.

Sankara Narayanan
Shankar co-heads the delivery organization at Ujwal. Shankar started his career with Ujwal in the year 1997. He joined the finance team at Aztec Software and Technology Services Limited in the year 2000-01. At Aztec, Shankar single-handedly ran the accounting setup of Aztec's wholly-owned subsidiary in the US, Aztec Software, Inc. Shankar moved back to Ujwal in the year 2003.

Shankar’s stint at Aztec Software, Inc. helped him develop a deep understanding of the accounting and reporting requirements of US corporations. Shankar leverages this in ensuring that Ujwal’s customers always get exactly the kind of reports they need, always on time. Shankar’s willingness and ability to take up challenges – some that may not fall fully within the realms of accounting – has led to customer delight, contributing in no small measure to the growth Ujwal has seen over the past three years.