Former Suzlon COO on new I-banking-cum-consulting firm

Sumant Sinha is no newcomer to the deal-making industry. Prior to setting up his own boutique investment banking-cum-consulting franchise, Savant Advisors, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Suzlon Energy, the world's third largest renewable energy company (FY 10 sales of USD 5 billion) from 2008-2010. Under his leadership, Suzlon refinanced its entire outstanding debt worth USD 3 billion, raised additional funds of approximately $800 million, restructured its USD 500-million convertible bonds, generated an order book in excess of USD 2 billion, and turned the company around in an extremely difficult external operating environment. Prior to joining Suzlon, Sinha set up and was the founder CEO of Aditya Birla Retail (ABRL), the Aditya Birla Group's venture in the retail sector in India. From 2002 to 2007, he was the Group CFO of the Aditya Birla Group, one of India's largest and most diversified business groups. As Group CFO, he was responsible for making some of the largest acquisitions for the Aditya Birla Group such as Ultratech Cement, Idea Cellular, and Novelis. So, for a prolific dealmaker with a unique combination of huge operating experience at some of the best corporates in the country, it was just a natural progression to transition out and set up an independent consulting outfit. Sumant Sinha's Savant Advisors will definitely not be restricted to a classic i-bank providing deal specific services, but a partnership firm providing growth advice or operational inputs with financial orientation to it. In an interview, Sinha says, he wants to  build a high-level partnership firm on the lines of Rothschild in India and evolve as boardroom advisors in the truest sense of the term. Excerpts:-

 

 Right now there are so many companies in India that really need good advice that couples operating advice along with the financial inputs. And, that