As the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code goes through yet another round of evolution; businesses and experts grapple to come to terms with the amendments in the code. While professionals view these changes from their respective loupes, a boutique advisory has been quietly and efficiently changing the forefront of debt restructuring in India.
One of the young and dynamic entrepreneurs, Rishi Vaidya started his multidisciplinary advisory with an aim to being the one-stop-shop for distressed assets. His approach is to provide the best of debt resolution advisory across the globe to his clients. Talking about his business model, he said “The coronavirus pandemic taught us that office is not four walls and a desk. Instead, it’s a laptop and a fast Internet connection. Similarly, if one wants to find a better, faster or cheaper way to successfully execute debt resolution, one cannot follow the age old formula. Rather than coordinating with multiple professionals like lawyers, chartered accountants, company secretaries and insolvency experts, we work with a bull’s eye approach wherein the client interacts with a single professional. This results in immense savings in time, effort and money.”
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More so, he believes that factors such as professional competence, ability to raise cheap funds and efficiently handling compliance are essential to the success of debt resolution. All of the above are executed under one roof at Rishi Vaidya’s ARK Capital Advisors. Multidisciplinary experts working as one unit makes it easier for their clients and investors in taking decisions efficiently and quickly. Not limiting themselves to distressed assets, ARK advisors have successfully executed foreign fund raising and private equity placement for clients in hospitality, real estate, steel amongst other industries.
A key case for Mr. Vaidya was a pre-admission NCLT matter where he advised client, a once very successful brand of hotels on finding a suitable buyer and structuring the deal. However, the mandate was limited only to the financial aspects of the deal. Rishi took it upon himself to engage on behalf of his clients with creditors, investors and other stakeholders to ensure no untoward action against the client. The deal which closed in record time with a Canadian fund, was one of the landmark deals of that year, winning notoriety for Rishi Vaidya.
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In addition, Rishi Vaidya's experience of more than a decade has seen him build a company with a tight knit unit of highly experienced professionals from across the world to address the needs of their clients. The advisory recently expanded its operations by opening office in Dubai. “We were getting queries regularly from Dubai for investment opportunities in the Indian markets. Being an evolved market for cheaper funds, it was a natural decision to set shop. We have a fully functional office and a team for fund raising and investor relations in place”, said the entrepreneur.
Having found its foothold in the advisory business, Rishi Vaidya is now actively looking to participate in opportunities for financing ‘sustainable businesses’. ARK advisors have been partnering with foreign funds, private equity as well as venture funds to structure deals for businesses in India which reduce carbon footprint. Speaking about it, Rishi said, “While we continue to aid our clients in the most efficient and innovative ways possible; our focus is on investing in the shift of businesses towards a green economy. It’s not only about the bottom line, it’s what we believe in and what forms the ethos of our advisory.”
