Grant Thornton promotes India partner to global leadership role

Grant Thornton International -- a network of independent assurance, tax and advisory firms across 136 countries -- has appointed

Vikas Vasal

, national managing partner of

Grant Thornton Bharat

LLP, as global tax head.

"India has always been important for the Grant Thornton network and my new role will further strengthen the focus on opportunities in and out of India," Vasal, who will be based out of India for now, told TIMESOFINDIA.com. He added that the company's current "work from anywhere" policy and the restrictions on physical movement out of India, made it difficult for him to travel or relocate.

However, he feels that in the future, as the world emerges out of the pandemic, he will be required to travel a lot globally and may relocate to

London

, where the headquarters of the firm is located. "There is a lot of managerial talent available in India and there are several global companies with CEOs of Indian origin. With 'work from anywhere' emerging as the trend for the future, we will soon see Indians taking up key global roles without moving out of the country," he added.

Recognising that this is perhaps the first appointment of an India-based partner to lead a service line globally for a major accounting firm, Vishesh C Chandiok, CEO of Grant Thornton Bharat LLP, said, "Having been a part of the Grant Thornton network since its formation, we have always been at the forefront of helping the evolution of our global network and I am confident Vasal’s appointment will further that contribution."