QVARTZ enters Indian consulting market with UC Strategy partnership

Following recent expansions into the US, Singapore and the Netherlands, Nordic-origin strategy consulting firm QVARTZ has entered the Indian consulting industry. The consultancy will be represented in the growing market through a newly brokered partnership with UC Strategy, one of India’s premier strategy consultancies.

Founded in 2002, in Denmark, QVARTZ is a strategy and management consulting firm that serves both the private and public sector. The firm’s market entry into India, a management consulting industry valued at between $1.4 and $2.1 billion (the lowest end of which is roughly double the size of the Danish market), marks the next step of its ambitious global agenda, which commenced in 2007. Five years after its inception in Copenhagen, the consultancy first set foot abroad with the opening of offices in neighbouring countries Sweden (Stockholm) and Norway (Oslo). Today, the firm has more than 330 consultants in eight locations: Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm in Scandinavia, Hamburg, New York, Singapore and the two latest additions; Amsterdam and now Mumbai.

The move into India comes shortly after QVARTZ’ most recent expansion into the Netherlands, where it launched a consulting joint venture with incumbent player Boer & Croon. Commenting on the two moves, Hans Henrik Beck, Managing Partner and CEO of QVARTZ said, “The partnerships with Boer & Croon in the Netherlands and UC Strategy in India are the next logical steps of our global expansion strategy.” True to Beck’s word, QVARTZ has launched amid the consulting market of the emerging economic power, leveraging a similar strategy which it used to enter the Dutch market as it partnes with local UC Strategy, in order to arrive in India.

With a team of around 60 consultants, UC Strategy is one of India’s leading home grown consultancies. The 23-year old consulting firm focuses on strategy development and strategy execution in five main industries: Life Sciences, MedTech, Agribusiness & Food, Industrials and Financial Services. The firm positions itself as a classical strategy consultant, which formed the main driver for the rebranding that it concluded at the start of this year from Universal Consulting to UC Strategy. In the higher end of its portfolio, UC Strategy competes with the likes of McKinsey, which booked double digit growth in India last year; BCG, which is led by Neeraj Aggarwal; and Bain, which has four offices in the country.

In order to maintain its rivalry with the famous 'MBB', however, UC Strategy is aware it needs to broaden its global profile. As part of this new alliance, both firms hope the partnership can help to bridge their way into global markets. By allying itself with QVARTZ, one of Europe’s top strategy consulting houses (70% of its Partners have a background with McKinsey, BCG or Bain), UC Strategy’s leadership believes the firm is better positioned to serve customers with cross-border demands. For QVARTZ, meanwhile, the move provides access to one of the globe's faster growing professional services industries, and one that is facing a bright outlook on the back of India's continued economic growth.

Both consultancies have already completed several engagements together, and are working together on a range of further projects.

QVARTZ CEO Beck said of the formal partnership, “Following our successful expansion into the US and Germany last year, we investigated ways of further expanding our international presence. UC Strategy closely aligns with the high standards we have in our work and our culture. With more than 20 years of experience, UC Strategy is a strong brand in India and the ideal partner for us.”

Jay P Desai, Founder and Managing Director of UC Strategy, formerly known as Universal Consulting, said that he is delighted with the alliance, stating "UC Strategy has a broad and deep understanding of India and its complex business environment. We look forward to the continuation of our collaboration."

For a more detailed feature on the partnership read the article 'UC Strategy enters strategic alliance with QVARTZ' on Consultancy.in (India).