Financial Expert, Problem Solver, Chess Enthusiast, Chartered Accountant | CA Dinesh Kasture

A Chartered Accountant who provides a face and a home to many MNCs in India

When I visited CA Dinesh Kasture’s office in Erandwane-Pune, I was impressed to see a posh, classy, creatively & tastefully done office which in no way resembled the typical, old, messy, and dingy offices that most chartered accountants have. While one reason for this is Dinesh’s penchant for style and class, there is another equally strong reason too. The front office area had half a dozen world time zone wall clocks. As I further glanced over, I saw umpteen artefacts and various interesting elements that clearly conveyed that this definitely wasn’t a conventional chartered accountant’s office. Also I quickly fathomed the importance of many signage boards that I had noticed while entering the office. Dinesh’s office is ‘home’ to many multinationals – mainly American and European – in India, and Dinesh is their ‘homemaker’ in our country.

While it is always easier and safer to toe the line and walk the beaten path, Dinesh shunned the conventional tax, accounting, and audit practice at the very early stage. He realized very soon that his passion was not to do what his entire fraternity was doing. Dinesh’s introduction to a very senior British professional called Ian Smith soon developed into a highly enviable friendship and a lifelong partnership.

Ian sensitized Dinesh to myriad of problems foreign companies face while establishing their business in India. He also sensitized Dinesh to their work culture & the global work practices and coached him on closely working with them. While there are large consulting firms and other players to support and serve the larger foreign companies, the smaller and lesser-known firms are left in lurch. Dinesh spotted this ‘blue ocean’ opportunity and decided to go for it. The thought of providing a support system to these foreign companies fascinated him. Dinesh’s friendship with Ian Smith – which had developed into a close one by then – turned into a partnership as they both joined forces to launch their new venture called S.K. Sourcing and Management Pvt. Ltd. (SK).

For the past 12 years, S.K. Sourcing has been functioning as a solution provider for all kinds of business needs and challenges for their international clients. They help their clients build their expansion strategy in India and they guide them on the most tax effective approach. They further assist them in setting up their India business and provide them with all the ongoing support required in HR, administration, accounts, legal compliance’s, RBI approvals, and so on. SK manages creation of joint ventures between foreign companies (who in most cases bring in the technology) and Indian companies (who in most cases bring in the infrastructure). They also offer other high-value services like business valuations, mergers & acquisitions, corporate restructuring, financial reviews, and so on, which typically fall in the realm of the large consulting firms. They provide Virtual CFO Service to many MNCs so that their clients can concentrate on their core activity and leave the remaining functional areas to SK. Their well-conceived tagline ‘Global Challenges, Local Solutions’ aptly articulates their promise.

How would you picture the background of a person who harbours global aspirations and regularly hobnobs with very successful international managers? I am sure a portrait of a privileged boy from a metro with affluent background and overseas education would emerge. What makes Dinesh’s achievements even more remarkable is his extremely modest childhood and upbringing. Dinesh hails from a small village in Marathwada called Kalamnuri. His father was employed in a semi-government undertaking and he grew up in a joint family with two elder sisters, a younger brother, grandparents, and elderly aunts. The importance of education was not just preached in his family but also practiced.

Dinesh left his hometown for Pune to pursue his commerce education in Pune’s Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC). His stint in Pune was not easy as it took great effort and perseverance for a small-town boy to tune in to a life in Pune, the city of knowledge. Dinesh’s school education had been in Marathi, but he had to pursue his further studies with English as the medium. This increased the level of challenge manifold. Dinesh initially stayed in Pune on ‘cot basis’ in a wada as it was difficult for him to manage on a shoestring budget. To bridge the gap, he doubled up as a purohit and regularly performed Satyanarayana pujas, in addition to working in a bakery as a helper for some time. Due to paucity of money, he could not make frequent calls to his family and also had to keep his calls brief. Dinesh bravely surmounted all these challenges and did very well in studies. He went on to become a chartered accountant.

Dinesh inherited very strong values from his parents. His long association with Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) further widened and strengthened his values. RSS also helped him inculcate many good habits including self-discipline. Dinesh has been a strong chess player right since his school days and has won several tournaments. His love for chess reflects through an enticingly-placed, wooden-crafted chessboard in his plush cabin.

His secret to success is to take ownership of the work, time management, financial management, and working within the legal binds. The symbiotic effect of Dinesh’s long and rich work in the global arena and his deep Indian rooting makes him unique. This small-town boy and now a successful CA doesn’t just dream and act global, but also converts his client’s global ambition into reality in India. Dinesh is much more than a consultant to me as I know him for more than a decade. Our association as fellow Mavens has been extremely enriching and fulfilling. Dinesh is a friend to envy, a hawk-eyed professional to be wary of, and a person with a golden heart.