A former company director from Kiran Global Chems Ltd has joined an international business consultancy network with the aim of helping Gujarati /Indian SMEs become more successful at home and abroad.

Saurab Khandelwal has become not only a certified Business Doctor for the entire state, he is the first in India, and is pledging to help SMEs overcome their challenges to growth.

Business Doctors practices a philosophy of hands-on coaching and consultancy that goes above and beyond the norm, putting the expertise of proven business people within the reach of SME owners and providing practical support.

Mr Khandelwal said: “There are many family-run companies that have been passed from generation to generation, which have great potential and exceptional talent, but the owners don’t know how to take their business to the next level.  For example, trust is a challenge – SME owners need to be able to delegate tasks and hire more people to work for them, if they want to be more successful.  This is currently perceived as being risky, so one of my tasks will be to guide them through issues that are holding them back.”

Mr Khandelwal, who is 38 and married with two children, is an accredited chartered accountant with an MBA and aims to increase the number of consultants in Gujarat with the intention of expanding the network throughout India.

“I want to get involved in a way that means I add value to SMEs, and after speaking to the founders of Business Doctors many times over the last one-and-a-half years, I’m certain their approach will help me do this,” he added.

“Management consultancy is a relatively new concept in India, and is mainly available to top corporates with very few focusing on and catering for SMEs.  As India continues to grow in the world market, small companies will recognise the need to tap into their potential with expert help.”

Rod Davies, who founded the coaching network with Matt Levington, said: “Mr Khandelwal has a genuine passion for wanting to help SMEs succeed by getting involved, sharing his experience, and making things happen. This is what Business Doctors is all about.  As David Cameron’s recent courtship of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows, the country’s economy is growing at a pace. Business Doctors has arrived in India at exactly the right time, we’re a perfect fit.”

Established in the UK in 2004, Business Doctors was adopted by South Africa this year, with expansion into New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland planned for early 2016.