Press Coverage

Consultant goes Universal
Indian Express, June 2, 1998

Jay Desai left Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting) and started his own firm.

The switch from Molecular Biology to MBA happened
When I was in the United States, doing a summer job as a researcher in the National Institute of Health, I suddenly realized that I did not want to spend the rest of my life doing research in a closed laboratory. I then decided to get in MBA degree because l believed that it would broaden my perspective and provide me with a lot of options.

After acquiring the MBA degree
I returned to India and joined Accenture & Company. My days there were simply great. The work experience was fabulous and if I had to do things all over again, I would go the same way.

Universal Consulting was conceived
In early 1993 while I was still working for Accenture , I realized that there is a large market in India for quality management consulting services for small to medium sized companies. These companies needed a professional push but could not afford the services of big firms like Accenture and McKenzie. Keeping these companies and their needs in mind I quit my job and started my own management consulting firm. My company was started in 1994 and I have not looked back since then. Another major reason for my quitting Accenture was that I realized that I did not want to spend the rest of my life working for somebody else. I wanted to work on my own terms.

The first project Universal Consulting handled
Was that of Sterlite Industries. Actually, it so happened that I had worked with Sterlite Industries during my tenure at Accenture and I was introduced to the Managing Director (MD) of the company. After I quit my job at Accenture , I happened to meet the MD again and during our conversation, I told him that I had quit Accenture and started my own firm. The MD was very encouraging and gave us the project. Thus Sterlite Industries became our first clients.

Universal Consulting made its first one lakh
As revenue within the very first month. We started off with an investment of less than three lakhs but we slowly picked up business. Today, we are doing quite well for ourselves. Anyway, money is never an issue for us. We have always emphasized on performance. Our ultimate aim is to give our clients the best we possibly can.

Universal Consulting is enjoying its success today
The competitive team of 20 consultants works in tandem with each other and we follow a pattern of evaluation, which sets high standards of co-operation and team work. We follow a different policy of employees first.’ Personally, I believe that if my employees are happy, then only can they give their jobs one hundred per cent. So, I go out of my way to see to it that my employees enjoy working for my company and think of it as their own. Besides this, we are constantly trying to better our previous efforts. I suppose this constant effort to improve ourselves with every project is our key to success.

The most satisfying part about this profession
Seeing our ideas being implemented by our clients. It is extremely satisfying to see our clients benefit from our work. It gives me immense satisfaction to see that we in our own small way are contributing to the economy of the country.

The secret of Jay Desai’s success
My positive attitude and passion for what I do. I have always looked forward and never bothered about the past. I have never regretted any decision I have made up to date. Also, I have always followed my instincts and never given a thought to Lady Luck. As they says, "Fortune favours the Brave."

The future
A lot of competition but we will be able to fight it with our team of competitive consultants. We will definitely be around but we will be bigger, better and still delivering high performance oriented services.