EMA Partners India
- Company typePublic
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersVile Parle, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EMA Partners India does
EMA Partners India is an executive search and leadership advisory firm that was founded in 2003 by K. Sudarshan and S. Krishnaprakash and completed its IPO on the National Stock Exchange in January 2025 (ticker: EMAPARTNER), becoming the first listed executive search company in India. The firm assesses, recruits, and develops leaders at the Board, C-Suite, and Senior Executive levels for global corporations, local Indian companies, and not-for-profit institutions, with delivery offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gurugram, and Chennai, plus regional hubs in Singapore and Dubai as part of the broader EMA Partners International network.
The group operates a multi-brand "house of brands" architecture: EMA Partners Executive Search (flagship 20-year-old retained search brand), James Douglas Professional Search (mid/senior-level search), Leadership Advisory (validated assessment backed by 40+ years of research), and Reccloud Technologies (AI/ML-driven recruitment marketplace and SaaS platform). In June 2026, the listed entity acquired 100% of Talent Hired-The Job Store Private Limited (Taggd) for ₹113 crore in an all-cash transaction, adding what is described as India's largest homegrown Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) business — Taggd reported audited FY 2024-25 turnover of ₹9,302.08 lakhs (≈₹93 crore), runs the proprietary TARA AI platform (currently supporting ~20% of its recruitment delivery, with a 12–14 month plan to take it to full scale), and facilitates 55,000+ permanent hires annually across 100+ enterprise clients in 14+ industries.
Revenue is generated through professional-services fees: retained and contingency executive search engagements, leadership assessment/advisory mandates, and RPO contracts typically priced on a multi-year, quote-driven basis against role seniority and scope. Customer segments span global and local corporations, government and non-profit institutions, private equity investors building portfolio leadership teams, and large enterprises buying high-volume RPO — the geographic footprint covers India, the UAE, and Singapore, with access to wider markets via the EMA Partners International member-firm network.
EMA Partners India firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EMA Partners India
- Legal name
- EMA Partners India Limited
- Website
- https://emapartners.in
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Ipo
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EMA Partners India industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search & Leadership Advisory
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Executive RPO (Leadership Hiring Programs) (BPACABAI)
Keywords
Where EMA Partners India is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vile Parle
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices7 records
Markets served
EMA Partners India business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Executive Search Services: Retained and contingency search engagements for C-suite, Board and Senior Executive level placements across industries. Core revenue driver with global reach through EMA Partners International network.
- Leadership Advisory: Assessment and advisory services helping organizations make smart people decisions resulting in superior performance.
- RPO Services (via Taggd): Recruitment Process Outsourcing services at scale through AI-powered platform, facilitating over 55,000 permanent hires annually across enterprise clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise executive search mandates |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
EMA Partners India product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EMA Partners India is an executive search and leadership advisory firm that helps corporations, non-profits and government agencies recruit leaders at Board, C-Suite and Senior Executive levels across all industry sectors. Following its June 2026 acquisition of Taggd, the firm also offers AI-powered Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) at scale through its proprietary TARA platform, delivering over 55,000 permanent hires annually across 100+ enterprises.
Product overview
EMA Partners India operates as a comprehensive talent recruitment platform offering a multi-brand portfolio of services. The core offerings include EMA Partners Executive Search (flagship executive search brand with 20+ years expertise at Board/C-Suite levels), Professional Search (mid and senior level talent acquisition), and Leadership Advisory (assessment and consulting services). Following the June 2026 acquisition of Taggd for ₹113 crore, the portfolio now includes Taggd's AI-powered RPO services powered by the proprietary TARA AI platform, enabling over 55,000 permanent placements annually. Additional sub-brands include Reccloud Technologies (AI/ML-driven recruitment SaaS marketplace) and James Douglas Professional Search. The combined entity positions itself as one of India's largest integrated talent recruitment companies offering executive search, professional search, and AI-powered RPO at scale.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Reccloud Technologies: Tech-driven recruitment marketplace and SaaS platform providing end-to-end recruitment solutions at scale using advanced AI and ML algorithms
- James Douglas
- Taggd
- EMA Executive Search
Products and services
- Executive Search Retained and contingency executive search engagements for Board, C-Suite and Senior Executive level placements across all industry sectors for global and local corporations, leveraging over 20 years of experience and the EMA Partners International global network.
- Leadership Advisory Leadership assessment and advisory services backed by more than 40 years of validated research that help organizations and leaders make smart people decisions, resulting in superior performance.
- Consulting Services Consulting engagements providing deep industry and business research to clients through the firm's experience and wide network of industry relationships.
- Professional Search (James Douglas) Talent acquisition solutions for mid and senior level roles aided by technology and internally developed proprietary processes, delivered through the James Douglas sub-brand in India and UAE.
- Taggd AI-Powered RPO Recruitment Process Outsourcing services delivered via Taggd's proprietary TARA AI platform, facilitating over 55,000 permanent hires annually across more than 100 enterprises in 14+ industries.
- Reccloud Technologies Tech-driven recruitment marketplace and SaaS platform that provides end-to-end recruitment solutions at scale across geographies using advanced AI and ML algorithms.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 55,000 permanent hires facilitated annually through RPO operations
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use EMA Partners India
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
EMA Partners India technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
EMA Partners India partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Taggd (Talent Hired-The Job Store Private Limited)coreEMA Partners India acquired 100% of Taggd, India's largest homegrown RPO company, for ₹113 crore in an all-cash transaction. The acquisition combines EMA's C-suite and board-level executive search capabilities with Taggd's AI-powered RPO operations. Taggd operates as a subsidiary under EMA Partners' house of brands, advancing Taggd's 2030 vision to enable one million jobs through agentic AI-powered talent solutions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
EMA Partners India competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a large executive search division alongside broader talent management, RPO, and consulting offerings. Comparable to EMA's combined search plus Taggd RPO portfolio, though much larger and more diversified.
- TeamLease Services: One of India's largest listed staffing, HR services, and RPO companies with broad enterprise coverage. Comparable to the combined EMA + Taggd platform on RPO and recruitment outsourcing dimensions, though operating at materially larger scale.
- Adecco India: Subsidiary of global staffing leader Adecco Group, providing staffing, RPO, and recruitment solutions across India. Comparable to the Taggd RPO business in scale and enterprise client base, though primarily focused on volume hiring rather than executive search.
Direct peers
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search leader operating a premium Board and C-Suite practice with deep coverage in India and Asia-Pacific. Directly comparable to EMA's flagship executive search and leadership advisory offering, though operating at significantly larger global scale.
- Egon Zehnder: Privately-held global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a strong presence across emerging markets including India. Directly comparable to EMA on senior executive search, leadership assessment, and advisory services.
- Spencer Stuart: One of the world's largest privately-held executive search firms with a strong Board and CEO practice globally, including India. Competes head-to-head with EMA on senior executive and Board mandates across multinational and Indian clients.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on Board, CEO, and senior executive placements across industries including in India. Closely comparable to EMA's core executive search value proposition with similar client profiles and engagement economics.
Emerging players
- CIEL HR Services: Indian staffing and RPO services provider with growing AI-enabled recruitment capabilities and enterprise clients across multiple industries. Comparable to the Taggd RPO operations that EMA acquired.
Regional players
- Michael Page India: Global professional recruitment firm operating in India with a strong mid-to-senior level professional search practice. Comparable to EMA's Professional Search sub-brand (James Douglas) for mid and senior management placements rather than Board/C-Suite mandates.
Others
- Taggd (Talent Hired-The Job Store): Now a wholly-owned subsidiary of EMA Partners India following the June 2026 ₹113 crore acquisition, but listed here as a reference for the RPO business model that EMA is integrating. Comparable as India's largest homegrown RPO company.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
EMA Partners India social profiles
Digital presenceEMA Partners India financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EMA Partners India leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
EMA Partners India subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries9 records
EMA Partners India funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EMA Partners India M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EMA Partners India
What does EMA Partners India do?
EMA Partners India is an executive search and leadership advisory firm that helps corporations, non-profits and government agencies recruit leaders at Board, C-Suite and Senior Executive levels across all industry sectors. Following its June 2026 acquisition of Taggd, the firm also offers AI-powered Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) at scale through its proprietary TARA platform, delivering over 55,000 permanent hires annually across 100+ enterprises.
Is EMA Partners India a public or private company?
EMA Partners India is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently ipo.
When was EMA Partners India founded?
EMA Partners India was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is EMA Partners India based?
EMA Partners India is headquartered in Vile Parle, India, in the Asia region.
How does EMA Partners India make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Executive Search Services are the primary driver. The others are leadership Advisory and RPO Services (via Taggd).
Who are EMA Partners India's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Korn Ferry, TeamLease Services and Adecco India. Direct peers are Heidrick & Struggles, Egon Zehnder, Spencer Stuart and Russell Reynolds Associates. CIEL HR Services is listed as an emerging player. Michael Page India is listed as a regional player. Taggd (Talent Hired-The Job Store) is listed as an others.
Does EMA Partners India have an API?
No public API is recorded for EMA Partners India.
What industry is EMA Partners India in?
EMA Partners India's product category is Executive Search & Leadership Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACABAI, Executive RPO (Leadership Hiring Programs). Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.