K S Aiyar & Co

What K S Aiyar & Co does

K S Aiyar & Co is a privately held chartered accountancy partnership founded in 1897 by Kalyan Subramani Aiyar in Calicut and relocated to Mumbai in 1900, recognized as the oldest Indian accounting firm in continuous operation. The firm delivers professional services across three divisions: Audit & Assurance (statutory audits, VAT audits, due diligence, and IT Governance/Risk/Security consulting through dedicated ITGRS and ISAAS sub-divisions); Taxation (direct tax advisory, indirect tax including excise and service tax, and transfer pricing); and Advisory (governance and risk management, business advisory, corporate restructuring and M&A, valuation, legal and secretarial services, FEMA consulting, NGO advisory, US GAAP/GAAS services, and operational consulting). It serves large corporates, public sector undertakings, banks, insurance companies, and financial institutions across India through six offices (Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Coimbatore) and holds CAG-appointed mandates for entities such as the Reserve Bank of India and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

The business operates on a project- and retainer-based professional services model with quote-based, scope-dependent fees; revenue is generated by partners and senior professionals delivering engagements directly to clients without channel intermediaries. The go-to-market is relationship-driven, anchored on 125+ years of legacy, partner-led client coverage, and recurring thought leadership including annual India Budget analyses and alumni/ICAI engagement. Service quality and continuity are emphasized over scale, with a non-family institutional governance structure comprising an Executive Board, CEO and Senior Partner Raghu Aiyar, Managing Partners per office, and a Board of Governors with two independent members.

Customer mix is concentrated in long-tenure enterprise and government-mandate clients, supported by switching-cost economics in statutory audit work; the firm also operates CSR-aligned entities including K S Aiyar Foundation and a joint venture (Sevachild India Foundation with Sevachild USA). Strategic posture is that of a stable mid-tier Indian professional services firm pursuing incremental geographic expansion (most recently Hyderabad in 2015) rather than transformational growth, with no disclosed M&A, funding events, or technology-product pivots in the input data.

Name

K S Aiyar & Co

Legal name

K. S. Aiyar & Co.

Website

https://ksaiyar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Short description

K S Aiyar & Co is India's oldest chartered accountancy firm (founded 1897), delivering statutory audit, taxation, and advisory services to large corporates, banks, insurance companies, and public sector undertakings across six Indian offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accounting & Audit Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHABAF

Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting Advisory (GAAP/IFRS)

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Accounting, Audit & Tax Services

Keywords

• Audit assurance services
• Statutory audit
• Taxation advisory
• Transfer pricing
• Corporate advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Audit & Assurance Services: Comprehensive audit services including Statutory Audits, VAT Audits, Due Diligence Reviews & Investigations, and IT Governance/Risk/Security consulting. Revenue generated through professional fee arrangements for audit engagements, typically retainer-based or project-based engagements with large corporate clients and public sector entities.
2. Tax Consultancy & Advisory: Direct Taxation (Corporate Taxation Advisory, Tax Management, Tax Appeals, Tax Planning, Transfer Pricing), Indirect Taxation (Excise Duty, Service Tax, VAT Advisory), and Transfer Pricing services. Delivered through experienced Partners and senior professionals with decades of experience.
3. Advisory Services: Wide range of advisory including Governance & Risk Management, Business Advisory, Corporate Restructuring/M&A/Recovery, Valuation, Legal & Secretarial, FEMA Consulting, NGO Advisory, International Accounting (US GAAP/GAAS), Financial Services & Securities Industry, and Operational Consulting. Engagement structures vary from advisory retainers to project-based assignments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

K.S. Aiyar & Co is the oldest Indian Chartered Accountancy firm, providing independent audit & assurance, taxation, and corporate advisory services to large corporates, banks, insurance companies, public sector undertakings, and NGOs across India. The firm delivers statutory audits, direct/indirect tax consultancy, transfer pricing, due diligence, IT governance/risk/security consulting (ITGRS), information systems audit (ISAAS), valuation, FEMA advisory, and corporate restructuring services through six offices.

Product overview

K.S. Aiyar & Co is a chartered accounting firm offering a comprehensive suite of professional services organized across three primary divisions: Audit & Assurance Services, Taxation Services, and Advisory Services. The firm does not offer a unified software product but rather delivers human-delivered professional services. Core Audit & Assurance offerings include Statutory Audits, VAT Audits, Due Diligence Reviews & Investigations, and ITGRS (IT Governance, Risk & Security Consulting). The Taxation division covers Direct Taxation, Indirect Taxation, and Transfer Pricing. Advisory Services span Governance & Risk Management, Business Advisory, International Investor Services, Corporate Restructuring/M&A, Valuation, Legal & Secretarial Services, FEMA Consulting, NGO Advisory, ISAAS (Information Systems Audit), US GAAP & GAAS services, Financial Services, and Operational Consulting. The firm leverages over 125 years of experience serving large corporates, banks, insurance companies, and public sector undertakings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Statutory Audits

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sevachild India FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSevachild India Foundation is a joint venture of KS Aiyar & Co with Sevachild USA. Joint initiative focused on saving young lives in India addressing Vitamin A Deficiency Disorder (VADD), a devastating disease affecting millions of undernourished infants and children. SevaChild connects sponsors with rural village children living below the poverty line and has developed a vitamin distribution network across 16 of India's 29 states.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Walker Chandiok & Co: Large Indian-headquartered CA firm now affiliated with Grant Thornton, offering audit, tax, and advisory across India with multiple offices. Directly comparable to K S Aiyar in pan-India delivery, enterprise audit focus, and advisory breadth.
• BDO India (BDO SRVC & Co): Indian member firm of BDO Global, providing audit, tax, and advisory to large corporates and PSUs across India. Directly comparable to K S Aiyar in mid-large Indian enterprise audit segment and advisory cross-sell model.
• S.R. Batliboi & Co: EY-affiliated Indian CA firm serving large corporates, multinationals, and financial institutions with audit, tax, and transaction advisory. Comparable to K S Aiyar in serving RBI-grade banking clients and US GAAP restatement mandates.
• M.P. Chitale & Co: Established Mumbai-based Indian CA firm with strong audit, tax, and advisory practice serving large corporates and financial institutions. Comparable to K S Aiyar in domestic mid-large enterprise segment and Mumbai-centric delivery.
• Singhi & Co: Mid-sized Indian chartered accountancy firm offering audit, tax, and advisory with multi-city presence. Similar in scale, heritage, and client base to K S Aiyar, particularly in serving listed companies and family-run businesses.
• Lodha & Co: One of India's oldest and largest indigenous chartered accountancy firms offering audit, tax, and advisory services to corporates, PSUs, and financial institutions. Closely comparable to K S Aiyar in scale, heritage, and client mix across Indian large-cap audit and advisory engagements.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte India (Haskins & Sells): Indian affiliate of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, offering full-service audit, tax, consulting, and risk advisory across India. Comparable to K S Aiyar in statutory audit for PSUs and banks, but at significantly larger scale and broader service portfolio.
• EY India (Ernst & Young): Indian operations of Ernst & Young offering audit, consulting, tax, and transaction advisory. Direct overlap with K S Aiyar in statutory audit for large corporates and IT-enabled audit/transformation advisory.
• PwC India (Price Waterhouse): Indian affiliate of PwC providing assurance, tax, and advisory services to large corporates and financial institutions. Comparable in PSU/banking audit segment and risk advisory services.
• KPMG India: Indian affiliate of KPMG, providing audit, tax, and advisory services across all major Indian industries including banking, insurance, and PSUs. Overlaps with K S Aiyar in RBI/CAG audit appointments and large corporate tax engagements.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about K S Aiyar & Co