Our Team
United by experience. Guided by integrity. Committed to sustainable progress.
Values
Our values define how we work, make decisions, and build relationships. We believe meaningful ESG progress begins with integrity, reliable information, and a genuine understanding of each organisation’s responsibilities and ambitions. Our team approaches every engagement with objectivity, professionalism, and respect—ensuring that our advice remains practical, transparent, and focused on long-term value.
Integrity
We act honestly, independently, and responsibly, maintaining confidentiality and the highest standards of professional conduct.
Collaboration
We work closely with leadership teams, employees, and stakeholders, recognising that successful ESG transformation requires shared understanding and collective action.
Excellence
We combine deep professional experience with continuous learning to deliver well-researched, accurate, and dependable solutions.
Our Corporate Ethos
Our culture is built on the belief that responsible business and strong performance can progress together. We encourage open dialogue, intellectual curiosity, and multidisciplinary thinking, enabling our professionals to examine challenges from regulatory, commercial, technological, and sustainability perspectives.
We do not believe in one-size-fits-all recommendations. Every organisation has a distinct operating environment, level of ESG maturity, and set of stakeholder expectations. Our team listens first, understands the context, and develops solutions that are relevant, proportionate, and achievable.
By combining experience with innovation and advisory expertise with ESG Vault’s digital capabilities, we help organisations move beyond compliance towards stronger governance, informed decision-making, credible reporting, and measurable impact.
Meet the Team
Dr. K.S Ravichandran
Director
Er. Santhanam Lakshmanan
Director
Shilpa Vishwanathan
Director
Dr. K.S. Ravichandran
Dr. K.S.Ravichandran, M Com LLB, FCS, PhD, headsthe Coimbatore and Chennai offices, is a distinguished expert, with over 30 years of experience in Company Law, Securities Laws, Foreign Exchange Management and its rules & regulations, Industrial Laws, and Environmental Laws. . He is a seasoned researcher, adviser, and author. His areas of specialisation include board process, governance, audits, compliance solutions, corporate restructuring, dispute resolution, Intellectual Property Rights, Mergers & Acquisitions, Insolvency & Bankruptcy, and Arbitration & Conciliation.
He has successfully argued numerous cases reported in leading law journals . He was a long-time member of Secretarial Standards Board of the ICSI, a member of the expert sub-group constituted by Ministry of Corporate Affairs and a member of the sub-group constituted by SEBI to design industrial standards on related party transactions. He is also known for his work in representing MSMEs and NGOs before the Government of India.
He was an Independent Director of the Karur Vysya Bank Limited for 8 years and he has chaired / he has been a member of several Board committees.
He is currently a member of the Management Committee of Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), and Co-Chairs the Sustainability and ESG Committee; and is a Special Invitee on The ICSI ESG and Sustainability Board
He has addressed several conferences, seminars, and workshops and written more than 1000 articles on various laws. He has authored several books including: Duties and Liabilities of Directors (2024); CSR ESG and Charitable Institutions (2024); Related Party Transactions (2024), A Treatise on Contraventions under Companies Act, Securities Laws and FEMA (2021); Corporate Social Responsibility – Emerging Opportunities and Challenges in India (2016); The Law relating to Limited Liability Partnerships in India (2010); and A Treatise on Corporate Lending, Charges, Debts Recovery, Enforcement of Security Interest and Winding up of Companies (2006)
Er. Santhanam Lakshmanan
Er. Santhanam Lakshmanan, BE, LLB, Registered Patent Agent, Dip. in Operations Management, IRCA certified Lead Auditor for QMS-ISO 9001-2015 and OHSAS-ISO 18001 OHSMS-ISO 45001-2018, oversees the Bangalore office. . .
He has over 40 years of operations experience, including more than 20 years of service in Indian Air Force, and has held senior technical and infrastructure management positions with Jones Lang LaSalle and Cushman & Wakefield. For over 10 years , he has specialized in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) laws, Environment Laws, Labour Laws, Industrial Audits, and Innovation Analysis. He is an expert in patent search, drafting and opposition, technology landscape studies, industrial design protection and trademark portfolio analysis.
He has successfully assisted startups, research institutions and corporates in securing IPR internationally. He provides consultancy and Lead Audit services on ISO Management systems, Industrial compliance, Industrial safety and ESG related governance. He has conducted audits in industrial plants and enabled the establishment of management systems across diverse sectors. He contributes to professional articles and newsletters and has addressed industry and professionals on matters related to his areas of expertise.
Shilpa Vishwanathan
Shilpa Vishwanathan, BCom, MBA(Fin), FCS, CIA, SIA, Empanelled Arbitrator, ISO 14064 -1, ISO 14064-2 & ISO 14064-3 GHG Accounting Lead Verifier / Lead Validator and Certified in Reporting with GRI Standards, SGS HK, is a corporate governance professional and expert advisor to governing bodies, with a specific focus on strategy formulation, sustainability, risk mitigation, and internal control mechanisms that empower businesses. Over an 18-year career, she has enabled Startups, MSMEs, Listed entities, Not-for-profit enterprises and Financial institutions to assess, enhance, and establish mechanisms for aligning with regulatory requirements, while strengthening workforce capabilities through training and technology integration.
As a social impact assessor and CSR expert, she guides companies through their ESG journey and prepares them to achieve their sustainability goals — bringing sector-specific focus to ESG operations and building ecosystems that bridge the gap between stakeholder expectations and organisational performance. As an expert in the National Voluntary Guidelines, SEBI's Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR), the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and global standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative, TCFD, GHG Protocol, SBTi and IFRS-SASB, she enables businesses to gather and disclose information on carbon neutrality, circularity and social governance related matters in an authentic, transparent, and exhaustive manner.
She holds position as an Independent director and conducts audits and due diligence for various statutory requirements and business objectives. She has authored publications with ICSI-CCGRT on Company Law, NBFCs, Oppression and Mismanagement, SME listing, Governance best practices and case studies. She has expertise in drafting policies/charters, CSR project reports, Techno Economic Feasibility reports. She has been a speaker in conferences affiliated with Industry associations & Professional forums on ESG matters.
Our Engagement Approach
We do not believe in one-size-fits-all recommendations. Every organisation has a distinct operating environment, level of ESG maturity, and set of stakeholder expectations. Our team listens first, understands the context, and develops solutions that are relevant, proportionate, and achievable.Meaningful ESG progress begins with integrity, reliable information, and a genuine understanding of each organisation’s responsibilities and ambitions. We work closely with leadership teams, employees, and stakeholders, recognising that successful ESG transformation requires shared understanding and collective action, while maintaining confidentiality and the highest standards of professional conduct.
Our team approaches every engagement with objectivityensuring that our advice remains practical, transparent, and focused on long-term value. We combine deep professional experience with continuous learning to deliver well-researched, accurate, and dependable solutions.
With ESG Vault’s digital capabilities, we help organisations move beyond compliance towards stronger governance, informed decision-making, credible reporting, and measurable impact.
Seasoned experience. Diverse expertise. One shared commitment to responsible and sustainable business.
Regulatory Understanding:
Our professionals have extensive exposure to matters involving government departments, Chambers of Commerce, SEBI-related requirements, and other statutory and regulatory bodies—helping clients navigate their obligations with greater clarity and confidence.
Multidisciplinary Expertise:
By bringing together knowledge across corporate governance, finance, compliance, sustainability, and ESG reporting, we provide integrated solutions instead of isolated recommendations.
Integrity in Every Engagement:
Transparency, independence, confidentiality, and professional accountability guide every assignment. We aim to earn long-term trust by providing objective advice and dependable support.
Committed to Lasting Impact
We help organisations move beyond compliance by embedding responsible practices into strategy and operations—creating measurable value for the business, its stakeholders, society, and the environment.
Experience That Inspires Confidence
Our strength lies in the depth of our experience and the diversity of our professional expertise. With more than three decades of exposure to corporate advisory, regulatory compliance, governance, finance, and sustainability, our leadership team combines institutional knowledge with a forward-looking approach to ESG. We understand both regulatory expectations and the practical realities of running a business, enabling us to deliver guidance that is credible, relevant, and actionable.
Deep Professional Experience
Our leadership brings decades of experience in advising organisations, resolving complex business matters, and supporting responsible growth across changing regulatory environments.
Practical, Client-Focused Advice
We take the time to understand each organisation’s priorities, challenges, and level of ESG maturity. Our recommendations are practical, proportionate, and designed for successful implementation.