Sudhir Sawant, Director - Audit & Business Assurances Services

Sudhir Sawant is a commerce graduate from the University of Mumbai and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for over 25 years. He is Director of Audit and Management Assurance Services of the Firm. He has been in the Arabian Gulf since 1987. Prior to joining the Firm in 2007, he worked with a ‘Big Four’ auditing firm in managerial capacity for 19 years (including over 13 years in Oman) and six years in a leading international firm in Dubai. He possesses diverse experience in the audit of large organisations in a varied range of activities such as banking and finance, investments, share brokerage, manufacturing, general trading, automobile dealers, diamonds and jewellery trading, property development, civil construction, shipping (owners, charterers, agents and freight and forwarders), travel and transportation, service providers, money changers and remittance houses, real estate agents, hotels, schools, clubs, charitable organisations etc. Sudhir has particular expertise in the banking and finance sector (including statutory audit of large public sector commercial and industrial banks, audit of Central Bank of a country, bank examinations on behalf of the Central Bank) and group consolidations.

Rajeev Kulkarni, Director - Business Advisory Services

Rajeev Kulkarni heads the Business Advisory Services division of BLS. He is a commerce graduate and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) since 1989. Rajeev started his career in Oman. He was a partner of a well-known firm and director of a management consultancy company in India before joining BLS. He also served on the audit committees of two companies listed on the Mumbai Stock Exchange. Having initially specialised in accountancy and audit, he progressed via taxation into general support and consultancy for clients in addressing their day-to-day business issues as well as offering support when required. Rajeev advises a variety of clients from start-ups to established groups, from various sectors including construction, trading and services. He advises clients on accounting and business issues and also works with entrepreneurial businesses to facilitate the development of a strategy and also the implementation of actions to ensure that the business objectives are met. Finance structuring and facilitating debt finance are key areas in which Rajeev’s experience and expertise has benefited many business organisations. He also specialises in placement and training of accounting and finance professionals at various levels.

Rustom Mehta, Senior Manager

Rustom Mehta is a commerce graduate from the University of Mumbai and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and and has 28 years of professional experience in India, UAE and Africa with a ‘Big Four’ firm and a leading practice in the UAE. He joined the Firm in 2005. He has wide experience in audits of companies operating in various sectors, ranging from manufacturing, construction, banking, finance, shipping, travel, transportation, entertainment, general trading and non-governmental organisations and manages a large portfolio of clients. His wide experience over many years includes due diligence on business acquisitions and disposals.

Dhawal Girish Nandedkar, Branch Manager, Fujairah

Dhawal is a commerce graduate of the University of Mumbai and a Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). He possesses post-qualification experience of over six years. He is also an MBA in Finance and Public Relations. He is a person with great business acumen and possesses specialised in-depth working knowledge in the fields of quarrying, crushing, transporting and shipping of limestone aggregates. Due to his extensive knowledge in the above fields, he has been instrumental in making many sick units of the clients into cash generating ventures in a short span of time. Presently, Dhawal is in-charge of the Firm’s practice in the Fujairah Branch and has played an instrumental role in promoting the Firm's interests in the region.

Ashwani Kumar Kapania, Branch Manager, Abu Dhabi

Ashwani Kumar is a commerce graduate and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and a professionally qualified accountant. He has over 20 years of experience in the areas of internal audit, NRI taxation, auditing, due diligence work, bank audits, statutory audits, stock audits, investigations, preparing and guiding in the preparation of MIS as per management requirements to top management of various clients/ big business houses as well as assisting clients in arranging finances from banks, inspection and verification audit, branch inspection, computerisation of accounts and their maintenance, designing accounting procedures and reporting formats for management accounts and maintenance of statutory records. He has helped the Firm to develop new strategies to further expand our operations in Abu Dhabi.