Indian management consultancy Primus Partners launches in UAE

Primus Partners, one of India’s leading management consultancy firms, has entered the UAE with the aim to tap into the rapidly growing business ties between the two nations.

Based out of Dubai, the new office becomes the seventh for Primus Partners, alongside its six hubs in home market India – Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

Founded in 2019, Primus Partners provides a range of advisory services in areas such as policy development, investments, program and project delivery, operational excellence, and industrialization to clients in the public and private sectors. The firm has grown rapidly since its inception and currently has a team of around 200 consultants and staff.

Nilaya Varma, Co-founder and CEO of Primus Partners, said that entering the UAE marks an “exciting next chapter” for the firm. “Expanding into Dubai represents a pivotal step in our strategic vision to forge deeper, more impactful partnerships in the region. As UAE increasingly asserts its role as a major player in the global economy, we see tremendous potential to drive innovative solutions and thought leadership within this market.”

Varma added that the company aims to work on “transformative projects” in the region, which should eventually see Primus Partners nestle itself among the leading consulting firms in the Middle East.

Spearheading that ambition is Nader Haffar, one of the more high-profile figures in the UAE’s consulting landscape. He previously was the Chairman and CEO of KPMG in the UAE and Oman and Chairman of KPMG across the Middle East, South Asia and Caspin region. In the latter role, he led a team of over 11,000 staff.

Earlier in his career, Haffar also was a partner at Deloitte, and served fellow Big Four firm PwC.

Commenting on the ambitions in the UAE, he said: “Our new office in UAE will play a vital role in steering key regional projects. By leveraging initiatives such as IMMEC and I2U2, we are not only contributing to global trade dynamics but also positioning ourselves to spearhead innovations that address critical areas such as infrastructure and sustainable development. Our objective is to harness these opportunities to create lasting economic and environmental impacts.”

Davinder Sandhu, Co-founder and Chairperson of Primus Partners, added: “This expansion into the UAE is more than just a geographical move as it places us at the epicentre of transformative projects that will drive sustainable development and economic progress across the region. We will leverage our expertise to contribute meaningfully to the dynamic growth of the Middle East.”