Discreet Leadership Search for India’s Growth Engine.
Typical mandate snapshot
400+
Leaders placed to date
96%
24-Month Leader Retention
Pan-India
Reach across 6 Key Economic Hubs
Cross-Border
Global Leadership into India
Tailored Search Strategy for Distinct Contexts.
A Series B startup, a Global Capability Center, a 2nd-generation Family Enterprise, and an entering Multinational require completely different evaluation metrics. We run specialized practices.
1. Startup Leadership
CXOs who bring operational rigor and architectural velocity without sacrificing early-stage execution momentum.
2. GCC Leadership
Country Heads and Functional VPs who bridge complex global matrix reporting with local execution capability.
3. CXOs for Family Businesses
Executives who accelerate legacy business expansion while honoring core founder culture and governance.
4. Founding India Executives
First-in-country Leaders capable of navigating local regulatory complexities and launching operations from zero.
Leadership Appointments We Execute
₹1 Cr+ CTC
Focusing exclusively on senior leadership & executive hires
01 Board & C-Suite
- Chief Executive Officer/MD
- CTO / CPO
- Chief Financial Officer
- CHRO
- Board Directors
02 Functional VPs & Heads
- VP / Head of Product
- VP / Head of Marketing
- VP of Engineering
- VP of Sales & Revenue
- Head of Operations
03 GCC & Market Entry
- India Country Head / MD
- GCC Site & Center Leader
- GCC Functional VPs
- Shared Services Leader
A confidential record of mandates
Leadership searches are handled discreetly. Below is an abridged record of completed leadership placements.
MANDATE 01
Chief AI Officer, Chennai
PE – Ship Management
2026
MANDATE 02
Head of HR, Bangalore
Series B · Cloud Infrastructure
2025
MANDATE 03
CEO, Delhi
2nd Gen Family Enterprise Transition
2024
MANDATE 04
CTO, Hyderabad
Series C Scale-up · Enterprise SaaS
2023
MANDATE 05
Country Head, Bangalore
Privately Held (India Market Entry) · Australia Group
2023
MANDATE 06
CTO, Mumbai
Series B – GameTech
2022
Why Companies Choose HRBx
1. Deep Market Intelligence
Our executive search consultants maintain comprehensive market knowledge across India's business landscape. We understand compensation benchmarks, competitive dynamics, and talent movement patterns that inform successful leadership hiring strategies.
2. Founder-led Search
Years of relationship building have created an unparalleled network of senior executives and emerging leaders. Our candidate database spans established corporations, successful startups, and international executives seeking opportunities in India's growing market.
3. Proven Search Methodology
Our executive search process combines rigorous research, strategic outreach, and comprehensive assessment. We evaluate not just technical competencies but also leadership potential, cultural alignment, and long-term vision compatibility.
4. Confidential Search Capabilities
Many senior-level searches require absolute discretion. Our confidential search practice protects both client and candidate interests while maintaining the highest standards of professional integrity throughout the recruitment process.
For Startups
Startup leadership hiring is a different problem. Leaders here operate with little structure and shifting scope.
- Founding & Series A–C leadership across engineering, product, growth, HR, and AI
- Assessed for ambiguity tolerance and hands-on execution, not just pedigree
- Flexes from contingency to retained as the mandate gets senior
For scaling entities not yet ready for a permanent full-time CHRO, see our Fractional HR & Advisory Services →.
For GCCs
GCC leaders face a specific tension: satisfy a global reporting line while making real decisions on the ground.
- Country Head, Site Leader, and Functional Head searches (Tech, HR, Finance)
- Talent mapping across Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai
- Compensation benchmarked against comparable GCC hires, not generic enterprise data
For Family Businesses
Bringing in a non-family leader is a trust decision as much as a hiring one.
- Non-family CEO & CXO search for professionalizing businesses
- Next-gen leadership transition support
- Onboarding built around family governance, not generic corporate process
Explore our Family Enterprise Governance Advisory →
For India Market Entry
Your first India hire sets the tone for every hire after it.
- Country Head and India launch leadership search
- Aligning global stakeholders with local hiring realities
- Follow-on hiring for the founding India team once the leader is in place
Executive Search Process
1. Strategic Consultation
Every executive search begins with deep discovery with founders, boards, or HQ stakeholders to define the mandate, ideal candidate profile, and cultural context.
2. Market mapping
Our research team conducts comprehensive market analysis to identify potential candidates across target companies and geographies. This systematic approach ensures we evaluate the complete talent landscape.
3. Outreach & engagement
Direct engagement with passive candidates, including those not actively looking, through relationship-led outreach
4. Deep-dive Assessment
Structured evaluation of leadership competency, cultural fit, and reference validation beyond the standard interview.
5. Onboarding & integration
A 100-day plan for the new leader and their manager, built from interview insights and assessment.
Every mandate starts with a conversation.
Handled directly by a Managing Partner.
Confidential by default.
Reply within 1 business day, always
FAQs on Leadership Hiring in India
How much does executive search cost, and what's the minimum mandate size?
HRBx engages on leadership mandates from ₹1 Cr+ CTC. Within that range, fees typically run 15–21% of the role's annual CTC — 18–21% for C-suite and board-level searches, 15–18% for VP/Director-level leadership roles at the threshold. This reflects the market mapping, passive candidate engagement, and assessment involved in a retained search, not a placement fee.
This is significantly higher than standard recruitment fees because executive search involves deep market mapping, passive candidate engagement, comprehensive assessment, and negotiation support. However, the return on investment is substantial placing the right leader can drive organizational growth costing far more than the search fee. Some firms also offer retainer-based models for highly specialized searches.
How long does leadership hiring take?
Most mandates move from kickoff to signed offer in 6-8 weeks, with an initial shortlist typically ready by week two or three. Niche technical searches or board-approved C-suite mandates can extend closer to 8 weeks.
How is executive search different from recruitment?
Recruitment fills a role from candidates who apply. Executive search identifies and engages the right leader directly — including passive candidates not actively looking — and assesses strategic and cultural fit alongside skill, not skill alone.
Which industries do you serve for leadership hiring?
We specialize in leadership hiring across high-growth sectors in India, including:
- Fintech & Financial Services (CFO, Head of Risk, CCO)
- Healthtech & Healthcare (CBO, VP Product)
- Edtech & Learning (Product Head, Head of Content)
- SaaS & Enterprise Software (CTO, CPO, VP Engineering)
- D2C & E-commerce (Chief Growth Officer)
- GCCs (Global Capability Centers) establishing India operations
- Manufacturing & Shipping (CEO, CTO)
Can you run a leadership search for a GCC entering or scaling in India?
Yes — this is one of our core practice areas. We run Country Head, Site Leader, and functional leadership searches for Global Capability Centers standing up or scaling their India operations, with market mapping across the primary GCC hubs.
Do you understand family business dynamics, or is every search treated the same?
No two family enterprises professionalize the same way. Our Family Enterprise Governance Advisory practice works directly with promoter families on non-family CEO and CXO search, succession-ready leadership, and next-generation transition built around family governance context.
What makes HRBx's approach different?
Every search is run directly by a Managing Partner, not delegated to a research team with practice-area specialization across startups, GCCs, family enterprises, and India market entry, rather than one generalist process applied to every mandate.
Do you work with both early-stage and established companies?
Yes, from Series A/B startups making a first leadership hire, to established enterprises and GCCs running succession-level searches, with engagement models that flex from contingency to retained depending on seniority.
Schedule a Private Search Briefing
directly with a Managing Partner.